Adventures of Tim & Kaitlyn
  • Welcome
  • Photos & Videos
    • 2020 >
      • January 2020
      • February 2020
      • March 2020
      • April 2020
      • May 2020
      • June 2020
      • Liberty House June 2020
      • July 2020
      • August 2020
      • September 2020
      • October 2020
      • November 2020
      • December 2020
    • 2019 >
      • January 2019
      • February 2019
      • March 2019
      • April 2019
      • May 2019
      • June 2019
      • July 2019
      • August 2019
      • September 2019
      • October 2019
      • November 2019
      • December 2019
    • 2018 >
      • January 2018
      • February 2018
      • March 2018
      • April 2018
      • May 2018
      • June 2018
      • July 2018
      • August 2018
      • September 2018
      • October 2018
      • November 2018
      • December 2018
    • 2017 >
      • January 2017
      • February 2017
      • March 2017
      • April 2017
      • May 2017
      • June 2017
      • July 2017-Ohio & Michigan
      • August 2017
      • September 2017
      • October 2017
      • November 2017
      • December 2017
    • 2016 >
      • January 2016
      • February 2016
      • March 2016
      • April 2016
      • May 2016
      • Africa 2016
      • June 2016
      • July 2016
      • August 2016
      • September 2016
      • October 2016
      • November 2016
      • December 2016
    • 2015 >
      • January 2015
      • February 2015
      • March 2015
      • Regional Jump Rope Competition
      • April 2015
      • May 2015
      • June 2015 - Juneau
      • July 2015 - Juneau & Anchorage
      • August 2015
      • Sept 2015
      • Oct 2015
      • Nov 2015
      • Dec 2015
    • 2014 >
      • December 2014
      • November 2014
      • October 2014
      • September 2014
      • August 2014
      • Sealing July 2014
      • July 2014
      • June 2014
      • May 2014
      • April 2014
      • March 2014
      • February 2014
      • January 2014
    • Jun-Dec 2013 >
      • December 2013
      • November 2013
      • October 2013
      • September 2013
      • August 2013
      • July 2013
      • June 2013
    • Jan-May 2013 >
      • Kaylee May 2013
      • Kaylee Apr 2013
      • Kaylee Mar 2013
      • Kaylee Feb 2013
      • Kaylee Jan 2013
    • Welcome Kaylee >
      • Kaylee Dec 2012
      • Kaylee's Placement Ceremony 2012
    • 2012 >
      • Fall AASG Conference 2012
      • Layton Triathlon 2012
      • Stansbury Triathlon 2012
      • Bahamas Cruise
    • Summer 2011 >
      • Hurdle for Hope 2011
      • Echo Triathlon 2011
      • New York & Seattle 2011
      • Alaska RV Road Trip
    • Togiak 2010-2011
    • Washington D.C. 2010
    • Tim's College Graduation 2010
    • Chilkoot Trail 2008
    • Wedding Pictures
  • Help Us Adopt
  • Blog
  • Link Page

Week CLIV: First Sickness

4/28/2013

 
Picture
Tim was in Dillingham on Monday and Tuesday this week for Social Studies meetings.  He was able to look at another apartment while he was there.  Hopefully, we will secure a place soon so we can stop worrying about it. 

Kaylee had her first sickness this week.  She woke up pretty congested on Sunday morning and it progressively got worse through Tuesday.  She was coughing, had watery eyes, threw up a few times, and had raspy breathing.  I felt so bad for her.  I was amazed though that she still found at least a few minutes each day to smile and squeal even through those watery eyes.  After Tuesday, she started getting better each day.  Today I feel pretty comfortable saying that she’s back to normal.  She seems to be herself once again and is only slightly congested and coughs only every now and then.  Having a sick kid is kind of scary at times and heartbreaking.  I just wanted her to feel better.

By the end of the week, I started realizing how sleep deprived and tired I was after having a sick kid.  I’ve been trying to catch up on sleep for the past few days.  I also realized how terribly long it had been since I had even taken a step outside of our apartment.  I decided to venture to my friend’s house on Saturday just to get out of the house before another week started.  Heather and Kim were having a “garage sale” so we didn’t get to talk much and people were coming in and out the whole time, but it was still fun to see them and get some fresh air.

This past week Kaylee has suddenly taken an interest in toys.  Before she would look at them and swing her arms at them, but not until recently has she actually held on to them and sucked on them.  I'm shocked at how quickly she has made the change.  It's been fun to watch.

Click here to see pictures of Kaylee from the month of April.

