A very eventful day!

We made several huge decisions today!

One was we opened up a joint checking account at Bank of America. We went back and forth about which bank to open it with because I've been loyal to BofA for almost 10-years now because my mom has worked for them for almost 20 years, but WaMu has completely free checking without any direct deposit or anything. Ultimately, we decided on BofA because Adam's flexible and I'm pretty set up in terms of how my paycheck comes to me and online banking and all that. It's weird to think that we're going to be sharing our finances soon, not because I don't want to, but it's just one more sign that we're getting married!


Here's a photo of Adam putting together a lego man while waiting at BofA. He's such a big kid. I love him.


Another huge thing we decided on today....

... we chose the place and set a date!!!


We'll share the specifics after we get all the logistics figured out so stay tuned!!!!

I know we've been engaged for almost three months now (3 months tomorrow actually), but I think for the first time, both Adam and I feel like it's REAL. Now that we have a date and place, it's like a realization that it's truly going to happen... we're actually getting married!!!

Needless to say, we're on cloud nine.


YAY!

























Adam on the phone with his parents afterwards. :)


We're so excited!

Wedding photographer

I think out of everything in this wedding, I have long chosen our photographer way before we were even engaged. :)

Those of you closest to me know that I'm always attached to my camera. Less so, nowadays, because it's so big and I no longer use my point-and-shoot because it's become completely inadequate for my photog needs. Photography is at the center of my artistic soul and tops my list of priorities in terms of what to spend money on in our wedding. It's truly the ONE thing that we'll be able to keep forever after the actual wedding day.

Plus, if I can't be behind the camera taking pictures, which I'm sure I'll be utterly dying to do, I need someone that's good. Real good. And will take hundreds of photos... of EVERYTHING. Someone I can trust to take all the photos I wish I could split myself into two and take myself. I'm going to have to ask my bridesmaids to pry the camera out of my hands if I find myself behind one on my wedding day instead of in front of one. Who wants the job? ;) I'm not going to offer it to my MOH (maid of honor), my sister because she'll be mean to me and yell at me. But, I can see the ad for this position now...

Wanted: Someone to keep the camera out of Jasmine's hands the day of her wedding. Must not be too mean at her and allow her to take a few pictures every now and then so she doesn't go nutty from the attachment issues she has with her Canon XT. Cannot make her cry because of the lack of her camera because she will be sure to cry plenty all on her own.

Anyone, anyone? He he he.

So as I was saying, for the two sites we're deciding between, unfortunately the photographer that I've been blogstalking since February-ish is booked on the date that our sites are available. Darn.

I don't know if it's because I feel like I know her because of my blogstalking or if it's just because I admire her work and her story behind becoming a photographer which is something I daydream about at least three or four times a day, but I was really really REALLY hoping it'd be her. We were even going to go with the cheaper place to make room in our budget for her. Sigh.

We have an appointment with both sites tomorrow and maybe we can see if there are any other dates. Hehe. I'm planning my wedding around a photographer which in all honesty, I think it's quite fitting actually.

:)





*photo from Jasmine Star

Work

Work has been a bit crazy lately. The first weeks of school are always the most difficult for a teacher (in my eyes). I feel like I have yet to find a balance and get into the "groove" of things. I blame it the fact that I've been working late into the afternoon at school and then coming home and working until bedtime. On what, you may ask? I don't know. Organizing myself, I suppose. I spent all last night reorganizing my Physical Science unit and its binder. Took me forever, but now I have a revised (and better) game plan for teaching the unit in a way that makes a lot of sense to me and hopefully will make even more sense for my students.

Anyhoo... enough "teacher talk".

I haven't had a moment to sit and even think "wedding." In fact, I've been so crazily busy that there are times I forget that we're planning a wedding. We have some major decisions to make soon and I hope we're making the right ones. I'm trying to listen to God's voice, but I think I'm not doing good enough at listening to Him and what He has to say. I just hope we don't make the wrong decision and then regret it later. Ugh.

Good news is I've found a seamstress that is going to alter my dress for me. I hope it doesn't cost me a fortune.

More good news is I think I'm going to finally start a .mac account, which means I'll be moving this blog over to a new (and much better!!!) website sometime next month. Plus, I have tons I need to update on... including our recent Big Sur road trip this weekend (I have 600+ photos to organize!) but for now, I think I'm going to organize my math binder/unit for this quarter (hehehe... I can't help it!) and then relax for the night. I need it. My boys (in my class) are driving me crazy!!!

Lastly, and the best news of the summer... we got our state test scores back last week. My grade level scored 2nd in the district in math out of 45+ schools!!! Which means that the way we've changed our math instruction to incorporate more inquiry-based learning using the Japanese lesson design WORKED! I have two kids that scored a perfect! That's so amazing.

AND.... the news gets even better... we scored FIRST in the district for fifth grade science!!!

When I found out, we were hiking in Point Lobos and I was just doing a "happy dance" for like fifteen minutes.

It's so amazing because we've put so much work into making ourselves more effective as a math and science teacher and it's just so validating to know that our students did so well because of it.

(and our language arts scores weren't bad either... 5th in the district!)



WOO HOO!!!