Monday -Memorial Day Weekend

You guys are just gonna have to wait for photos until tomorrow night. I can't get any photos to upload.

So I think I will wait to talk about what a nice weekend we had until then :)

Night!

Santa Rita Fiesta

We were at the Santa Rita Fiesta today for Ellie's culture dancing group.

It was SO hot. Maddy was my videographer again:

This may be her last time Chamorro dancing- three weeks left on Guam!

Its been a great experience for her.

Ellie is the green dancer in the middle- hard to see:

Happy she had the chance to dance here :)

Cultural Dancing

Went to the Mango Festival in Agat today.

Ellie had Chamorro Dancing to do with her Culture Club she is in at school.

They did a great job..... funny that the military school does Chamorro dancing and the local dance group after Ellie did this kind of dancing:

They were really good- Maddy wants to take up some sort of contemporary dance next place we move, so she in particular loved watching these guys.

I will get a video of Ellie dancing tomorrow- its the Santa Rita Village Fiesta!

I am unemployed.

Today was my last day- I am all checked out.

-said all my student "good byes" Some were pretty sad.

So proud of all of them.

Tonight we did "Relay for Life". We raised some money for cancer. Also mailed out our last donation to Haiti. Really so proud of my students and their humanitarian efforts :)

Ellie and Maddy walked with us at the event- and we dedicated our "walk" to Alyssa's friend Julia who is going through cancer issues right now.

We are praying for her.

Here are the nursing course graduates (minus one):

It took a lot of courses to get them to that certificate and they needed at least a 70% in all of them- so happy for their perseverance and so proud of their accomplishments.

Hey!!!!!!

After a long week - my blog is working again!

I will actually sit down and blog tonight...... missed you guys!

love sam

School is coming to a close....

I am really getting sad!

Today was senior countdown:

Looking at some of my students counting down their last minute in high school..... really sad. Though most of them will still be dropping in my class as they do their official checking out tomorrow- its not the same. I just really hope they do well in life.

I guess the one heartening part of this coming to an end business is that a lot of my students were disappointed today because they were writing the last of their lecture notes in my class..... I can't ever remember being sad to be finishing a class- so I guess it must have been a positive experience for them :)

Went with the girls to the hair salon after school:

- played hooky from swimming tonight!

So much fun for the girls- they were treated to tea before their hair cuts.

-the girls are now 3 and a half weeks till the end of school

And its official- we have plane tickets off the island for June 20th. We should be coming into Buffalo the 22nd....... the last leg of our trip isn't booked yet, hopefully it will be set in stone tomorrow-hopefully....

The girls are starting to look forward to the trip home, and the summer to follow.

I am sure the looking forward part will help them feel less sad about leaving their friends on Guam behind.

Its nice to see them hanging out together around the house, that they actually enjoy each others company. That helps too when it comes to moving time.

Fun side note:

I had to snap this photo (although you can barely see it). It is the moon, which was still out as I was going to the gym in the morning!

You know you are up too early when....... I'm just sayin'

I figure I'm due....

Yes, a speeding ticket.

Here's the thing..... Guam's speed limit is 35 mph- for my Canadian people that is 56 kmh.

So two years of being expected to ALWAYS drive 35 mph is too much to expect from one person! In some places its even 25 mph!

I prefer to travel at a comfortable 50 mph pace (with the occasional 55 slipped in). Its far less painful than crawling along at 35- plus it gets me where I am going faster :)

Therefore if we travel the main road six times a week, for two years, 30 min each way, at 50 mph- doing the math says ...... I was due for a ticket.

Sorry-

The blogging website has been down for the last couple of days.....

Today was beach day!

Melda took this photo just as Kevin was soaking wet and sandy and trying to get it all over me! Nice!

Nice hang out we had at Gab Gab:

I spent most of my time right in one of those chairs!

But to recap real life over the last few days:
Winding down with my students...... 9 day countdown (really only 7 since the last two days I am sure to see VERY few students....)