Week CLIII: Culture & The Final Visit

4/21/2013

 
Picture
First ponytail
This week was a bit unique because it was culture week at the school.  Culture week is an annual event in the elementary wing of the school, but as long as Tim and I have been in Togiak the middle and high school haven’t participated in culture week at all.  Locals were asked to come up to the school and teach some skill throughout the week.  Some of the activities included net mending, harpoon making, kuspuq sewing, knitting, beading, string stories, story knives, and native dancing.  No regular classes were held.  Instead the students signed up to do a few culture classes and spent the week working on those skills.  I imagine it was probably nice for Tim not to have to worry about lesson planning after being gone last week, but it also sounds like it was a bit of a rough week behaviorally.  Some of the presenters didn’t show up and there were no clear expectations made to the students.  It was likely a record high in suspensions in one week.  Tim did mention that the more suspensions there were the better the week got. I would have liked to participate in some of the classes.

Friday our adoption caseworker flew out to Togiak to do a home visit.  The main purpose is for them to observe us with Kaylee in our own home to make sure that things are going well.  This should be a last visit.  Starting on Monday our paperwork for finalization should be underway.  We’re hoping that things can be finalized within a month.  Once the adoption is finalized, Tim and I can take Kaylee to the temple to be sealed to us.  For those of you who may be unfamiliar with a sealing, it is the way that Kaylee is linked to Tim and I so that we will be a family for eternity, not only for this life.  It is similar to the sealing that took place when Tim and I were married in the temple.  We were linked together for eternity.  We will be husband and wife in this life and the next.  Kaylee will be our daughter in this life and the next.

This week was busy for me at home.  Prior to going to Healy, I spent days packing as many boxes as I could.  There was a bit of left of mess to clean up from that as well as the house cleaning to do that was neglected during that time.  I also was busy packing a few more boxes to be sent over to Dillingham with some teachers midweek and some boxes to send with Tim today.   On top of that I had primary packets to prepare, print, and mail out for teaching my Sunday lessons for the month of May and a talk to prepare for church today.  Needless to say my daily exercise didn’t happen this week. 

Picture
Today Tim and I both spoke in church.  We were the only speakers for our sacrament meeting.  I had good intentions of preparing well in advance, but I ended up doing the bulk of my preparation yesterday.  It went well though, I think.  I guess we would have a more accurate idea by asking someone who was listening.  I was assigned to speak on our relationship with the Savior.  I was actually a little grateful for that topic because it has been something that has been on my mind the past few months.  I’ve recognized that it is an area of great importance and that I should definitely be improving in that area. 

Tim was off to Dillingham this afternoon once again.  He has social studies meetings for the next two days.  Hopefully he’ll be able to find some time to look at some houses and apartments while he is there. 

Kaylee is doing really well, although I think she has come down with her first cold.  She’s been a bit congested today but seems to be in relatively good spirits.  In the past few days she has started playing with toys.  Before she would stare at her toys and bat at them occasionally, but now she is actually grabbing and holding them.  It’s fun to watch.  She has also had several ponytails these past couple of weeks.  Check out the picture.


Week CLII:  Kaylee's First Road Trip

4/14/2013

 
Picture
Kaitlyn with 2 of our student council members and 1 from a neighboring school
This last week was full.  Tim flew to Dillingham last Sunday afternoon for some Social Studies curriculum meetings.  His meetings were Monday and Tuesday.  While he was at his meetings Kaylee and I were at home packing as many boxes as we could.  I've managed to get a total of 24 boxes packed so far.

Tuesday afternoon our vice principal, Nate, came to pick Kaylee and I up as well as all of our boxes.  We needed to get to the school to meet the student council so I could take them on a trip.  Since we had chartered a plane for the trip Nate had told us we could fill up all the extra room on the plane with our boxes to move to Dillingham.  This was great news since otherwise we would have to pay to have them shipped.  I wasn't sure how much the plane would carry so I just packed as much as possible.  It turns out that only about half the boxes I packed fit on our chartered plane, but the company said they would put the rest on the next plane free of charge . . . um, okay, that's fine with me.  Thank you Grant Air.  The search for a home in Dillingham is still underway, but we are able to store our belongings at the district office until we find a place.

Our final destination for this trip was Healy, Alaska in Denali National Park.  The Spring AASG (Alaska Association of Student Governments) Conference was being held there.  I brought 3 students with me.  Since I had both genders of students I had to have both genders of chaperones, so we met up with Tim in Dillingham and he came on the trip with us.  I love when the male chaperone gets to be my favorite male colleague!  We spent Tuesday night in the bunkhouse in Dillingham and then flew to Anchorage on Wednesday morning.  Kaylee did really well with the flights, but she was getting really sick of being bundled up in her snowsuit.  I felt bad that I couldn't just find a nice open floor to lay her down on so she could kick her legs and squeal. 

