We're Back! :D

Hello Blogging World!

It has sure been a long time since I blogged. A lot has happened since we went to Yellowstone in June. :)

Well, I'll try to make this a lot shorter than it could be.

During the summer Tyler got so sick of Summer Sales. He knew it's not what he wants to do the rest of his life. So he started looking into Air Traffic Control. He has thought about doing that for some time now. And yes we KNOW it is a very stressful job. ha, that is the first thing EVERYONE has said when we bring up ATC. Oh, and that it has the highest rate for suicide. Anyways, he researched and really felt like he would like to do it. We found the best school for him would be the University of Alaska in Anchorage. Now I still had one semester left so we were going to be apart for one semester... sucky! But we felt like it was the right thing to do. So we drove to Alaska!!!! What a BEAUTIFUL drive!!! We took about a week to do the drive. We stayed in a hotel only twice and camped the rest of the nights. It was a blast! As we drove through Canada we were able to get some of my favorite Canadian treats: Smarties (glorified m&m's), and Caramilk bars. YUM!! AND Tyler got to try Poutine for the first time!!! Poutine is nothing more than french fries mixed with squeeky cheese and topped with gravy. It tastes a lot better than it sounds!! ha!
Well, we got Tyler all settled in an apartment with a way cool roommate and then it was time for me to leave. I cannot describe how horrible that was. The night before I left and when Tyler dropped me off were the most horrible moments of my life. Even though it was only going to be for 4 months, it was still so hard.
Okay, sorry I'm taking too long! Well, we both started school. Tyler really enjoyed his classes and I began my Student Teaching. Tyler was in classes for a few weeks when he began hearing about the work schedules for ATC. It ended up being a lot different than he had read while researching ATC. So he set up a meeting with one of his professors. She told him that in the 15 years she has worked as an Air Traffic Controller she has not had a single weekend off. She works every holiday as well. She has no children so she doesn't mind it much. But for us that would be huge. We already knew about holidays, but didn't expect it to be EVERY holiday FOREVER. Tyler and I decided it wasn't worth it. Tyler wouldn't be able to go to church, or be there for Christmas. His life would be centered around work. That just isn't the lifestyle we are looking for. So............He came back to me! Hallelujah!!!
But there is one thing that we discovered. We both LOVE Alaska!!!!
Tyler came back and I finished my Student Teaching. I taught 1st grade at Aspen Elementary. It was a wonderful experience. I had the cutest kids any teacher has every had!!!! They would say and do the funniest things. I was amazed at how comfortable I was in front of the class. I loved every minute of it! I learned so much from my amazing Cooperating Teacher. Student Teaching was a priceless experience! I have been done now for almost a month and I miss it like crazy!
Tyler got a job at Inside Real estate. He sells real estate blogs. He's been there only a month and a half and they are already promoting him to manager!! He is killing it! I am so proud of him!!!
Tyler is going back to school in January. He wants to continue his degree in Public Relations. He is also getting a minor in History. He is seriously considering teaching in Alaska and then becoming a Principal. So yes, we quite possibly will be moving back to Alaska in the next few years.
Well, I turned in my Senior Portfolio last Thursday. That means... I AM DONE!!!!! I am a College Graduate!!! WOOT WOOT!!! I have been job searching for the last month. So far it hasn't gone the best. I would really love to teach in Alpine School District. I have had a very positive experience working with Alpine and would love to teach there. But we shall see.
Oh, we moved to beautiful Heber City! Oh, we sure love it here!! The commute hasn't bothered us at all. It's so much better to drive through beautiful Provo Canyon than having to fight rush hour traffic and construction on I-15. The canyon is almost therapeutic after working or school. We are living in Tyler's parents' home they are trying to sell. They moved to Rexburg because my Mother-in-Law is a professor at BYU-ID. They have had renters in the Heber home but now they are trying to sell it. We moved in the keep the driveway shoveled, heat on, and house clean during this time. One thing that has been very good for us is we have to always have the house looking perfect because people could stop by at any moment to look at the house. This has made us a very clean couple!! I love it! It's definitely a good habit to have! I hope this will make us more like my brother Shawn and his wife Monica! Monica always has a perfectly clean home! She is so organized, and genuinely enjoys cleaning. I have to say I'm impressed with my brother too because I remember what his room looked like and smelled like when he was in high school. ;) He's a changed man thanks to Monica! :D ha! (I know Shawn you were a lot better after your mission).
Anyways, life is very peaceful here in Heber. We are up on the hill so we get beautiful views. We have a nice large deck for Tyler to grill on! Two fireplaces, perfect for this time of year, and way more space than we can fill at this point in our lives. Oh, and we have a garage!!!!!! Oh, how nice that is during the winter!
We hunted a tree again this year! The poor tree went through a lot. We cut it down, drug it 4 miles behind a snowmobile, drove all the way from Rexburg to Heber with gross salt and oil getting splashed up onto it from the snowy roads, sprayed with the hose to get all the salt off, left on the side of the house to dry in the sun but left too long that it froze again, and finally brought into the house to thaw. Somehow it made it though and is the most perfect tree! It has several pine cones that hung on through all that and add a nice touch to the decor! :)
Well, now I'm just going on and on! I know pictures are more exciting but I can't seem to find the camera at the moment. Most of our Alaska pictures are already on Facebook so just look there. Well, there I'm caught up! Now I'll try to do better at blogging. I'll be better when we have kids and are more interesting. :)