Seriously...Back to blogging :)

Sooo...take two on the back to blogging. Oops.

Looks like life got a hold of me before I could actually let this blog take off. Therefore, I am going to give myself a goal...blog at least twice a month. Think we can do it? Yep! :)

So lets see...the last blog posted about PJ and I getting ready to take a mini-vacation to San Antonio. Not much has happened since then. *Just Kidding!* Here's a 5 minute catch up! I'll blog on some of these events separately.

August 2010 - Started my 2nd year with TFA. PJ began his rotations starting with a Pediatric Clinic in Irving.

November 2010 - Moved into a cute rental house in Richardson. We also hosted the family Thanksgiving!

December 2010 - PJ and I celebrate 1 year of marriage!! WOOHOO :) We also joined a WONDERFUL Newly Married Group at Northwest!

February 2011 - We found (2/08/11) out we were expecting a BABY!! Talk about a HUGE surprise.

April 2011 - We found out that Baby Clair was a BOY!

May 2011 - Completed my contract with TFA. (Did two years really go by that fast?)

June & July 2011 - I worked for MLEP while PJ fell in love with the ER!

August 2011 - Back to school!

September 2011 - A month of joy and sorrow. My aunt lost her battle with cancer 5 days before Luke was born. Of course September 22nd...LUKE TRAVIS CLAIR.

We're now in December. PJ is job searching and preparing for his PANCE exam. I am back at work missing being home with Luke but looking forward to staying home with him soon!


Alright, that is a wirlwind tour of what has happened since I last blogged. :) However, expect some updates on past events...especially Mr. Luke! :)



(Photo by Naylormade Photography http://naylormadephotography.com/)

VACATION!!

San Antonio bound! :) Sea World, Schlitterbahn, Shopping, and relaxing...

So excited! I promise to update and post pictures as they come!

Now! Let the fun begin!

Back to Blogging!!

Wow...So I have been meaning to start blogging since I started Teach for America, then I ment to start blogging when I got married...and well I think you get the story! :) So I am finally sitting down to blog! I kept this blog originally when I was traveling in Europe but now I'll use it to keep friends and family updated on what is going on in my teaching life and family life!! :)

Today was my last day of teaching summer school at Hill Middle School. Leaving these students was harder than my students from Pinkston. When I got home I bawled my eyes out. I have never worked with refugee students but these students (10+ Nationalities) were out of this world amazing! I took tons of pictures and will upload and blog about the students as soon as I can.

Today was also PJ's 'last' day of school! He will start rotations in two weeks and is excited! This weekend PJ and I are going to College Station to see my parents, drop the dogs off, and relax for a day or two and then are heading to San Antonio for a relaxing vacation in the Hill Country! :) I am excited to say the least! :)

Sweet Home College Station...

...Lord I'm Coming home to you!! Whew this is a fast post because I don't have much time before my wireless runs out BUT I will be home in 2 days! My plane officially lands in the Houston airport at 7:35.

This has been such a trip and I have stories to tell and pictures to share.

Lets me tell you guys thank you so much for all your prayers, there have been some close moments on this trip and it is by the grace of God and his hand that things not only worked out the way they did but that situations didn't become worse or what they should have been. So Praise God!

Whew well I am sitting in Madrid and it is hott!! :) Love and miss you all! See you all soon!!!!

Pick Pocketers Stink!

*sigh* We are leaving Prague tomorrow and the Study Abroad portion of my trip is about to officially come to a close. This makes my heart sad. I feel like I just arrived in Europe, although my feet disagree.

Today was a free day in Prague and we walked around A LOT :) did some shopping went back to the bridge, it was grand. I love this town I really do, the buildings are beautiful and the city is nice. So we went to the bridge to purchase paintings and I had money stolen from me. :( Not so great but it could have been worse...I still don't know how they were able to do that. On a brighter note we did find this wonderful Italian place and it was amazing! :) After a little more shopping we headed back to the hotel where we had our final farewell meeting...an interesting slideshow, a tearful good byes, and one cool bag :).