Wednesday we were able to spend a few hours in Anchorage at the malls.  While our students shopped, Tim and I met up with our good friend Heather from Juneau.  We haven't seen her in over 6 years, so it was a ton of fun to catch up with her.  Once we rounded up all our students once again we began the 5 hour drive to Healy, AK.  None of my students had been to that part of Alaska before and they were in awe at the scenery.  They all mentioned multiple times how pretty it was.  I'm glad that they appreciated it.

Picture
Kaylee sportin' her Tri-Valley sweatshirt
Thursday-Saturday was filled with meetings.  I wasn't quite as involved with my students as I was last conference because I was playing advisor and mommy at the same time.  Luckily, the host advisor was able to find us a small room that we could have all to ourselves.  Kaylee was able to take naps in a quiet, dark room throughout the day.  I can't imagine how awful the conference would have been for her otherwise.  It tends to be pretty noisy in a gym full of 300 high school students all competing to show that they have the most spirit.  Tim stayed with Kaylee during most of her naps so I could be with the students.  The other advisors at the conference loved Kaylee and just kept commenting on what a good baby she was.  She was even gifted a Tri-Valley High School sweatshirt by one of the student council members of the host school. 

I have enjoyed being the student council advisor.  It's a little sad knowing that I'm finished with that phase and that my ideas for the future and making things better aren't really going to come to fruition, but I'm trading all of that for something even better, so it's okay.

Saturday evening we drove back to Anchorage where we spent the night in the hotel.  We got there at 10:00 pm, giving our students 1 hour to take advantage of the hotel pool.  I've never seen anyone get in their swimming suits so fast.  Unfortunately, just before we got there someone threw up in the pool so they had to close it. 

We arrived home from our travels this afternoon.  We missed all of our church meetings for the day and were really too tired to do much of anything.  We managed to make our weekly phone calls to our parents, but that was about it.  I'm sure Kaylee was relieved to be in a familiar space and not have hundreds of people around her.  Really though she did an amazing job traveling and being at the conference.  I couldn't have dreamed that it would go better.

Week CLI: Going Google & State Testing

4/8/2013

 
Picture
State Testing
This week was the Alaska State standardized testing week.  That’s right, every school in the state of Alaska participated in testing this week.  Testing ran from Tuesday thru Friday (Tue-Reading; Wed-Writing; Thur-Math; and Fri-Science). As a teacher, it is my responsibility to be a proctor.  My assignment for this week was to proctor the High School Graduation Qualifying Exam (HSGQE) taken by all 10th graders.  This is a very important exam for students.  As the title suggests, they must pass this exam in order to graduate from high school.  Proctoring an exam as important as this one comes with a few extra tasks for the proctor, but the trade-offs are great because the students usually are very focused and don’t cause any trouble because they know what is at stake.  All our exams start a little before 10:00 am and run until the student is finished.  This usually takes until 2:00-2:30.  I only proctored Tuesday and Wednesday because I was sent to Anchorage. Kaitlyn dusted off her old teacher shoes and filled in for me on Thursday and Friday.  Kaitlyn asked our good friends, the Crabtrees, if they would be willing to watch Kaylee for the two days.  They love Kaylee and are always ecstatic when we ask them to sit for us, which is usually few and far between.  Apparently, Kaylee had a blast too.  Below are a few pictures from her time there.

Going Google
A few weeks ago I was hired as the district Secondary Education Specialist, which oversees curriculum development & technology integration for grades 6-12.  One of the items that I will be overseeing is the deployment and training of Google Apps for Education within the district.  The district office sent me to Anchorage, with another district office guy, Kyle Schneider, to attend the training.  

The training was titled “Google Apps Boot Camp” and was all about becoming a Google Apps for Education Certified Trainer.  This requires taking and passing a series of Google apps exams, providing a few videos of you training someone how to do something, and generally being a good representative for Google.  I must say, that I totally have drunk the Google Kool Aid.  I really like some of the stuff they offer.  This fall I will be offering Google Apps professional development to staff members and introducing them to all the wonderful things they can do with Google in their classrooms.  It’ll be great!

4 Months 
Kaylee is officially 4 months old.  She hit her mile stone on Friday of this week.  She weighed in at 16lb 4oz and a whole bunch of inches long.  She is something great.  She is a very happy baby.  She loves to smile and she’s starting to giggle and squeal a lot, which makes playing with her so much fun. Kaitlyn and I are simply having a blast being parents.  Sure there’s a little screaming, fussing, and tired mornings, but we wouldn’t trade this for nothin’!