Had play day part two after the swim meet on Saturday:
The girls loved having their friends over- I think we may try to have them for a sleepover before our time is up here on Guam.

And some Gab Gab photos from today:
Maddy loving the boogie board- she was often standing on it, sorry I didn't grab a photo of that!
Ellie built not just a castle- but an entire village system.
Love our time with the Thorntons :)
Excited to be spending our last weekends here doing Guam stuff with them.

Random Photo Night

Took six of my students on a field trip to a clinic this week. They seemed to really like it.... it went smoothly- except for two of them getting caught texting ..... but really, could have been worse right? Really overall- so proud of them.
Maddy and Ellie are coming up to the "early withdrawal" date at school. What this means is students can leave after May 20th and not be penalized grade-wise. So what it really means is the teachers basically close out their grade books May 20th, so everything after that is gravy. Cruising right on in to the end of the school year......
Its fire-tree season again. These are the trees I told you about that look half dead for the rest of the year, but suddenly come to life in a big way. Neat to see them all over base. This also means that it is the season for the black birds to start "swooping". So funny to see huge black birds attacking the heads of runners going down the road...... its funny cause its not me! Wish I could get a video of it to show you.... maybe I'll follow Kevin on a run so I can tape him getting swooped :)
Met up with my friend Terri tonight for some Mexican food.... mmmm!

She will be leaving for a trip soon, then I will be leaving island- so between our two busy lives might only get to hang out with her a couple more times..... yup, things are definitely winding down around here.

Wednesday.

First:

Happy Birthday to Ellie's Friend Sara!!!!!!

Ellie can't wait to see you this summer :)

So it's midweek....
And yet we are all ready for the week to be over.

Must be part of "short timers" disease.

The calendar is filling up with all the necessities that have to happen before we leave the island. A lot of my energy has been put into getting everything we needed to apply to two schools in Newport. Also booking everything I can ahead of time for the trip back to the States, activities that the girls will be doing back home this summer, getting to see Ann and Gene and a Disney trip for August (yay for the Gillams getting to get back to Disney- with the Staples no less!....... can't wait Barb!!!!)
Looking toward the weekend when the girls have the BC Champs swim meet....

My Weekend Away.....

Epic!

You forget how much sanity you can gain when you are only having to care for yourself.

Not a husband, not a house, not two girls, not 60 students. Just me.

Kinda nice! You end up doing mindless things- watching re-runs of shows you have never heard of (I truly started caring if the wedding cake maker would be making the couples dream cake!).

Eating what and when you feel like..... including Yogurtland and chips instead of a meal :)

Some scrapbooking got done- but also did a whole lot of nothing too!

Thanks to Melda for gaining her sanity back right along with me!

Speaking of Melda..... want to wish her a super happy birthday :)

Back from our weekend away, to hit the reality of life just in time to turn 41!

Hope your day was great!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

To all the mothers in my life...... I'm thankful for you.

Before I forget...

I wanted to be sure I mentioned that Maddy was invited to apply to the Jr. National Honors Society. Really an honor. Unfortunately its for next year here at McCool Middle School so she can't be in it since we are moving- but still, really cool statement on the fact that Maddy has become a great all round student :)

This is a practice round.....

.... for when I am no longer blogging..... which will be as of June 19th! Yes, that is my tentative "I'm leaving Guam" date.

So for now..... I am going off for the weekend with Melda to scrapbook- so this sight will be blog-free for the next 3 nights :(

try not to miss me!

Another day.....

... another sunset.
Love the view out back of our church. The ocean goes on for miles.... literally!

Starting to countdown the days till I am done school.

I am really liking the idea of being done, but I have some trepidation on how I will be leaving my students. I don't think its like regular teaching jobs..... I am sure when Micki has students move on from her, she most of the time has confidence that they will go on to bigger and better things. I don't have that same confidence for my guys- I do worry about where they are headed... or who will be teaching them next year, if anyone.

Speaking along the lines of moving on.... Kevin and I are working on dates for packing out, shipping the car, going home.

Exact dates TBA! But be assured, definitely closing in on it.