{Last Post As A Single Lady}

Well, I'm four days away from my big wedding day! 4 days away... I cannot believe it and yet I know that I am so close and so thankful! Thus, this will be my last post as a single lady... next time I post, I will be married!!! I'm so excited to be married! People keep telling me, "Wow, you look very relaxed" (in a surprised voice) or they ask, "How are you feeling?" (in a concerned tone). I'M EXTATIC! Thats how I feel. Brian and I are ready to fully intermingle our lives. We're ready to start in the same place and end in the same place. I cannot wait to create our 'home'. I am confident everything will turn out great for our wedding! Even if everything isn't perfect, I have not doubt it will be a wonderful day. I'm marrying the man I love, how could it not? Yes, the day is drawing near and my anticipation is building. I'm one happy and blessed lady.

Life Lately.

I've been in a whirlwind of events lately... bachelorette, Thanksgiving, art shows, report cards, last observation and conferences.

Brian and I drove home to Arizona for Thanksgiving. This was the best time! I needed time with my family and much needed sleep. We finalized wedding plans and enjoyed the time together. Since I have been back in California, time has wizzed by! There is so much to do and get done. I will definitely be taking a nap today! Brian and I bought our matress yesterday :) quite the adventure but we found a good one. I'm excited to begin setting up our apartment Jan. 2. I'm so ready to move in and start my own place! My very own place... or OUR very own place! I am marrying the most amazing man in the world! Just 2 weeks away...

What's it like in First Grade?

So... I decided that I had to share what my classroom looks like. I took some pictures so that I could take you on a tour of my classroom. I hope you enjoying seeing into my first grade world where I spend many hours these days!


Welcome to Ms. Petersen's Classroom (soon-to-be Mrs. Juola)


Here's looking at the front of the classroom. I have a huge whiteboard!


And as you turn to the right, here is what you see: ELD Focus Wall


And a Math Wall.


A place for student's writing.


This is my favorite part of the day: Language Arts!

Then, if you were to look at the front of the room and turn to the left, this is what you would see:


Unfortunely, you cannot see the pictures the students drew to map out Setting, Characters, and Beginning, Middle, End of the Story. But just know they are pretty cute! And I forgot to take a picture of our vocabulary with GLAD... oh well.

Then for the back of the room: DATA WALL!


This is exciting! The students love seeing their clothes pins move up the Rocket as they master their math fluency. And the clouds show how many high frequency words they know.

And notice the colorful detail flowers which tier up vocabulary into Kinder words, First Grade words, High School Words, and Scholar words. They are so proud of themselves when they can use a "scholar" word in their writing. For examples, "One scorching day..."

Finally, I have some thinking maps hanging around the room. Our district loves thinking maps and I do too!



And oh yes, cannot forget the GATE icons... icons which promote higher level thinking.

Notice the lips. Lips is the icon for Language of Discipline.

And don't worry, I do have a science wall, too. Can't forget science!


Lots of components to make up a classroom! This is my little world of teaching.

Days of {Rest}

I am thankful for days of rest. I am thankful for 2 days off of school to give me a four day weekend! I got to sleep in until 7 this morning and choose when I wanted to wake up. And yes, I will be enjoying a leisurely nap this afternoon. So far, I have been very productive this morning! I have graded tests and finished most of my lesson planning for the next two weeks. And had a nice chat with Brian on the phone. I love being able to have the chance to talk to him in the morning when that is my favorite time of the day! He is the bright spot in my day. And I got to talk with my family who also has the day off. Gotta love the school system with the wonderful holidays and breaks.

...Sunday mornings...

Once again, the weekend is here and I find sometime to post on my blog. I love being able to sit down with a cup of hot chocolate or some good music and just write. Writing is quite enjoyable when it is for my own personal desire and not a crazy 20 page paper. Interestingly enough, it is very soothing. Only thing that would make my day better is if I had a pumpkin spice steamer or Chi tea... I have been craving those two lately.

Yesterday, I was feeling very overwhelmed and distraught over all that I had to accomplish this weekend. Brian and I went on a walk and my mind could not stay focused on our conversation. My brain would jump from one thing to the next and my anxiety would increase. So what did Brian and I do? We decided to spend a half hour working and then we put everything away and went hot tubing. We needed to relax and worry later. We ended up having a very pleasant evening before I had to head home. Then, I woke up this morning, rejuvenated and ready to tackle the world! Or at least my weekly lesson plans, ELD monitoring tools, and sub plans. Success! My weekly lesson plans are completed, the sub plans are ready for final tweaking, and my ELD monitoring tools are on their way. Could Sunday morning be any better? Yes, because now I will get to go to church and praise God for the joy of work without anxiety! And... there will definitely be a nap in store for me.

