Journeys Unexpected

I didn't realize it's been SOOOO long since I've posted anything about my life... Sheesh! May 2016 I graduated from Boise State University with my Master's Degree in Early Childhood Studies, and a teaching certificate in Early Childhood Special Education. Larry and I then moved to Eastern Idaho where we bought a cute little home that we both love! It's a 1910 cottage and is perfect for our needs. The dogs love having a fenced-in back yard that they can run around in and bark at all the people and cats that go by. In June 2016 we adopted a pregnant cat (so that we could have her fixed after the kitties were born and weaned). Her name is Cookie and we kept two of the six kittens. Squeaker is calico, and Marco Polo II is a huge fluffy white cat with some black markings. Pennie Sue still doesn't get along with Cookie, but we all make do... I managed to survive my first year of teaching special education preschool and loved it! I'm in my second ...

Life is getting super crazy right now! I've only got four weeks left of school, and will have one more week to get my paperwork in order from student teaching. I will be graduating on May 7th, and moving on May 14th (with a great deal of luck at this time!) into our very own home! Everything is falling into place. I have a job waiting for me, a new home, I'm finishing up my Master's Degree, I've been very blessed! I want to thank my wonderful husband, Larry, who's had my back this whole time. He has encouraged me and helped me through so much. Blood, sweat and tears have definitely gone into this degree... On a side note, between #LDSconf sessions, Larry, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law and I went to the Nampa train depot and took pictures of me for my graduation announcements. I found one that Larry took, that I just LOVE! Anyway, that's it for now... Gotta finish some other things! Update: 12-18-16 Not sure how this never got published, but here ya ...

I heard back from that first principal, and was told that their superintendent had basically put down a hiring freeze so they could reassign current teachers first, which meant our meeting for February 17th had to be pushed to March. I was unaware of any meeting for the 17th, but I let him know that it would have to be before March or in May because of my student teaching... Then, I decided that I would ask the other principal and Special Education Director for the Fremont School District if I could meet up with them and see their "state-of-the-art" special education site. They were eager to get me out there again to see the school! I have to say it was amazing! Their sensory room has a ball pit, a huge beam that holds the swings, a climbing wall, and a visual sensory room with a color-changing bubble tube, some fiber optic strands, a disco ball, and unbreakable bubble-shaped mirrors. Awesome!! At the end of the tour, they offered me the job and I took them up on it! I go b...

I can hardly believe it's my final semester at Boise State University! I've been monumentally blessed these last few years. I owe that in part to my Wonderful husband, Larry. He has been my champion all throughout! I decided last month that I would write letters to the principals of each elementary school in eastern Idaho so I could get my name recognized. I didn't think anyone would respond. I sent them out on Friday, and on Monday morning I received an email from one of them asking for an interview! Within the next few days, he told me of a job fair for their district on February 6th, and I made an appointment. Thursday that same week, I got an early morning phone call from a guy in a separate district willing to drive to Boise to interview me! I pretty much had heart palpitations the rest of the day! I agreed to meet up with him the same day as the job fair. So, February 6th rolls around and I go into my appointment at the job fair. First up, an interview with th...

Denial and Isolation Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance These are the five basic stages of grief. The five stages listed do not necessarily happen in that particular order, but most people will traverse each one. I bring this up because of my recent trip to Florida to visit my dad in the hospital. The grief I feel is at his having a terminal illness, Multiple Myeloma. There is no cure, but it can be treated. I feel the need to write my grief to help myself heal, so I hope you will bear with me. When I first heard that my dad was in the hospital, I was okay. Tabitha was getting him the medical attention he finally deserved. Something was wrong and the doctors at Bay Medical were determined to find out the root cause of everything. He had pneumonia, and was not doing great. He had multiple breaks and fractures in his spine that were discovered. He was anemic. His calcium and protein levels were high. All of these things added up to the doctors looking into Multiple Myeloma. W...

I am currently four weeks into the Fall semester at Boise State University. The first two weeks were spent in Florida with my family. I wish it was to say that it was for fun... My dad went into the hospital and when things weren't looking too good, I was on the next flight out of Boise. Four plane rides later I got to Florida. We were able to surprise him though, so that was a major bonus. :) Daddy's idea: Gators (Minnie) vs Seminoles (Tabitha) with the Tater (Me) as referee! This trip was much different than the one I made there in 2006. I had never met my dad's other three kids, so that trip was more of a getting-to-know-you kind of trip, and I hadn't seen my dad since 1982 - I was only four years old so I had no memories of him, only pictures. I love this guy! The trip I made this year had lots of good points though. I got to spend more time with my sisters, and daddy called us the "Three Musketeers" because of our giggly shenanigans. :) We had...

It's been an eventful summer so far! Back in June, Larry and I went to his parents' house and stayed for a week. We only had to come back because he had a doctor appointment, otherwise we would have stayed another few days. This is my wonderful mother-in-law drinking from the hose! Even Patches loves vacation! See that big smile? We spent the 4th of July at my sister-in-law's home, playing Wii Bowling. Just waiting for some firework action! One of the many fireworks we did. I went with my SIL to get this cutie; this is the trip back. I went with my sister-in-law to pick up her granddaughter and a few days later to take her home. I really enjoyed the trip, even though it was 4 hours each way! It was just really nice to get time to spend with her, getting to know each other better. I love my husband's family and am so grateful to be part of it! The morning of the trip to take little missy back home, we found out that La...