Here is a link to our family photo shoot we did in late December.
http://www.hightowerphotography.com/Pech.html
Kim was great and she's done quite a few shoots for our friend Danielle. So we decided to go with her services - which we REALLY loved. Even though Jaina was not cooperative, as you'll see in some of the photos, we had a blast. It's the first professional photos we've had done as a family and the first photos Kevin and I have had together since we got married!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
NYE 2008-09
Wow, I can't believe it's New Year's Eve already! What a year it's been. I started off 2008 working (teaching) part time at Red Rocks CC and at New America, but I'm finishing 2008 as a FULL TIME teacher at ACE/Community Challenge School. I LOVE my job - I know not many people can say that. Even though my kids are classified as "high risk," I know that I can help them overcome some of the educational obsticles that they've encountered. I know that I am making a difference, especially when I had at least 6 kids out of every one of my classes ask, "Are you coming back in January?" That makes me feel really good.
To top it off, I added an endorsement program onto my current MA program (which is Reading & Writing) - this program will allow me to add Special Ed (SPED) onto my MA and have a dual MA. It'd only take an extra couple of semesters while I'm currently in school. This works out great because our current SPED teacher, Joe, is leaving and I'll be taking his place. This way the kids already know me and don't have to worry about some "unknown off the street" teacher coming in.
Kevin picked up a project car (the Volvo) and then he decided to go back to school too. I'm SO proud of him, he pulled off a 4.0 his first semester! :) I do try to let him go out and play paintball or just have a "free day" when we can afford it. Plus, his contract at work was renewed for another 5 years as of August 1. YAY!
Then there is Jaina. She started off 2008 as a "just turned 2-year-old" and is finishing off 2008 as a "just turned 3-year-old." Whoever said there were the Terrible 2's was full of it! I think the 3's so far are harder....at least with Jaina. She's a VERY stubborn kid - I wonder where she gets it?! - and has such a mind of her own. I hear "I'll do it myself" at least a dozen times a day. But her imagination is running wild and I know she is learning so much more at daycare (which she loves) than I can even think about. I can't wait to see what 2009 brings for us.
I know what is in the works - so far - for 2009:
-more schooling for Kevin & I
-potty training *cringe*
-trip to Grand Junction at least twice...March weather permitting & one huge gathering in early June
-we want to try to go to Montana
-Ohio trip in late June
-Kevin and I's 10 year wedding anniversary...I think we may try to go to Las Vegas
To top it off, I added an endorsement program onto my current MA program (which is Reading & Writing) - this program will allow me to add Special Ed (SPED) onto my MA and have a dual MA. It'd only take an extra couple of semesters while I'm currently in school. This works out great because our current SPED teacher, Joe, is leaving and I'll be taking his place. This way the kids already know me and don't have to worry about some "unknown off the street" teacher coming in.
Kevin picked up a project car (the Volvo) and then he decided to go back to school too. I'm SO proud of him, he pulled off a 4.0 his first semester! :) I do try to let him go out and play paintball or just have a "free day" when we can afford it. Plus, his contract at work was renewed for another 5 years as of August 1. YAY!
Then there is Jaina. She started off 2008 as a "just turned 2-year-old" and is finishing off 2008 as a "just turned 3-year-old." Whoever said there were the Terrible 2's was full of it! I think the 3's so far are harder....at least with Jaina. She's a VERY stubborn kid - I wonder where she gets it?! - and has such a mind of her own. I hear "I'll do it myself" at least a dozen times a day. But her imagination is running wild and I know she is learning so much more at daycare (which she loves) than I can even think about. I can't wait to see what 2009 brings for us.
I know what is in the works - so far - for 2009:
-more schooling for Kevin & I
-potty training *cringe*
-trip to Grand Junction at least twice...March weather permitting & one huge gathering in early June
-we want to try to go to Montana
-Ohio trip in late June
-Kevin and I's 10 year wedding anniversary...I think we may try to go to Las Vegas
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
How quickly time flies
Jaina is turning 3 on Thursday (the 18th) and I am still so amazed how quickly this has happened. Looking at pictures even from a few months ago, she still had some baby fat and pudgy cheeks. Now, she's starting to get taller (even more so!) and her face is now "leaning out" and starting to elongage. I think, "what has happened to my baby girl" but I am starting to see the adorable little girl she is becoming.
