Almost a month into 2012!

Hello!

It has been a bit since we've sent out a real update.  Amazing to me that this blog used to be my lifeline to everything.  I used to feel this almost obsessive feeling about updating it.  Now, it doesn't cross my mind daily, and it is nice to know that Kurtis fighting off cancer probably doesn't cross your mind too often either.

Life in northern Colorado is treating us well.  This year, so far, winter has been insanely warm and mild.  In some ways that is really nice, but a small part of me misses the large piles of snow...and we've yet to have a snow day this year.  That is one of the great things about working in education...the chance for a snow day doesn't go away when you become an 'adult' :).

Here are what the three of us have been up to -

Kurtis:
Working more and more as a substitute teacher in PSD.  He spends all of his work days at my school (Polaris) which is great!  He gets quite a few calls from the other members of the staff and enjoys getting to know the kids better each time he's in a classroom.  I think he enjoys being able to be a teacher a few days a week and still spend some time working around the house on his days 'off'.  When at school, he covers for almost any class ... French to math and back again ... and the kids seem to really like him.  He's also done some major work around our house including cleaning up and organizing our office so that I have a nice place to work which is beyond awesome.  He's started to work out now that his body is finally recovering from his treatments.  Unfortunately, normal person mode can still wear him out, but it is NOTHING compared to where we were a year ago.  In February, we'll be celebrate SIX MONTHS clean! Whoop whoop!

Liz:
I've been working and working.  And working.  I'm teaching two US history classes and one English class right now and I love them all.  I was initially a little worried about my English class as there are thirty-three kiddos (!!) but the class has been structured in a way to accommodate all of their learning and it is going quite well.  My US history class is making their own history books and loving it.  My classroom constantly looks like a pinata exploded due to the construction paper scraps, etc. but the students are really performing well.  Lacrosse is about to start up and I couldn't be more excited.  We've started our winter season, lovingly referred to as 'winter ball' and the kids are 2-1.  Winning doesn't matter in this league, the point is for the girls to remember how to play before we start having games in the spring, and they are doing a mighty fine job.  There is a group of them participating in a speed, agility,  and conditioning training program that my assistant coach and I are taking with them that is really fun.  Butt-kicking, but fun. 

Chauncey:
Chauncey is looking forward to his birthday that will happen in February.  On 2-22 the puppy will be two!  We can't believe we've had the little (well...kind of little still) guy for two years!  He's been enjoying going on runs with me and making a mess of the house by dragging out all of his toys.  The snow and ice are finally melted in the back yard and he seems to like that better than when he struggles to run on it.  He's claimed one of the upstairs bedrooms and spends a lot of his time laying in the sun on one of the beds and staring out the window.  Often when I come home from school his little cute face is waiting for me in the window :)  When it is warm outside, he gets to go to the dog park that is not too far from our house.  There are usually a lot of dogs there and it is quite funny to watch him try and get all the other dogs to chase him.  We also got him a 'zipline' for the car.  This is a system that keeps him in the back seat via a cord that runs across the handles in the back and then a tether clips to his harness so he can go back and forth, but not forward.  Chauncey doesn't understand it yet, and it's pretty hilarious to watch him try to jump out of the car only to be completely thwarted.

We're hoping that everyone is doing well!

Sending our love!

Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey