For your viewing pleasure...

(L) McCallen family at Ashley's graduation
Below: Bryan and Ashley







It's hard to believe that I've been a college graduate for a year. And what have I done with my degree? I've spent 12 weeks subsitute teaching, 2 months as a temp, and currently, I'm looking for a full time job. Thank you Mom, for making sure I don't leave college with any student loans. Bryan's are enough!

A Great Speaker on the Da Vinci Code

Darrell Bock is the guest speaker and author we heard on April 30 at Westbrook Church. His arguements came from Breaking the Da Vinci Code.



Check him out on the web!

Our Last April weekend

Rain...rain...more rain. This is the story of our weekend.

On Friday night, Bryan and I stayed in because it was raining. We ate leftover beef stroganoff (yummy). I like to try different recipies each time I make the dish, and this one was definitely in my top 5. After watching Dog Whisper, we went to bed early and cuddled with Shadow.

Saturday morning was hazy, but it didn't rain early in the morning. We got up, took Shadow outside, and then ate a breakfast of oatmeal (cinnamon and sugar). Bryan received a phone call from one of his former neighbors in Menomonee Falls who is selling her parents' house. She invited us over to view the house before it went on the market, so we packed up our car and picnic basket.
The house was ok. It was a tiny house, but with 4 tiny bedrooms and a detached garage. The house needed MAJOR cosmetic work--there was 60s and 70s decor everywhere. Bryan and I think it was a bit overpriced--the family had it listed for $200,000! I tried to explain to them how some homes in Waukesha were dropping their price about 20K before selling, but the family was pretty stubborn on the price. I sincerely doubt they will sell the house in that condition for that kind of money.

After viewing the house in Menomonee Falls, we went to the dog park. The dog park is in Brookfield, WI, and is a big stretch of open land that is surrounded by a fence. There were about 15 other dogs there, and watching Shadow interact with them was so cute! She would run and play with the little dogs, try to play with the big dogs, and then run back to us, seeking our approval. So cute.

Then we went back home because the rain began again. We stayed home the rest of the afternoon and night and decided to give Shadow a spa treatment. First, Bryan cut her hair. Then, I bathed her, cleaned her ears, and dried her. Bryan and I spent the rest of the night reading--The Da Vinci Code for him, and a James Dobson book for me. It was a fun time.

We went to early service (9am) on Sunday. Afterward, we helped set up for a couples' picnic, which was moved into the church because of the rain. Two new couples came, and I am glad we were able to connect with them--Marycell and Todd, Kevin and Hannah Jewitt and their son. It was a good time.

Afterward, Bryan and I napped at home. Then we went back to church to hear a scholar give a historical interpretation of the Da Vinci code. That was a very informational lecture, and we hope to use the info when discussing the book outside of the christian relam.

Thanks for reading about our weekend!

Ashley's Job Search update

As Oprah interviews child genuises on my TV, I take this moment to reflect on my job search. Who knew that finding a job would be this difficult? I am fortunate that Bryan has a great income, and we get health insurance through his work...now, I just hope to earn a little income for us to put toward a house in which we will eventaully raise our family.

I have been called back for a 2nd interview with a manufacturing company in Germantown, WI. I have this interview tomorrow. Hopefully, I will ace this interview!

Currently, I have been offered a position with Westbrook Church as their Summer Intern (Children's Ministry). We'll see where this goes...ideally, I would like to have a full time job with benefits...

I did have an interview for an apartment manager position--I could have gotten the job, but I would have to work on weekends, which wouldn't make Bryan happy...

So, please remember me as I look for a job!

Welcome Home, Heidi! Heidi, my former roommate from Rhodes College, recently returned from her teaching English as a 2nd Language in France. She is now living in Massachusetts, and we are in the same boat for the job search.

Bryan continues to love his job--he's the best Eye Doc around!

Fruit of the Week

Sentry grocery stores is having a sale, so todayI decided to give prunes a try.

My initial thought was "Wow, these taste like gushers!" -->a chewy gummy-like candy

My second thought was "I'm doing my body a HUGE favor by eating these cancer-fighting, antioxidat-loaded agents!"

My third thought was "I've never been this active"--if you know what I mean.