Her imagination is astounding and she makes up the funniest things on a daily basis. She loves Dora, Diego, the WonderPets, and anything else on Nick Jr. or Noggin. Her imagination runs wild, and I know she is very creative. She loves to "read" her favorite books to us and "play"t he piano - which she does pretty darn well! - and she surprised the heck out of me when she counted up to 5 in Spanish - something I haven't taught her! Plus, anytime she can be outside, she's happy. She got a great snow suit set from G-ma & G-pa Rohn that she just LOVES. We went outside on Sunday when it was cold & snowy and she was nice and warm. Probably would have stayed out there all day, but 15-degree weather was NOT the funnest for adults!
Her imagination is astounding and she makes up the funniest things on a daily basis. She loves Dora, Diego, the WonderPets, and anything else on Nick Jr. or Noggin. Her imagination runs wild, and I know she is very creative. She loves to "read" her favorite books to us and "play"t he piano - which she does pretty darn well! - and she surprised the heck out of me when she counted up to 5 in Spanish - something I haven't taught her! Plus, anytime she can be outside, she's happy. She got a great snow suit set from G-ma & G-pa Rohn that she just LOVES. We went outside on Sunday when it was cold & snowy and she was nice and warm. Probably would have stayed out there all day, but 15-degree weather was NOT the funnest for adults!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Life catch up
Well...it's been a while since I've written anything on here!
What's all happened in the past few months:
- I finished up my 1st semester of grad school in May with a 4.0 GPA!
- I finished my first year of part time teaching in June
- Two weeks before this, I got hired on at a new school full time, and I started 07/14/08. It's in a new district, is a small charter school, the same student population I'd been teaching (at-risk kids), a great salary, and I have awesome coworkers! It's a year round school, so I've got breaks in where "traditional" schools would not.
- July 4th weekend Jaina and I went up to Grand Junction to see family. We spent a long weekend (Thurs-Mon) in both GJ and Delta and had a blast!
- Kevin bought a car from Uncle John Barry...his 1965 Volvo 1800 coupe that's been sitting in the garage for so many years. Now we've got a project car!
- Kevin started school at Red Rocks CC in August for an Associate's in Video Game Design and he's VERY excited!
- Kev also got his locksmith contract renewed for another 5 years!!
- Jaina is back at the same daycare she's been at since January 08 and loves it. This time, she's 5 days a week instead of 2 days.
- We're working on potty training... a very slow process!
- Jaina's also a typical toddler..."I'll do it myself" is a familiar refrain. BUT, she does sleep in a toddler bed every night and has since March!
What's all happened in the past few months:
- I finished up my 1st semester of grad school in May with a 4.0 GPA!
- I finished my first year of part time teaching in June
- Two weeks before this, I got hired on at a new school full time, and I started 07/14/08. It's in a new district, is a small charter school, the same student population I'd been teaching (at-risk kids), a great salary, and I have awesome coworkers! It's a year round school, so I've got breaks in where "traditional" schools would not.
- July 4th weekend Jaina and I went up to Grand Junction to see family. We spent a long weekend (Thurs-Mon) in both GJ and Delta and had a blast!
- Kevin bought a car from Uncle John Barry...his 1965 Volvo 1800 coupe that's been sitting in the garage for so many years. Now we've got a project car!
- Kevin started school at Red Rocks CC in August for an Associate's in Video Game Design and he's VERY excited!
- Kev also got his locksmith contract renewed for another 5 years!!
- Jaina is back at the same daycare she's been at since January 08 and loves it. This time, she's 5 days a week instead of 2 days.
- We're working on potty training... a very slow process!
