Planes, Trains, and Automobiles...

I am super pumped because our Christmas plans are already booked and are completely perfect!  My family does our whole Christmas shindig on Christmas Eve, and we will be here to partake in all of it.  Then, we will fly out Christmas Day to Chicago to go to Nick's grandparents, meet up with his parents, and see his family for their Christmas festivities!  I love getting to see everyone for the holidays, and this year we have an added bonus...road trip to North Carolina with Nick's parents after Chicago family time.  Nick's parents currently live in North Carolina and decided it would be fun to take the week after Christmas as a time to road trip up there from Chicago, do some touristy things there, and get to finally see the house they just recently bought.  We will fly home from North Carolina after a week of Christmas, family fun, road tripping, and a mini vacation.

Nick and I are also very fortunate to be planning a Spring Break trip too.  His parents have a time share in Hawaii that we may use in Kauai for the week to relax and spend more time with his parents.  However, if the hotel is already booked for that week then Nick and I are planning to go to London!  I am secretly way more excited about London and hoping it can be a go.  We also had to stop ourselves yesterday and remember how truly blessed we are to even be having the conversation of, "well, if we can't go to Hawaii then lets go to London".  Our lives have been remarkably blessed time and time again, and we had to stop and remind ourselves of this fact.  So, here's to a wonderful God, a wonderful Christmas, and a potentially wonderful Spring Break!

Exhausted!

Let me just preface this with the statement, my new job is completely exhausting!  It has been a crazy first two weeks at my school, and has included going from seven periods to eight, changing homerooms, adding and losing kids, and all kinds of schedule issues.  Public school is so much more work than private school!!

Anyway, there have been lots of things going on other than school/work since my last post.  So, here begins the pictures and descriptions of what we have been doing!

Nick was chosen season ticket holder of the match at the last Dynamo home game.  He got to lead the teams onto the field, we got to stand with the players before the game started, and we went onto the field during half time.  Very cool and definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

My fabulous in-laws sent me the most amazing care package to start the school year off.  It was full of wonderful teaching/office/school supplies.  Plus, who doesn't love to get a big box in the mail!

We partied with the Mexican side!  My mom's aunt and uncle celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and as many may know Mexicans know how to throw a party!  We had a blast, and everyone was there.  My nephew did question my mom's true Mexican-ness though...he asked, "Ama, (Spanish word for grandma) you don't talk like brown people so you must not really be a brown a person!"  It was hilarious, and he has a point, my mom never really speaks Spanish in front of him or to him.  The best part of the night was when my mom's cousin Henry, who we all love, gave my dad a hat!  My dad said he liked Henry's hat, so Henry said he could have it because he had another one in his car...pure awesomeness!  So, below is my dad with cousin Henry and their hats!  Henry then walked around the party, pointing at my dad, and telling everyone he had a white cousin!

Eric and Selina showing off their moves!  We really had a great time, and it was nice to be surrounded by family.

I am so thrilled that tomorrow is Friday and that I have a three day weekend in store.  Plus, I have pretty much the best mentor teacher ever this year, and she is buying me lunch!  I will try to post more frequently, but I make no promises, seeing how exhausting teaching at the largest middle school in Houston ISD is!