And so the Crazy Begins

              It has been a busy last two weeks! I have been on the go getting all the "teacher" stuff rockin' and rollin'! Teaching 7th and 8th grade should be super fun this year, and a chance for me to grow in my career! Early mornings and late nights are in my future, but I am blessed to have this opportunity. There are a lot of similarities, but WAY more differences this year, than last. One thing I'm able to tell everyone though is that this group of students are amazing! I can't wait to see what they can accomplish. I believe the novels I am going to teach are; The House on Mango Street, The Watson's go to Birmingham, and A Christmas Carol. For 8th grade I'm thinking...lol, I'm still thinking.

              Looking for a car is another task on my list of things to do. Being in a one car family has it's challenges, but I kind of enjoy the ride to work and ride home with Travis. In good timing we will find the right vehicle for me.

             Football season!! Yay, today is the day that we've all been waiting for. Hopefully we can attend a game in Charlotte this year, while the 49ers are there! :) Yes the hullabalu about Colin Kapernick, and I totally agree with his right to express himself. Military members fight and die for Americans to express themselves and to practice those freedoms. To say that he can't do that, would be defeating the purpose all together. It all makes sense to me. It's sometimes sickening to see how people respond to others. We see so much hate now days, if you are not doing what the majority of society is doing. Any way.. the way people are reacting to him, is exactly proving his message. Off this topic, I'm super excited for the football season. Hopefully it will be more about football, and less like a soap opera!

             I'm praying that this week is successful, and that everyday I can try to get better. This post seems like a little glimpse into my thought process tonight. :) Until next time!

New Beginnings

September 1, 2016 You can call me Ms. Durrance Good News!           I've been given an opportunity to teach at a Charter School this year! I am so excited for the chance to change young people's lives again. Timing is everything. I am so thankful and relieved, that I got to start at the beginning of the school year. It will give me a chance to lay down routines, procedures, create class rules, and get to know the students! I didn't get that chance last year, and over these last four days, I have seen just how important it is to have the teacher there the first day!           I have a new set up. Tile floors, pretty rug, no lockers, glass white boards, and a huge TV. It's homey, but I hope to add a few more "warm" touches over this next week (like lamps, more poster boards, and a huge calendar for the wall).            I'm grateful to have had the extra motivation from Travis. I was just about to substitute for the rest of the year, but I'm glad to have pushed forward in my application process. These students are so impressive, and their writing has blown me out of the water! The seventh and eighth graders have already read Shakespeare's, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and A Midsummer's Night Dream!All some of my favorites, and I can not believe they read it at this grade level. The students are advanced in areas of reading and writing, which is beautiful for me, because now I have the opportunity to make more rigorous lessons for them. I am looking into novels that we could read over the year, because next week is when we will dive into heavier content.              Congratulations to all my other teacher friends and family for starting off another school year strong! Keep your head up and continue to love these students! Ms. D :)

THANKFUL Thursday  Given the opportunity to teach. 7th and 8th grade  The future of the world is in my classroom.

The Man on the Boat

Travis's Words of Wisdom
Folklore that has Been Passed Down to me Recently:

Did I ever tell you the story of the man on the sinking boat?

He was out in the ocean, and his boat started sinking. He prayed to God that He would help and save him.
God said he would help him.

There was some water in the boat now, and the man was feeling frightened. Just then, a boat with some men came up beside him. They said to the man, "Hey, get on my boat, I'll help you. You're sinking!"
The man said, "No, no, God is going to help me." So the men in the boat kept going.

Now the water was up to the man's waist and another boat came up beside him. "Hey, hey, you must get on our boat, before you sink," the captain said.
The man insisted, "No, no, God is going to come save me."
So the captain on the other boat kept going.

The water was now up to his neck, and a third boat came up beside the man.
The passenger said, "Here take my hand, I'll save you."
But the man said, "No, no, God is going to come help me and save me."
With those last words, the man sank under the water and drowned.

He went to heaven.
When he got there, he met God there, and the man asked Him, "God why didn't you come help me and save me from sinking?"