Best thing about this week: Veteran's Day which equals no school Thursday and Friday!! And a four day weekend to share with friends and Brian. So maybe I will get around to posting on Thursday or Friday.

Oh, and if you need a good song... try "Happy" by Never Shout Never. I found it on Pandora one morning while I was working at school. Part of my routine is to get to school around 6:45-7:00am, put on Pandora and get everything ready for the day. Love it!

Enjoy your week! I know I will.

{The Luckiest}

Thoroughly enjoying my Saturday and listening to some good songs on my itunes. The "the luckiest" is a great reminder of how lucky, or completely blessed, I am. So... today and this week.



This week has been packed full of activities at school. My kids were super excited for this week because they got to dress up everyday and on Friday, they all got to wear their costumes to school. I got a few pictures. I still cannot believe that this is MY class. How sweet to be a teacher! Although, I am worried about Nov. 1 when they come back to school full of candy.



Today, my friends and I drove to Little Ethiopia in LA. We walked around the vintage shops and then got some good eats. It was just what I needed. A chance to chill and hang with my friends. I have missed them while I have been preoccupied setting up my classroom and embarking on this new adventure called teaching. And I will see most of them again tomorrow for Kristen's wedding invitation stuffing. Friendship is a wonderful thing to have.

Weekend Lover

I now fully understand the blessing of a weekend! I have found myself being so thankful when Friday comes around. I love my job but I love the weekend too! It is so nice to be able to sleep in Saturday morning (meaning there is no alarm to wake me up, I get up whenever I want to, even if it is still early). Today, Brian and I went to Indian food for lunch and it was delicious, especially the dessert! Then we came back and rested for the remainder of the afternoon. It was amazing! Now, he is hanging out with some of his friends playing games and I am putting together school stuff for next week. All my lesson planning is done, I'm just filling in little details here and there.

I think I'm going to take up my project of knitting for a little bit before I head to bed. We'll see if I can finish the blanket before the December. That is my goal. However, this blanket is massive! I did not realize how huge it was until just this week...

Tomorrow is another day of rest with church and bible study. Brian and I don't have any plans except for enjoying each others company. I'm looking forward to the weekend of Oct. 30 because I'm going to get together with some of my friends and go to Little Ethiopia. They have really good sour dough bread and antique stores! Then November and then December!!!

{Whirlwind Week}

Wow! What an intense week! I cannot believe I finally made it to the weekend. Praise God because I needed it very much! I'm exhausted but completely excited about my new job teaching first grade. I have 20 students in my classroom and most are very high achieving. It is going to be a challenge and joy to differentiate instruction in order to "go above and beyond" (our school goal). I feel so blessed to have this job. This week has been filled with setting up my classroom (which is a lot of work!), putting together engaging and standards based lesson plans, as well as getting to know my students and their parents. And can I say that most of this stuff you would be able to ease into if you were hired at the beginning of the school year, however, I was hired three weeks into the year so everything is being thrown at me at once! But yes, I am up for the challenge. I needed a project, right? Yep, I got one and an exciting one at that. My mind is reeling with all the ideas I have and items I need to accomplish along with preparing for state testing that is coming up next week for CELDT.

So what are my plans for today? First of all, I slept in until 8:15. AMAZING! During the week, it has been get up at 5, quickly get ready and head into the classroom to set up and prepare for the day, then stay until 7 or 8 grading, organizing, and going to additional trainings as a new teacher. I would like to say that this will all settle down, but it probably will not for a while... I have a Data Chat to write up so I can meet with the principal on Friday to share my goals and past data of my students. College is finished and now I have other assignments. Anyways... so now that I have slept in. I will be getting ready and going back in to school to clean up my classroom after Back to School Night last night and other stuff to get ready for next week. Then I am planning to enjoy a relaxing evening with Brian! Yes, I need this. REST.

And I promise I will not write all about school because that could get really boring! But I thought I would share what this week has been like...

A Project

In between Gear Up and school starting, I realized I needed a project. Especially when I knew that subbing jobs may not become available right away... so I started knitting.