We head back to Munich tomorrow and hopefully we won't have the same problem that we did coming into the Czech Republic...an hour stopped at the boarder was not my idea of fun.

We have our hotels/hostels booked from Paris and London, now we just have to take care of Nice and Madrid! How exciting is that?! Oh and we are meeting up with some Aggies in Paris!!! Apparently the Cycling Club or something along those lines gives bike tours in Paris, one of the girls is good friends with a bunch of the guys who give the tours so we are going to meet up with them! I'm excited! :)

So I don't know when I will be able to get online again but here is the plans for Sunday until I get back (if you are interested):

Aug 5: Fly to Paris
Aug 6: Paris all day - train to London at 9pm
Aug 7: London!!
Aug 8: 6am train back to Paris, Paris during the day and then Night train to Nice
Aug 9: Arrive in Nice about 7am
Aug 10: Nice
Aug 11: Travel to Madrid
Aug 12: Madrid...BULLFIGHTING :) hehe
Aug 13: Madrid
Aug 14: Toledo leave at 7pm for Paris
Aug 15: 8am arrive in Paris, sightsee for a bit, flight leaves at 3pm!

Hope you all are doing well! It's late here and I need sleep so I can wake up at 6am!

Our Bus Drive takes glamor shots....

Yes he does!!! Haha he put them out for us to see and they are soo funny :) they make my heart smile! So this will have to be quick I apologize I don't have much time to update but I will try to do my best in the little time I have.

We have been to Vienna, Salzburg, Bratislava, and now I am in Prague since I last updated and man has it been a wonderful. Bratislava and Prague have been such eye openers to what life truely was on the other side of the Iron Curtian even today 18 years after it actually fell. I cannot wait to come back and tell you all everything!

My memory cards are full...over 2000 pictures and still so much to see...thank goodness I brought my computer and CDs to burn. :) Prague is amazing there is so much to see and do and speaking of doing...I am going shopping tomorrow!!! :) And going to an Opera :)


I know this was short and I have so much I want to say but I have to go finish my journal to turn in tomorrow morning. I can't believe that tomorrow we have our farewell meeting, then we head to Munich and then fly to Paris on sunday morning! Whew, has this flown by!

Hope you all are staying cool!


ps...Our hotel here is sweet!!! 5 Stars and aprox 500 euros a night... you do the math...

Humbling...

We're in Munich now...we actually leave tomorrow for Austria but today after 12 we had free time so we decided to take the train to Dachau. Dachau is the sight of the first concentration camp of WW2. This camp was a 'work camp'. The nazi's used it to build materials for the war knowing that as long as there were prisoners here the Allies would never bomb the location.

The things I saw and felt I can't put into words. I am very thankful for what I have been given and for the fact that I was able to see and get a better picture of history.


It's crazy to think that I have been here for over two weeks. It's beginning to feel like home here, except the whole not always catching what everyone is saying to you. :) Our group here is very interesting to say the least...things keep happening that keep me on my toes that's for sure! I hope to have some interesting stories to tell.

The University at Passau has now set up an exchange program with A&M...hmmm...:)

When we toured Munich yesterday it was amazing to see how old the city is...and by European standards it's young. We walked through beautiful gardens (they had wonderful jogging trails) saw a beautiful palace, the paraliment building, the buildings that Hitler gave speeches on, marketplaces...the history here is amazing. I feel I just need a day to sit, drink coffee, and take it all in. I feel like I am under going a rollar coaster ride of emotions.

God has been teaching me A LOT! It's pretty amazing and I can't wait to share, being here has been such a blast but there have also been some battles and I thank you all for your prayers!!

Amanda

ps....Thanks Emily Anne for your 4 am text message!! Just when I thought I would sleep ;) love you! :)