So give prunes a try--but if I were you, I'd go with the pre-pitted kind.

Crazy weekend

So you think you had a crazy weekend? Listen to this...

Bryan's mom moved out of her boyfriend's house. She spent Friday night with us, and then on Saturday we went to Menomonee Falls with her to look for an apartment. She found an apartment, but it wouldn't take dogs (she has a 14-year-old cocker spaniel). We convinced Cyndy to continue looking for another apartment instead of facing the decision to put down Peanut just so she could get that apartment.

Also yesterday, Bryan and I helped move her stuff from Franks. Has anyone ever carried a washing machine up 2 flights of stairs? It isn't pretty, beleive me. Needless to say, we probably put 150 miles on our car yesterday--just moving stuff back to her Menomonee Falls home and then driving back and forth to her brother's house and our apartment.

Now she and Bryan are out looking for other apartments while I watch the snow fall and cover our grass. This isn't exactly what I planned to do this weekend--but it makes you think about how choices affect you long term...hopefully this weekend can be a learning experience for everyone.

--Ashley

House hunting

Today was like many Sunday afternoons. After church at Westbrook, Ashley and I drove around looking for a house. After a frustrating start (we found a great home, but it was $440,000) we finally found some nice houses at a decent Wisconsin price. We are still in the looking stage of the house buying procedure. If anyone would like to contribute to our house fund that would be great. Houses in the Waukesha area are slightly higher than in Tennessee, so we are going to have to save a bit more than we thought. So it is now rice and beans, and Shadow, well she is just going to have to hunt down her own game.
Best of luck with that hunting thing dog. Do you think this dog looks like a killer?

To my dad

Ten years ago. Ten years without your instructions, your guidance, your love. Ten years without your jokes, or sitting by the table eating crackers and cheese talking about life. Ten years ago cancer ended your life. In my mind those years are still like minutes ago, the pain and suffering and longing to see you again. Thank you for all you did for me, teaching me to be the man I am today. I miss you dad.

We're trying to get pics on our blog...please continue to visit. We're having some technology difficulties.

AB

Once upon an October dreary...

Wow, is it getting cold up here! Usually when I (Ashley) wake up in the morning, the temperature is about 45 degrees outside. And this morning, the ground was covered with frost. BRR!

I'm still uninformed about the rest-of-the-year job with Pewaukee...but as soon as I find out, I'll post it.

This weekend Bryan and I are going up North to Ashland again, to visit with Bryan's grandmother. Then on Saturday, we are bringing the grandmother home to stay with Aunt Kay.

Also on Saturday, Bryan and I are going to our very first party! A teacher at my school invited us to her Halloween party, which is in the neighborhood in which Bryan and I live. I'm excited about meeting others in the Pebble Valley neighborhood!

Job news!

I've been informed that Pewaukee School District is currently hiring 2 more English teachers under contract. Therefore...I'm applying! I'm so excited! I should know something by mid-October.

Other news...one of my students has convinced himself I'm "out to get him." I'm not exactly sure why...probably because I have high expectations like making my students read their novels and paying the consequences if they don't do their reading...

yes, this is a strange teenager. Actually, I imagne him to be like my brother Jimmy when Jimmy was in high school :)

My classes

I'm sure everyone in the blogging world is wondering how my classes are going. Let me take a minute to talk about them.

First, I teach 2 sections of nineth grade English and 4 sections of 11th grade English. Since this ends up being 3 classes a day, my days are a bit easier than my student teaching days.

Currently, my ninth grade classes are doing a short story unit. We are reading "The Most Dangerous Game," which is about a hunter who owns his own island and hunts humans. I'm struggling a bit with things to do in class other than "read and do this worksheet"; I'm struggling becuase the stories are so short that they could be done in class while still achieving the same objective.

Also, one of my nineth grade English class is A LOT slower than another one...half of my students in one class have learning disabilities.

My 11th graders are more fun to be around. Each day I have one 11th grade class that is stellar and one eleventh grade class that makes me want to pull my hair out. But that's OK> currently, we are reading To KIll a Mockingbird. I consider myself lucky that the school year's started with this novel because I taught it last year at Snowden.

Does anyone out there in cyberspace remember reading TO Kill a MOckingbird? Do any fond memories stand out about this book???