- Jaina's also a typical toddler..."I'll do it myself" is a familiar refrain. BUT, she does sleep in a toddler bed every night and has since March!
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
2 minutes of fame
I get a call yesterday afternoon from the Better Business Bureau yesterday. My immediate thought was, "What did I DO?". Well, here's the story:
I signed up for a weight loss study through a company in December 2006 as advertised through the "Backpage" - an online classifieds in Denver. This study was for "Metacor Labs - Progenics Inc". It is eerily familiar to a current Evaril II study (that's currently ON the Backpage) in wording, contact sheet, and asking for a deposit & such.
In a nutshell, I was to send a $144 deposit which would be returned, along with a $319 monthly stipend after the first month materials were consumed & paperwork sent in. I signed up and promptly received my first month supply of the weight loss "drugs". My deposit was not cashed until 1/10/07. I sent my first month's paperwork back on 1/26/07 and as of my last contact with a Mr. Jack Edwards on 2/8/07, I did not receive my 2nd month supply nor my deposit back as promised. The e-mail I received on 2/8/07 promised that, "Consideration is being given to the possibility of closing the study cohort in which you are enrolled. If this happens, you will receive a return of your deposit. If not, you will receive your package and all else. I will let you know when I find out myself." This is verbatim and in writing.
After sending tons e-mails and getting no response, I sent this to the BBB in April 07 and they could not get ahold of anyone at this place, which had a PO box in Denver for their address, so they disregarded my "case". If you search the BBB in Denver, you'll find info about Metacor/Progenics in there, and the information is not very flattering!
Well...the lady who called yesterday from the BBB said that BBB's across the US had a rash of weight loss scams (this being one of them), and they wanted to know if I had heard anything from the company. When I said "no", I was asked if I'd be interested in talking to the news media about my experience. I immediately said, "Of course, why not!". Within 20 minutes - NO B.S.! - I got a call from one of our Channel 9 news reporters, and they showed up at 4:30 yesterday afternoon! I was on the 9 and 10pm news shows! Jaina was running around through the shots & stuff the whole time...which they thought was cute since I am a SAHM and all.
So - here's a link to the article and video segment from 9news.com:
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=84068
I signed up for a weight loss study through a company in December 2006 as advertised through the "Backpage" - an online classifieds in Denver. This study was for "Metacor Labs - Progenics Inc". It is eerily familiar to a current Evaril II study (that's currently ON the Backpage) in wording, contact sheet, and asking for a deposit & such.
In a nutshell, I was to send a $144 deposit which would be returned, along with a $319 monthly stipend after the first month materials were consumed & paperwork sent in. I signed up and promptly received my first month supply of the weight loss "drugs". My deposit was not cashed until 1/10/07. I sent my first month's paperwork back on 1/26/07 and as of my last contact with a Mr. Jack Edwards on 2/8/07, I did not receive my 2nd month supply nor my deposit back as promised. The e-mail I received on 2/8/07 promised that, "Consideration is being given to the possibility of closing the study cohort in which you are enrolled. If this happens, you will receive a return of your deposit. If not, you will receive your package and all else. I will let you know when I find out myself." This is verbatim and in writing.
After sending tons e-mails and getting no response, I sent this to the BBB in April 07 and they could not get ahold of anyone at this place, which had a PO box in Denver for their address, so they disregarded my "case". If you search the BBB in Denver, you'll find info about Metacor/Progenics in there, and the information is not very flattering!
Well...the lady who called yesterday from the BBB said that BBB's across the US had a rash of weight loss scams (this being one of them), and they wanted to know if I had heard anything from the company. When I said "no", I was asked if I'd be interested in talking to the news media about my experience. I immediately said, "Of course, why not!". Within 20 minutes - NO B.S.! - I got a call from one of our Channel 9 news reporters, and they showed up at 4:30 yesterday afternoon! I was on the 9 and 10pm news shows! Jaina was running around through the shots & stuff the whole time...which they thought was cute since I am a SAHM and all.
So - here's a link to the article and video segment from 9news.com:
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=84068
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