Having too much time on your hands is time-consuming

Well since I started this thing I thought I'd update it every couple weeks. It seems that devoting time to myspace and facebook leaves little time in the day for blogging.

This month has been our quietest month in a while. Alex finished fire school so he's been around in the evenings and weekends a lot more. He did such an awesome job in school. Unfortunately he didn't make a big deal of the graduation ceremony so we were not there for him to accept his award for "Best Practical", which means he was deemed the most physically skilled cadet in his class. I was proud of him, and now the first chapter has been closed and EMT school awaits in the spring.
Thanksgiving was this weekend and we spent it in Boca with Alex's parents. We had a great time and had the smallest Thanksgiving since it was just mom, Lori, Marc, and I. We had plenty of food, hit up the beach for Black Friday Frisbee, and left the Hard Rock Casino with plenty of coin in our pockets after a solid black jack performance by Alex and a hot hand of video poker for me. The best part of the weekend was that it helped build the anticipation of our upcoming trip to Peru for Christmas. We are so excited and I really wish I would have practiced my spanish better so I can talk to my sweet little peruvian grandmother-in-law. Everyone there is excited for us to come too. They have the guest beds ready, the parties planned, and the excursions and day trips planned and booked. This will be a trip of a life time with the enitre Moran clan and then some in Lima for Christmas and Alex's birthday.

And most exciting of the last week is Jenn and Sean's engagement! They are a very relaxing couple to be around. They complement each other well, and very gentile with one another, and are a strong two-some. They are strong individually, yet neither one dominates the relationship. They strike a great balance. Their wedding will be beautiful and they will learn that the wedding really is a several month celebration of their love and of everyone else sharing in that bond.

Our introduction to the Blogging World

Alex and I decided to start a blog so our out-of-town family and friends can know what we're up to. I constantly get grief from people saying we don't call enough, which is true. This way we can share the new things in our lives and the associated pictures at the same time. After all, Alex and I are in an exciting time in our lives.

I started back to school last week for my 6th year. I can't even believe I have been teaching that long. Last year was my best year in a lot of ways. It was my first year as Mrs. Moran. I had great kids... really cool, lots of personality, smart, and lots of my best athletes to date. My FCAT scores were through the roof, and our 4th grade was in the top 10 in the state. This year is slow starting. The bonding process seems slower this year than last year. Some of the kids have zero personality, but I know it's early and I know there are some sweet, smart kids from good families so I'm excited to get to know another 40 kids this year. I've also been teaching long enough now that I have several younger siblings of kids I previously taught, and this year I have the third child from one family to come through my doors... meaning I've been doing this for an amount of time making me OLD. It also means that I have developed a reputation with families (and their friends and neighbors) at my school for being a great and fun teacher. Oh, and I had my 10 year high school reunion a few weeks ago. It was fun. The best part was feeling that I was in the group of those who had changed for the better, in my clothes and hair if nothing else, but also in the other ways people change as they go through their 20s. There were too many people who seemed exactly the same. Here's Jenn and I... some pretty hot mamas, with our guys.

Now for Alex... and saving the best for last because he really has much more exciting things going on right now than I do. Alex is in the middle of his Fire Academy training. He is taking classes two nights per week and all day Sunday. He is loving it and is kicking ass in the classroom and in the field. He is making some new friends, forming a study group with some and working out with others. Sunday is the best day for him because it is the day they do the bulk of their physical activity. He loves the exercise component and is really getting into great shape. Well he was in great shape; he's in even better shape now. His classes continue through October and then he'll take his state exams for certification as a licensed Florida firefighter.