As you can see, this has become quite the project. I did not realize how wide I made the blanket until just a few days ago when it started covering my lap and taking over. But I'm so excited about it! I cannot wait to snuggle up into it. I love blankets and it is fun to have this project. It may sound dull to you, but there is something to be said about watching a good movie and sitting down to knit with a cup of hot chocolate. And yes, I know that I am in Southern California where it is still 80 during the day, but hot chocolate and snugly blankets are wonderful. Plus, by the time I finish the blanket, it will be perfect weather for snuggling up in a cozy blanket.

Of course my new project is setting up for my classroom! I went into a teacher supply store today and literally went down every isle brainstorming all the things I can do with my classroom and wondering where to start. There is so much to have in a classroom!! Thankfully, I brought a list with me of the must have's so I purchased those and will wait to go back when I know more about my classroom and Kiddos.

I've decided to make the main color of my classroom green, keeping it simple and cute. I cannot wait to begin putting it all together. I will be posting pictures of the classroom once it is all set up. With a few projects going, I am keeping busy, which makes me happy. I am a person who cannot be lazy for too long, I need direction and a goal to be working towards.

Hope Filled

Last time I blogged, I mentioned that I was hoping in the small things because I had some disappointments but also a lot of little things to keep me encouraged. Well, a lot has happened in the last couple weeks and I am filled with hope! Therefore, I will try and start from the beginning...

{Bare in mind, this has been quite the journey}

Last Wednesday, I was about to leave on my way to submit a job application for an after school program when I received a call from my principal, whose school I did my student teaching at and taught Gear Up. She asked if I could come in by 11 to sub the rest of the day in the overflow Kindergarten class. (This was the class I was supposed to have subbed for at the beginning of school) Of course, I said "Yes." Quickly, I throw together a few things to bring with me for teaching. Upon arrival at the school, I was taken to the Kindergarten classroom and immediately given the class! Thinking quickly, I ran to my purse and pulled out Hickory (a teddy bear). I explained to the class that this was Hickory's first day of Kindergarten and he was a little scared. We passed Hickory around giving him a hug to make him feel welcome and the Kinders introduce themselves to Hickory (and me!). From there, the day just took off! Thursday and Friday, I continued to sub in this Kindergarten classroom. I got to set up the classroom and then tear it down on Friday because it had been decided that the Kinders would move into a K-1 Combo class. Thankfully, this was not the end of my subbing. The principal asked me to return Monday and Tuesday to support the newly created Combo classes.

Monday and Tuesday rolled by as I made copy after copy after copy (literally) for the Combo teachers. It was a huge blessings to help the combo teachers in any way I could to relieve the pressure of changing their classrooms. I made copies, found curriculum, and administered assessments. In the meantime, I was reconnecting with the school staff, students, and community where I had spent a lot of time the previous semester during student teaching. This school has an awesome community! I also need to mention that on Monday, I interview at another school in the district for a first grade teaching position. And by Tuesday, all the teachers were asking if I had heard anything from the district. I found out the principal had made a call to the principal I interviewed with. My principal gave me a wonderful recommendation the previous Friday and Tuesday, after I finished rover subbing, I received a call from the district offering me the first grade teaching position! Wow! As you might expect, I gladly accepted the teaching position. I sign the contract this week and start teaching next Friday!

Finally, I will have my own classroom, my very own class, and a chance to use all these skills I have acquired to be the main classroom teacher. There is a lot to be set up and to plan out. I will be sharing this with you in my next post. Brian and I are ecstatic! All glory be to God as I set out on this next adventure! My career.

{hoping in the small things}

Well... unfortunately, I have some bad news. From my last post, I mentioned that I had a sub job for the beginning of the school year and I was so excited about setting up my own classroom and teaching school at the beginning of the year (even if it was only for 2 weeks!). So here is the bad news: the district canceled the job! In California, schools can only hire based on student numbers. Therefore, the kindergartners that I was going to have were moved to an RSP classroom until it can be determined if a full time teacher is needed to hire. Needless to say, I was slightly disappointed. I left the classroom I was setting up discouraged but also having a peace that I knew God will provide for me and my needs. The good news is that I can still be considered for the teaching position, if they end up needing to hire a teacher. So... here I am still in the search.

Thankfully, I have had some bits of hope by talking to others, looking at job postings, and sending/receiving emails. Nothing has been set down, but atleast it gives me the hope I need to keep searching. And through this all, Brian has been an amazing support along with my friends, family, and my church body. I am so blessed! So I am hoping in the small things and the joys that God puts in my life. I am ready to be needed again and ready to be put to work. But God has some more waiting and trusting for me to do.