God replied, "I sent you three boats and people to help you out, but you weren't listening."


______________________________________________________________________________

--I know, a spin off the Biblical story.
A story of a person who is stubborn and won't take help from anyone. Someone who thinks they can handle life/situations on their own.
The other version teaches faith, trust, and the ability to believe in God. This story teaches me that I shouldn't try to handle things on my own, and that maybe God does send people to us in mysterious ways to get us through hard times.

It did make me think.

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Trust: noun: firm belief in the reliability something or someone.

Trust: verb: believe in the reliability, truth, or strength of.

Reliable: adj: consistently good in quality or performance: trustworthy.

Understanding: adj: archaic: insight or good judgment.


This idea of trusting the Lord is a lot harder than it reads. I've been trying to make a plan. I heard the other day that there are two types of dreamers; lazy dreamers and proactive dreamers. Those two types of dreamers scream out at me. When I was in college I felt like I was a proactive dreamer. Everything I was doing was focused towards a goal. If I went to college I could become a teacher, then maybe I could teach at a university- that was my mindset. Eventually I was able to reach part of my dream. I became a teacher, and it was one of the most exciting times in my life. After my first year, my contract ended, and I was left looking for another teaching job, during the summer. There is insecurity not having a teaching job lined up right away.
So in saying all this, I have come to this Bible verse. God has been a constant in my life. I have relied on Him to comfort me during tough times. My own understanding is all confused at the moment, and even though life is good, I am seeking Him for guidance. I must continue to trust that if I apply myself and become a proactive dreamer, that God will see it.

Please reply to this post with your favorite motivational quote or verse.

Westin, Grady, Priest, Manito, Nana

..My Trip Put into Words..

A picture is worth a thousand words. That's why I posted the video of all my pictures. It was long, like six minutes, but I just loved watching it. I have been resting up this week from the speedy trip. The time change wasn't too bad, but I think my body is adjusting finally.

Travis and I did about all we could to in San Diego! It was so much fun seeing Amy and Chris and meeting my nephew, Grady, for the first time. He is a bundle of joy; I could hold him all day! We stayed at The Westin, in downtown San Diego. It was a perfect location to the bay and the Gaslamp Quarter. We were in walking distance to everything. Breakfast was just around the corner, and sense we woke up so early we could work out and then walk to breakfast. By that time it was still around 10 AM. We still had so much of the day left to enjoy. That was one perk of the time change.

Petco Field, National Anthem

Grady and Me at Coronado Beach
-Grady was looking at Travis- :)

Amy and Chris were so awesome. They drove us back and forth to their house, the air port, and to the beach. They also treated us to a baseball game at Petco Park. It was actually really fun, and the most awesome weather. We got to sit in the shade, and we all got on the big camera. The sweetest thing happened, they played "The Lion King" song and all the fans held their kids up in the air. Chris did that to Grady and they made it on the big screen again! It was awesome.

The Gaslamp Quarter was neat, and Travis and I got a drink on the roof of a place. It was a great vibe, and there was so many people. We also walked to the the U.S.S Midway and got pictures around the "kissing sailor." The time we had was unforgettable. I almost enjoy doing things much more now that I'm older, because I can remember more.

We made our way to Spokane, WA. Where I grew up, but there was just one little difference. My mom and dad moved on base, so I no longer went to the house I grew up in. So weird. It was nice on base though, and my mom made the new house really homey and cozy. I love how she decorated it. She even bought flowers and decorated our rooms. Dinner was so good!!! Home cooked meals are the best! I want more! She made peach cobbler, chicken, mac n' cheese, and salad. Then the next morning she made a huge breakfast! I loved every minute of it. My mom treated me to a spa day:) OMG, best experience I've had with my mom in a long time! We just got to relax, talk, and enjoy each other's company. Dad, Travis, and I played tennis in the morning. It was fun to get out there and play a little. The "romantic sport" as the Durrance family would say.

Dinner at the Floating Restaurant 

I finally got to see Nana and Papa, when we went to Coeur d' Alene for dinner with them.
 The dessert was so good- Huckleberry Cheesecake and MudPie! I miss seeing them, and there were some good laughs at dinner.

