1st Day at Work

I just started a new job as a pre-school teacher for the military's Child Development Center. I went onto the military base on Monday to do some training and sign papers, and then I drove to another building to sign more papers, and then I finally drove to the Child Development Center to begin my orientation and continue MORE training before I actually start teaching in the pre-school classroom. I am really excited about this job. They have implemented a new curriculum for the pre-schoolers to better prepare them for kindergarten, so I am excited to help build a strong foundation for the curriculum. There are a few infant rooms, several toddler classrooms, and 4 pre-school classrooms. Tyler and I will be switching up our daily routine a bit, but we can adapt quickly to changes!!

Well, anyway, my first day of work was on Monday from 8-5pm, and as I got in my car, I called Tyler to tell him I was coming home. As I was walking through the back gate to go through our back door, I could smell the clean laundry that someone was doing. That just reminded me that I wanted to do laundry that night, and wanted to put the pot roast in the oven that a neighbor prepared for us. When I opened the back door to our house....SURPRISE!!! Tyler had cleaned the whole house (that i left in shambles that morning), prepared dinner, had the table set, bought beautiful flowers and my favorite kettle corn popcorn from the farmer's market, and had a cute little note sitting on the table. AND....he had finished all of the laundry!! What a super nice surprise to come home to after my first day at work!! He is so kind to me!! I love this guy!!

Bird of Paradise Flower 

(it looks sort of like a hummingbird to me)

The Water Storing Succulent

Since I have moved to California, I am now surrounded by these cute, fat plants called succulents. Many of you have probably already seen a cute, little succulent. Because I am fairly new to the plant kingdom, after living in Russia for so many years and being surrounded by "dirt gardens," these little succulents really excite me. They seem to be the popular plant of choice around here. People place them in their garden beds, flower pots (a whole assortment in 1 flower pot), window boxes, wreaths and they line the natural land along the coast.

These cute, fat and smooth plants actually have a purpose: "they are water-retaining plants adapted toarid climate or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems and/or roots. The storage of water often gives succulent plants a more swollen or fleshy appearance than other plants, also known as succulence. In addition to succulence, succulent plants variously have other water-saving features.

Many succulents come from the dry areas of the tropics and subtropics, such as steppes, semi-desert and desert. High temperatures and low precipitation force plants to collect and store water in order to survive long dry periods. Succulents also occur as epiphytes, as such they have limited or no contact with the ground, and are dependent on their ability to store water. Succulents also occur as inhabitants of sea coasts, or salt pans which are exposed to high levels of dissolved minerals. The best known succulents are cacti. Virtually, all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti."- Wikipedia

Now that I have discovered a succulent, I don't think that I will ever plant a geranium, tulip, daisy, wildflower, iris, petunia or daffodil again!

Ways to Use Succulents:

#1. Place a large assortment of succulents in a flower pot.

#2. Put your choice of succulents in a glass bowl- Place inside or outside of the house.

#3. Plant a large assortment of succulents in a bird bath. (Why do birds need to wash themselves anyway?)

#4. Pretty, flower looking succulent. Look at it and it makes you smile!

#5. No, this is not an artichoke. This is a fat succulent. Do not eat! Look at it and smile instead.

Sneak Peak at Wedding Photos

Here are a few wedding photos. Amy Bare and Melanie Wasko did all of the photography. They did such a great job, and we love all of the photos. There are many many more pictures to look at if you click HERE. Thank you Amy and Melanie!!

Almost Cartoon

Lobster Claw and Pincers...

Tyler and I are so lucky to have friends and family that want to come and visit us!! We love having people come over to the house, and we have had lots of people come for a week or so since we have gotten married. This month we had our friends Matt and Kimmie come for the first week of November!!

Whenever I introduce Matt and Kimmie to people, I always have to tell them that they were the people who first introduced us to each other. So, while I am writing, I will let the internet world know how that came to be...

Tyler and I both were in Matt and Kim's wedding. (me as a bridesmaid, and Tyler as a groomsman). We were in the same wedding, but I was never introduced to him, and we didn't say a word to each other at the wedding. About 2 years later, Kimmie called and invited me to come over to Tyler's house for a Memorial Day pool party. I told her that I didn't know if i was going to go because i didn't know Tyler or his parents, and I thought that I would feel "weird." Well, anyway, I decided to go last minute, and had a great time!! Tyler and I talked quite a bit that night, and then he got my phone number from Kimmie. So....that is how Tyler and I first met each other. Through good friends.

Kimmie and Matty got a chance to take off work and come out and visit us for a week, and we all had a great time. Here are some pictures from the trip. 

Tyler took this picture of these flowers. I think it is so beautiful!

Ferry Ride to Alcatraz Prison. Sailboats on the San Francisco Bay.

Indians inhabited Alcatraz for a time, after it was no longer a prison. There are parts of "the Rock" which say: "Indians Welcome" and "Indian Land." 

Alcatraz Prison

Trolley Wires in San Francisco. My favorite was when we drove past the trolley, Kimmie yelled, "What is that? That bus has antennas coming out of its head." Then she snapped the picture after the trolley zoomed by.

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Whoever comes to visit us, we always take them to the pastry shop across the street from our house. Everything is baked fresh daily. When we get the pastries, many times they are still warm. Tyler likes a 3 seeded bread that they bake there. (When Tyler's parents came to visit, we probably had daily visits to this place.)

 

Wine Tasting in Carmel, CA.

The Wine Trolley that took us around to different wineries to go wine tasting. 

Tyler calls this "The Dr. Seuss Tree."

 

The Rap-Tap on My Window...an October Visitor

Gun Pose #1

I was getting ready for bed, and then all of the sudden there was a rap-tap on my window...I jumped, screamed and dropped to the ground. Then as I started to get up and look out of the window, who's eyes do I see peering back at me?? You guessed it...Tyler and his best friend, Paul. I opened the window and asked what they were doing. No answer. All I could hear were sticks hitting the ground outside. I proceeded to go out the back door in the pitch-black night, and there they both were, standing at the back corner of the house with their sticks raised in a gun position peeping around the corner. Tyler begins to run around the house whispering to Paul to cover his back. Then Paul creeps around the other corner of the house and follows Tyler. As they were running around the house with their "guns" I managed to get a few pictures. 

Paul and Tyler have been friends since they were 7 years old. It is definitely hard to find friends like that!! Paul came to the West coast on business, and he was able to manage to come up to Pacific Grove and stay with us for a couple of nights. I love hearing all of their childhood memories. They really had some great adventures together, and they were able to re-live a childhood memory by running around the house with their guns. 

Paul, thank you for your loyal friendship to Tyler all of these years!! I look forward to many more visits, and maybe next time it will be in Georgia!! 

Gun Pose #2

brown paper packages tied up with strings....

these are a few of my favorite things....