Finally... the sun!

I got to enjoy a real rarity in Eastern Oregon during the month of January. The sun. During this time of year we are usually in the middle of an inversion. Well we've already had that and are on what seems to be the backside of winter!

It all started in November. Right around my birthday, we got our first snowfall of the season, which led to a 1 day school week during Thanksgiving. That's right, conferences were canceled and we got an extra day off. We got quite a bit of snow during Christmas break as well, enjoying a white Christmas in 2010.

Now it's January, where at the beginning of this week I got to experience a first in my life, a flood! It wasn't my house, but it was near my house. The Umatilla River overflowed its banks and washed Riverside Park away. It was a pretty impressive sight. I took pictures with my new camera, but they wouldn't upload! Go figure.

Now as we embark in the dreaded "testing" season, (you know, fall, winter, testing, spring, and summer... oh and hunting season) I get to experience a new first. As of March 17, 2011 (my sister's birthday), I will have NO keys to Sunset Elementary School. They will be turned in on that day by 8pm. The next day, district staff will be moving everyone's belongings to OUR NEW SCHOOL! The next day I will also be headed to Texas, so I won't be helping!

I am kind of nervous about this daunting task. I have to pack up my entire career... during spring conferences! This should be interesting. But nonetheless, I am excited to get into that new building and make it my own.

They were cleaning out some closets at our school and found like 15 old photo albums. I teach in the same school as my grandma Spencer once did. She was 4 rooms down from where I am at now. One of the photo albums has pictures of her with her class! I am going to take those pictures and will hang them up in my new classroom.