BIG Update (like, belly big)...

Ok, so clearly I'm not the best at keeping a blog. I thought moving away from family and friends and starting our new adventure in Indianapolis would be enough to really get me going on this. Well, I guess it wasn't. So now I hope that our next adventure will help me keep you in the loop! Most of you already know, due to facebook, my mom's twitter account, word of mouth, etc., that we are expecting our first little one! We are so excited! I am due Aug. 31st, so it's really coming up quickly. It is a boy and we have a name all picked out and ready to go. But...you won't find the name out until he is born. Our fun little secret. It's a good one though!

In other news, life in Indy has been good so far. We are adjusting nicely. We found a great church with a WONDERFUL mix of people. We got plugged into a Connection Group and are making some great friends. Marc plays basketball with the Pastors at the church probably 4-5 times per week (when he doesn't have to work). He's loving the chance to workout while doing something he enjoys.

Work is going well. I can't believe the school year is over in four days! It has been quite the ride. I've been responsible for a lot more than I was at Wheatley and I've learned a lot. I currently have 9 wonderful students and will be starting out with 7 in August. Next year will be way different. First of all, I won't be there for 3 months, assuming our little guy arrives on time. Second of all, there will be a lot of changes in the structure of my room. I've learned a lot about myself and how I want my classroom to be run. Unfortunately, it took me this whole year to figure it out and put an action plan into place. I'm excited to step up my game and become a better teacher and manager.

Okay, for your enjoyment...here is a pic. This was 2 months ago...to think I thought I was huge then! Ha!

The Classroom!

Yea for seeing the new classroom this week! I only stayed a few minutes, but I plan on showing up a couple more times this week and hitting it hard next week. No, these are not paid days. But, I need to become familiar with the room and the materials. Plus, there are only TWO paid days before the kiddos come...KCMSD gave us a week...so this will be crazy different. I'm really excited to get going, though. Okay, here are some pics. Yes, they are from my iPhone, so not the greatest quality. Consider these the "before" pics, and I will post more once I get the room set up!

Nice and spacious!

A HUGE student bathroom here. Lots of storage to the left.

Storage, cubbies, and plenty of desks and chairs.

Little "nook" that I'm not sure what I'm going to do with yet...but don't worry, I have plenty of good ideas. :)

Mucho Love from Indy,

Carrie

P.S.Stay tuned for a Marc update later on!!

We are HERE.

Here. Indianapolis, that is. Our new city! You could officially call us "Hoosiers", but I don't suggest it. I just find the "Hoosier" thing a little weird, and don't feel like I should be identified as one after only living here for 5 days. Ask me in a couple years.

So, our first couple of nights we stayed at a hotel Downtown (see pic right for our awesome view). Indy's downtown is AMAZING. They've gone through a lot of revitalization, kind of like what KC is going through right now. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad we got to experience the city. In fact, we have talked about living there...more on that later.

Marc started his new job at the National Weather Service. He really seems to be enjoying it so far! I don't want to speak for him with all the details, but know that he's liking it and glad to be here. We have had a lot of fun together, trying new restaurants, and exploring the new city in the car, on walks, etc. Marc LOVES the downtown area and is excited to get back there.

I just so happened to accept a job offer yesterday! I will be a Lifeskills special ed. teacher in the Wayne Township (west of the city). I had to turn down another offer today (for another district)and turn down an interview for a Lifeskills position at a High School. I didn't know what the job market was like here, so I applied to about 10 different districts (even if there were no job postings). I am really happy to have this new opportunity. It will be challenging, but similar (from what I can tell) to my previous position in the KCMSD. I will be teaching Primary age. Work starts Aug. 10 and kiddos come Aug. 12!

In other news, I miss our family and friends. I had such a great time this summer spending as much time as I could with family. We had a super busy last week, but were able to spend a couple of days at my parents' house before we left. Here is the last family photo on the Raymond side. Wish we had a pic from Marc's side and/or the church fam too...if anybody has one from the Wing Ding or a dinner, let us know.

PS-Kev, you're awesome in this pic. That's all.