I MISS EVERYONE!

--Ashley

Rain!

I can feel it--comin' in the air tonight

Rain, that is.

As I'm writing this blog, the wind is blowing and the breeze is coming through the window with that lovely rain smell. Paper flies off the fouton, the window shades make a noise...

Beautiful.

Ashley

Another holy Sunday

Well, this was a relaxing weekend before the first day of school--the eye of a hurricane.

Friday was a lazy night--we cooked a frozen pizza and enjoyed a movie on TBS. Shadow had a blast, not leaving Bryan's side.

Saturday was a productive day. We went to Delafield, near here, to do some shopping. I bought about $30 in school supplies, and Bryan found some great deals at Kohl's department store--he bought a wicking hiking shorts and shirt for a grand total of $8! Cool, huh?

And last night, Bryan and I went out to eat at a New China Buffet. We were both craving Chinese, but I think we had too high expectations, especially after being a frequent customer of A-Tan's in Memphis. After splitting with our $18 for 2 buffets, we soon exited the restaurant and took some tums. Yes, that restaurant is a mistake we'll never make again.

Today we went to Elmbrook Church. Bryan and I begin our membership class in about 2 weeks. It should be insightful. We enjoyed a lunch of leftovers before I began class work. After a while, we went on a lovely walk around our neighborhood where we went "househunting." Shadow chased a bunny (there's a ton of little rodents around here).

Well, I'm off to bed--I have an early morning tomorrow! I must be at the school at 7:15 am sharp!

AB

ARRRRRRRRRRR!

It's official--I am a pirate. This is only temporary; however, it may become long-term, through the year.

In other words, Ashley is EMPLOYEED with Pewaukee High School as a long-term subsitute English teacher. I officially begin tomorrow (Wednesday), which gives me approx. one week before classes begin. Since I haven't begun my preparations, I am nervous about learning and teaching the curriculum...

Feel free to check out my high school: http://www.pewaukee.k12.wi.us/ and click on "schools"

Another great point about my job: it's only a 6 minute drive from our apartment! That's excellent, especially considering the gas prices. By the way, gas is currently 2.70/gallon in our area.

Tomorrow can't come soon enough!

AB

Crab apples galore!

Hi friends!

We have a lovely crab apple tree outside our apartment complex, and I'm thinking of utilizing some of its ripened fruit. Any comments or suggestions? Does anyone know what crab apples taste like?

I found an on-line recipie for crab apple pie. Also, I'm going to try freezing the crab apples.

Wish me luck!

--Ashley

No job but new opportunities!

Well, unfortunately, I didn't get the job at Greenfield High. However, new jobs for teachers around the area are being posted each and every day online. This is great news for me, so I'm constantly working at home (yes, we do have internet at home now--yay!). Also, I'm selling books on amazon.com, so I'm trying to keep busy.

Trying to keep busy is the keyword. Unfortunately, this doesn't work all the time, so I'm trying to read lots of books and learn new cooking skills. Currently, Bryan and I are reading Ron Blue's Master Your Money. Our friend Todd Schulz (who, by the way, moved back to Iowa with his lovely wife, Melissa) recommended the book to Bryan a couple of years ago. We are about half way through with the book, and we enjoy discussing it. Many of his concepts (live on less than you make, aviod car debt and consumer debt) we already practice. Hopefully, we will pull out more of his concepts as we continue with the book.

I recently finished Jonni McCoy's Miserly Moms: Living on One Income in a Two Income Economy. This book gave great advice on cooking homemade meals and getting the most out of your grocery budget. I hope to use a lot of her advice one day, eespecially when the day comes that Bryan and I will be living on his income (ie, when we have rugrats). She also has inticing recipies in her book, including how to make homemade jams. I hope to use this recipie as soon as I learn how to can fruits.