On a side note, I am going to Danielle, Kristen, and Aimee's apartment tonight! Two of the girls I roomed with last year and I am definitely stoked to see them and chill. This picture is one of our roommate pics from last year {taken by Kari Sanders}. Danielle and I are going to have dinner and then I will spend the night there like old times :) Aren't friends great to have?! This is their last semester here in Southern Califoria so we are planning to make the most of it! And my last 'semester' before marriage!!! So, here I am, hoping in the small things.

Bliss

Yesterday, I received the wonderful news that I will be subbing next week for the start of school. While it is only temperary, I will be setting up my own classroom for Kinders! What an exciting week to be apart of! And I feel so blessed to have this job. I can only hope that it will lead to more sub jobs or a possible teaching position. Brian and I have been praying like crazy along with the friends and family around me that I would find a job or something to occupy my time now that I am finished with my bachelors and credential. And God provided!

And my life feels like bliss because I have an amazing fiance to go through all of this with who I will get to marry in less than 4 months! Plus, I have a wonderful family to support and encourage me through it all.

So what will I be doing this weekend? Brainstorming and planning my classroom: bulletin boards, curriculum, centers, first week activities, and theming!! I can hardly wait!

Gearing Up to School

For the last two weeks, I have been gearing up to school through a program put on by the Elementary school I did my student teaching at. The program is called, "GEAR UP." And rightly so, select students were chosen to be apart of the program to get them ready for the school year and I have been priviledged enough to teach a First grade class. What a blessing this has been! It has given me the chance to experience what it is like to be the teacher and how a first day would look like as well as the start of school. I got to set down my rules and teach them the routines and just love on these kiddos! Tomorrow is our last day for Gear Up and I will be sad to see it wrap up, I'm praying that my teaching has prepared them to succeed and give them starting tools for the school year. So as I spread my wings into the field of teaching, I pray that God will give me guidance and direct my flight. Its a new adventure and can be a little intimidating!

An Exciting Season

I love the different 'seasons' that life brings. I have moved back to California and I'm living with a family from my church. This has been a huge blessing! I will be able to stay with them until Brian and I get married in December. This new season I am in is the season before Brian and I get married! There is no summer in between, no long distant times, or other phases. We are in the last season before marriage. I'm excited to see what this season will bring. I still have no idea where I will be working, but by God's grace, I have a peace about this. I know that God will provide something for me. This season is one for Brian and I to enjoy, our final dating period before we enter into a courtship that will last our entire lives! I have been blessed with such an amazing man! A man who seeks God and the best for our relationship. A man who has a caring heart. And a man who is just plain fun to be around. He is my match in every way!

Brian has been in Washington this last week and I keep looking down at my ring and being reminded of the love he has for me. I'm so excited for the adventure we are about to embark upon. I know it will be a roller coaster ride at times, but he is worth it and our relationship will be stronger because of all the places and challenges God will take us through. I cannot wait for us to go pick out his ring and my wedding band! As soon as he gets back we are planning to go!

Settling in...

I can tell summer is underway with my relaxed schedule, days in the sun, and fun outings with the family. I'm still settling into this schedule because there really isn't much of a schedule besides the appointments I make for wedding details. It always takes me a little bit to remember that I can turn on the TV and just enjoy or sit on a comfy couch with my nose immersed in a good book. I'm thinking I may read the Twilight series because I've heard they are very well written.

Currently, I'm on the search for a job in California because I will be returning there in August. Due to the economy, this is proving to be slightly challenging, but I am up to the challenge and am doing my best to search and apply. Thankfully, God is in control and He has given me a peace to know that He will provide for my needs. I will be take care of by the Provider! I keep wondering if God will give me a teaching job or if I will sub or if He has something else in store for me... Whatever it is, I trust God has a plan laid out for me and Brian will be there to support me no matter what happens. I'm so blessed!

On a side note... I'm pretty sure I found the dress!!

Summer is officially here!

Summer is officially here with 108 degree weather in my current home state of Arizona. Gotta love going home for the summer! Which, actually, is wonderful! I have all of my family within walking distance and refreshing pools to hop in when I'm feeling roasted. Also, Brian came home with me to Arizona for the summer which is wonderful! Since we have known each other, we have never spent a summer together. So this will start out first of many summers together that we can look forward to. Since we have been here, we have hung out with the family, celebrated my grandparents 52nd anniversary, gone to a bridal expo, and now I'm house sitting for a family down the road. We have been enjoying our days.

