Meet the Teacher

Today is a JOYFUL day:

• Today is snow day #2 of this week.

• The adorable Cara over at The First Grade Parade is doing a super fun link up for TEACHERS!

Now, I hope I'm not breaking the rules because I'm not technically a teacher yet, but I'm soon on my way!!! So go ahead, link up with Cara and play along.

Meet the (soon-to-be) Teacher.

Hi. My name is Angela. I'm married to my high school best friend Gabe. And I have never actually said our names here on this ol' blog of mine. So there you have it. Ang & Gabe.

We were besties in high school and then began dating about a week after graduation. I can remember sitting in Gabe's little red truck in my parent's driveway talking about "our future". It went a little something like this, "Well, I'm going to college and you're going to the marines. So, it would be kind of hard to date long-distance. But I really like you. So, do you just want to date for the summer and then break up when the summer is over?"

And there it was. The breakup pact of summer 2002.

Well after 4 years long distance, 2 deployments to Iraq, and over $10,000 spent in flights to see each other...we got married. And our little pact was worthless. :)

This June will be our 5 year anniversary.

Bar Harbor, Maine - Third Anniversary

If I had to use one word to sum up the last 4 1/2 years of my life it would be CHANGING.

• Right after we got married, we moved to 29 Palms, California where Gabe finished up his time in the military.

Our backyard = desert

Then, I got a corporate job and they moved us to Dallas, TX.

The famous Texas State Fair

Then, my job moved us to our always-and-forever-second-home Rhode Island. This is where we made the best friends of our entire lives.

Downtown Providence

Colt State Park

With my corporate job, I traveled all over the country recruiting college students to be entry-level managers. I loved it. But I had to follow my gut, I had to follow my calling (which had been calling me for YEARS) and decided to go back to school to be an elementary teacher.

Corporate just wasn't fitting for me - the color coded folders and bright colors all over my office were just begging me to become an elementary teacher. :)

Now, we live back home in our hometown in Kansas. I am student teaching in a fourth grade classroom in one of the best districts in our area. I am in love. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Q & A Time!

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t a teacher?
A: I can't even think about being anything else but a teacher. But...if I wasn't a teacher, I think I'd want to be a stay-at-home-mama-bear.

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I seriously love everything photography (I am not a photographer but I love taking pics and equally love looking at others' pics), reading, bargain shopping, dining at new restaurants, and trying new recipes.

Q: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: A teacher. No, really! I was an only child, and I used to set up all of my stuffed animals and TEACH to them. If my cousins were ever around, I'd force them to be my students. And my mom used to go to garage sales and buy me used teacher's edition textbooks...those were my most favorite gifts ever.

Q: What are your guilty pleasures?
A: Chicken burritos from OTB, Twilight (books and movies), Diet Coke, Garden Salsa Sunchips, Jersey Shore, Real Housewives of OC/Beverly Hills, Gossip Girl, sleeping in late on Saturdays (and by late, I mean 8:00).

Q: What is your biggest fear?!
A: Spiders. I hate everything about them.

Q: When you’re on vacation, where do you like to go?
A: I love traveling everywhere! I love a tropical beach resort, but I also like an outdoorsy camping trip. I like variety. And I particularly like places off-the-beaten-path. Places that only the locals know about.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: Don't ever give up, Always look for the best in others, Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Q: What do you value most in others?
A: Compassion. I truly value individuals who think of others before themselves and who are always thinking of ways to spread love to those who need it.

Q: If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass down to your kids, what would it be?
A: My zest for life. When I love something, I REALLY LOVE it. I am an all-around enthusiastic person and put my all into everything I do. And I just really love life.

Q: If you could have lunch with anyone in the world….living or dead…who would it be?
A: Oh. This is a tough one. I think I'd have to say Ellen DeGeneres, so that I could laugh the entire time.

Now tell us one random thing about yourself:

When I unload the dishwasher, I put the clean plates under the plates that are already in the cabinet. I want to make sure everything gets equal use. OCD much?