What else is new?? Oh, Bryan and I will be attending a new member orientation at Elmbrook Church this Sunday. Check out their website at www.elmbrook.org. The people in the church seem very devoted to the great commission and carrying out biblical teachings. In fact, two of the pastors have radio segments: one is called Telling the Truth, and I listen to it each morning. Oh yeah, another thing keeping me busy is talk radio! I enjoy listening to the ACLJ (counterpart to ACLU) each morning around 11am. At noon, the James Dobson Family Minute comes on, and then at 12:30pm, Dennis Rainey's show comes on. At 1pm, Dave Ramsey comes on air, and I enjoy listening to him and people who call in with their debt-free stories. They're so inspiring. Check out his ministry at www.daveramsey.com

Hopefully soon Bryan and I can learn how to post pictures. Until then, I hope everyonoe stays safe and has a wonderful day and week!

Ashley's first interview

I am SO happy to announce that I had my first job interview today. The position is with Greenfield High School in Greenfield, WI, teaching American Literature and multi-media. I feel that the interview went well--I enjoyed talking with the administrators, sharing my educational experiences, and highlighting my teaching abilities. However, I did stumble on one question: What are my experiences with MacIntosh computers? Unfortunately, I have not used macs for 4 years. But I did highlight the software I have used on them, such as Adobe Photoshop and QuarkExpress.

Whatever the outcome, I know I am blessed to even GET the interview. I'll keep everyone posted.

--Ashley

Cool Wednesday!

Wow, today is a bit chilly compared to the high-90 degree weather we've been having this week. In temperature, we aren't that far from Tennessee!

Bryan begins work on Monday :) I (Ashley) am still jobless, but that's ok because the apartment still needs some tunning up.

Soon (within the next week or two) we hope to get internet in our home, so we can come to the library less frequently. The Waukesha library is a bit smaller than the Memphis Public Library, but it's just as nice.

Kudos to Nanna for sending us some lunch money! Thanks to her and Pappaw for taking us out to lunch "in absentia!" The sandwiches and soup were delicious!

Other news...we took Shadow to the vet yesterday. She had her main shots updated, so her bottom was a bit sore last night (but she slept well!). Also, we found out she needs her first teeth cleaning. Isn't it crazy that dog health care has become so fru-fru in the last 10 years? It must be a conspiracy to get into the capitalist, American pockets of well-meaning dog owners. Only in America will dog owners pay $227 every two years to have their lovely pup's teeth cleaned professionally.

Oh, and just so everyone knows, Bryan and I will be keeping our Memphis phone numbers until December. Evidently, Sprint requires their customers to RENEW their contracts each time they want their number changed. This is a HORRIBLE policy, and Bryan and I are so disappointed in Sprint that we plan to change companies in December.

So anyway, please feel free to call us at our old Memphis numbers!

Livin' the Wisconsin life

well, Bryan, Shadow and I are slowly adjusting to living in Wisconsin. After staying at Cyndy's for a couple of weeks, along with Darryl and Nicky, we found an apartment in Waukesha, WI, which is a suburb west of Milwaukee. Bryan has an unfortunate 25 min. commute to work, but our apartment is affordable, safe, and a little bigger than what we had in Memphis. We moved in Saturday, July 16. I hope to send out postcards to family and friends with our new address...but if I leave you off the list, please call us or Cyndy!

Shadow worried us the first night in our new home. She whimpered a couple of times in her sleep, and she (still) hides under the kitchen table (yes, we have a REAL kitchen table now, thanks to my mom!). But today Bryan and I took her to a local dog bakery (Petlicuous Bakery) and bought her a few treats. Hopefully she will warm up to the new apartment soon.

Speaking of our apartment, we're in an awesome location! Our part of town is close to the freeway (5 minute drive), and many new, nice shopping malls have sprung up in the past few months. We have a 5 minute drive to the grocery store (Pick-n-save), a 5 minute drive to Wal-Greens, and Sam's Club is 10 minutes away in Delafield. Unfortunately, there are no Super Wal-Marts in the area, but Pick-n-Save does have an entire ailse of cheese--yay for that! The local library is super-nice and modern, and the church we're thinking of joining is about 10 minutes away.

Unfortunately, the teacher job market is pretty dry for English teachers. I've looked on-line and in newspapers, and I've sent out about 10 resumes but have no bites. I will probably soon send out resumes for jobs in other fields. Thankfully, Bryan has a job, and he will begin work on August 1.

I miss my family and friends very much! Please leave many posts...or better yet, email us. Or even better, call us. We still have our Memphis numbers, but we will probably change them within the week. Have a great day!