Move to Dillingham - Update
Kaitlyn has been working hard on finding us a place to live in Dillingham for next year.  She’s lined up a bunch of apartments and houses for us to check out.  It’s getting really exciting.  We have started packing up non-essentials and begun shipping things over to Dillingham a couple boxes at a time.  One of my bosses, Steve Noonkesser, offered to let us use some of his basement space to store our belongings while we work on trying to find a place to live.  It’s great.  In addition to house shopping, we have been car shopping.  We found out that shipping a car from Seattle is the same price as shipping a car from Anchorage.  So, we’re currently looking for SUV’s to buy in Seattle to ship out in the beginning of the summer.  All in all, we’re very excited to move to Dillingham and start phase 3 in our marriage.  

    Tim & Kaitlyn

    A blog is where you talk about stuff....we do that here.

    Picture
    Tim & Kaitlyn
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers
    See 10-Day Forecast
    © HotelsCombined.com

    Friends & Family

    Alicia
    Brady & Taryn
    Karen & Brad

    Kaylin
    Melissa
    Mike & Alyse
    Sarah & Jimi
    Scott & Sharon
    Hartlings
    Crazi Beautiful
    Tracy and Matt
    Marshall & Jani
    Tyler & Crystal
    Rachel Hatch
    Nic 
    Carmen & Jeremy
    Edgar & Sarah
    Gus & Cynthia
    Matt & Yvonne

    Steve & Angie

    Archives

    April 2015
    August 2014
    July 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010

    Categories

    All
    4th Of July
    4 Wheeler
    4wheeler051470c8ac
    4wheelere567169646
    Aasg
    Accident
    Adoption
    Afghan
    Akutaq
    Alaska
    Anchorage
    Andersons
    Anniversary
    Apartment
    Aste
    Baby
    Baby Sitting
    Baptism
    Basketball
    Basketball Tournament
    Bbq
    Bears
    Bill Nye
    Birthday
    Blacks
    Blog
    Bodies
    Camcorder
    Car
    Carnival
    Carving
    Cheeseburger
    Christmas
    Church
    Classes
    Conferences
    Contracts
    Cross Country
    Culture
    Daylight
    Death
    Denali
    Dillingham
    Dingy
    Eskimo Food
    Eyes
    Fairbanks
    Family
    Family Reunion
    Fights
    Finals
    Fireworks
    First Snow
    Fish
    Flat Iron
    Flight
    Flights
    Flooding
    Framing
    Frostbite
    Funeral
    Games
    Gas Station
    General Conference
    Gilmore Girls
    Graduation
    Halloween
    Hiking
    Homer
    Home Study
    Home Visit
    Hopin To Adopt
    Hotel
    Ice
    Ice Cream
    Ice Fishing
    Ice Skating
    Inservice
    Inservicef950ee9f89
    Ipad
    Itsaboutloveorg040d050fe4
    Ivory
    Jiu Jitsu
    Kansas City
    Kaylee
    Keyboard
    Kodiak
    Kuspuq
    Last Day
    Lds Family Services
    Leadership Substitutes Students7fda13d870
    Lockinbc83f421de
    Manokotak
    Mascot
    Mcdonalds00dd1ec757
    Meltoff69e1f3bf55
    Moose
    Moose Hoof
    Moving
    Mukluks
    Muktuq
    Netting
    New Semester
    New Stu
    New York
    Niagara Falls
    Palmyra
    Parentteacher Conference69b31a4a0f
    Parentteacher Conferencef8c4da4bae
    Pe
    Piano
    Potatoes
    Potluck
    Prank
    Praxis
    Principal
    Prom
    Pushpin
    Quiliting
    Quilt
    Qwirkle
    Retreat
    Rexburg
    Risotto
    Rtp
    Rv
    Salmon
    Saturday School
    School
    Science
    Sealskin
    Seattle
    Sewing
    Shopping
    Sick
    Smelting
    Smoothies
    Snowshoeing
    Spirit Week
    Spring Break
    Student Council
    Student Teacher
    Substitutes
    Summer
    Sunrise
    Super Storm
    Taxi
    Teeth
    Temple
    Thanksgiving
    Ticket To Ride
    Togiak
    Tournament
    Traveling
    Triathlon
    Tundra
    Twohillc75938e63c
    Valentine
    Vegetables
    Visiting Teaching
    Volleyball
    Washington Dc92ca0b9177
    Water Fight
    Weather
    Weathered In
    Website
    Wedding
    White Collar
    Wind
    Wrestling
    Zillah

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.