Wedding plans are starting to get underway... I've been in contact with a DJ we are thinking to hire and a company that could cater pot pies at our wedding! We will see what the final results will be. We are still waiting on a few details, mainly pricing. Still searching for the dress. We are going to a Trunk Show tomorrow, so hopefully with that I will be a little closer to finding the dress.
I would love to find something elegant and simple. I hope I won't have to wait to long. But it will be tones of fun searching with my mom, aunt, and sisters.

Life in Transition

Last night, I began the overwhelming task of packing up all my belongings so that I can move out of my apartment on Thursday. Why is it overwhelming to me? I feel as if my whole life is in transition. Everything moving from California to Arizona. I have to go through all of my memories that are attached to my belongings. And I have to condense everything so it will all fit into my blazer. Good thing I have my blazer! Thankfully, I was able to place the majority of my clothes, picture frames, books, and a few kitchen items into tubs. I love tubs! So here is the new title for my life: transition. Which I guess is good preparation for the future.

This transition reminded me of my transition from Oregon to Arizona. In the middle of my senior year of High School, my mom decided to put our house up for sale so we could move to Arizona as soon as I graduated. My major concern was where I would live once our house sold. It was a huge deal because this was my senior year of High School! (It was a huge deal then) My sisters thought it would be funny to send me a picture of a two story house they had found in Arizona (thus, the cardboard boxes). Moral of the story: Life changes and transition is the process we have to go through to get there. I can do this!

Saving the Date

December 20th. It's right around the corner and we just put together our Save the Dates! Which means, they will be soon to come... I would love to share them but I want them to be a surprise. Also, I talked to my mom this morning and my uncle gave us two tickets to a bridal fair in Phoenix on June 7! I can hardly wait! I feel as if things are just falling into place for the wedding. This summer is setting up to be a lot of fun as we plan. So this is where my wistful thoughts are as of today...

Bits of Lately

Just some bits to share with you of what has been happening lately... Wedding dress shopping was a blast! The gowns were lovely and I felt wonderful in them. Makes me more excited for our wedding day (if that was possible). There was one that I really liked, but I'm hoping to find it or another one at a better price. I will look again when I go home in a few weeks. Oh I can't wait to go home to Arizona! While I will miss my two wonderful roommates, I will get to spend time with my family, plan the wedding, and most of all, finish my student teaching chapter of my life!! I've had a great experience throughout my student teaching and I am hoping to finish strong.

The last day of my student teaching, Brian and I fly out to Colorado to go to his sister's graduation. It will be a perfect get away to finish off the school year! Only... 11 days left.

Special Moments

Yesterday, I took school off so I could go to Brian's Change of Command Ceremony. What a special moment to be apart of with him! He has put in a lot of hard work and now it has all paid off as he is in charge of his whole detachment. Continually, it amazes me that I have been blessed with such an amazing man that I get to spend the rest of my life with. He displays amazing leadership qualities with such care and concern for others. He never ceases to impress me! December 20th is looking better and better. We're excited to see what the future will unroll for the two of us.

Which leads me to today... I'm going wedding dress shopping! I was going to wait until this summer to start my search. But one of my roommates, Danielle, mentioned that if I ever wanted to go look around she would love to come. Thus, we are going looking today! Both of my roommates are coming with me and I'm sure we will have a blast.

Wistful moment of today... engagement pictures... Danielle Long, my roommate took them. Check out her blog at http://daniellelong.tumblr.com/

A time to blog

This week has been a big week, thus, I have decided to start blogging little by little. Over the past 10 weeks, I have been Student Teaching. This is an exciting, stressful, tiring, and joyous time in my preparation to become a teacher. So what has made this week big you might ask? Well, first of all, I completed my first professional resume. I have done little resumes here and there, but this is the first one I have written which affects my life career. The completion of this was a wonderful and accomplished feeling. Then, I heard back from my last TPA (the last huge obstacle I have to jump through before I can credential to become a teacher). I passed! Which means, I am ready to credential! Additionally, today I signed all the papers in Human Resources to be a subsitute teacher. Which means I can sub any time my master teacher is gone and continue to sub after student teaching. I have been working on this for a while, so it is a relief and blessing to finally have this option. I think there has been other big things as well this week, but my brain is struggling to remember... the result of a long day.

On a life note, Brian and I are so happy to be engaged and planning our wedding! I love being engaged and enjoying the special moments that come from this. The notes from Brian that say, "I can't wait til I get to type Kari Juola." Or the "I get to marry you" notes. He is truly wonderful and has been a huge cushion to lean. As much as it is so hard to wait for married life, I wouldn't trade this special now moments. Many wistful thoughts will be shared on this subject!

So starts the beginnings of my wistful gatherings...