I got to go to my favorite place, Priest Lake. That is in Idaho, for those of you that don't know. It's a beautiful lake that I went to while I grew up. I never thought I would be able to take Travis there, and I'm so glad I did. It was a dream come true, and I believe he really enjoyed it too. We got in the cold water. It's still to this day the clearest, cleanest lake I've ever been in. (The people on the plane from WA to Denver, were at Priest Lake too while they were there--The world is smaller than you think). We got to go out on the boat, and ate at Hills Resort, for dinner. Aunt Mary and Uncle Ed treated us!

Uncle Ed, Dad, Mom, and Aunt Mary
Boating on Priest Lake

Okay, okay, I know this is a long post, but it's so much life filled into one week, I had to share with the world. :)

Visiting Nana

Our last day was filled with seeing Nana, Franks diner, Pina Coladas, visiting The Grand Hotel, Manito Park, and finishing watching "Sleepy Hollow," <--- The movie I picked out...which I still can't tell if my family or Travis liked it or were just saying so ... haha.

Manito Park, Spokane WA

At the new Davenport, The Grand Hotel
-Pina Colada- 

**Sigh--such a great trip, ya'll have no idea**

San Diego to Washington Video

Saving Money For The Big Trip

Saving Money for a Big Trip
How can we afford our dream vacations?

Almost every day I am thinking about where I can go next. Whether a different city, state, or around the world, I have these big huge dreams of traveling. I really don't want the regret when I'm older that I never did anything because of money. 

Now, money has a lot to do with how far we can go, but it shouldn't hold us back from experiencing the most in life. I believe fully that travel can teach us so much in life. Learning new cultures, how people live, and that going can buy us more than we'll ever know. Growing up, I thought that after high school I would be traveling Europe. It didn't happen but in the next five years I plan on making a lot of trips. 

Places I would love to visit are: New Orleans, Los Angeles, Alaska, Canada, London, Venice, Greece, Rome, Italy, South Africa, (The Oasis Restaurant in Texas), Paris, and Australia. I'm sure that as I grow I will acquire some more interests, but for now I will focus on the saving part of the trips. 

So how can I save money?

1. Destination: 

Once you have a set destination you are more focused on how you are going to save. You now can research the currency, ways of travel, and things that you might want to do. Having this destination as a goal will help with the rest. 

2. Cost:
Research the types of activities or opportunities you will have in the place you are going. For instance, we knew that there was one big activity we were going to do at Myrtle Beach, when we went last weekend, and we set aside money for that. You are going to have to sacrifice something. Try and divvy out your money for the experience you could never had at "home base." Know the difference in currency. Something that costs 20 dollars here, might now cost in riyals somewhere in the middle east. 

3. Save the "fun" money:
While you are building up to that vacation you shouldn't be going out to eat every weekend before. Make time to make grocery lists the week before so that you buy only what you will need, before you leave the house empty. Try not to blow your money on things not necessary.. You may want it, but do you NEED it?

4. Use your Savings Account:

I used my savings account a lot when I was younger. As I got older I tended to freely transfer money to checking so that I could have spending money whenever I wanted. Well, when you are saving for a trip you need to put the money in the savings account and not touch it until you are on your trip. Factor in an amount from each paycheck, maybe 15% or more depending on how much income you are making. Even if it was $100 a day, that is good emergency money or at the most a days worth of eating out at restaurants.

5. Look for Deals:

When looking for hotels or activities check out Groupon app, Also if you are in an American city, you could always download the Uber App instead of renting a car. (That has helped me and Travis out a lot). Groupon gives discounts on hotels and things to do. 

6. Invest in Airline memberships:

It may seem crazy but frequent flyer miles can give you free tickets after so many miles. It's a great investment. 

7. Itinerary:

Write down the financial plan you want to stick by. Once you map out how much money hotel, air fare, maybe gas mileage, food per day you can plan the fun stuff. Multiply the food and maybe taxi fair by the amount of days you will be there. It will give you an estimated cost of what you really do need to save. Now save towards the goal.