Craters of the Moon

Since Devin's school semester takes up most of the summer, we really don't have an opportunity ( or the money) to take a long vacation. Due to this fact, we decided to take day trips around Idaho to enjoy what the state has to offer. This past Saturday we headed out to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. We really did not know what to expect, but we packed a good lunch and followed the instructions online and brought good flashlights ( or so we thought). 

Upon arrival, we had to go to the visitor center to receive a cave pass. The park wants to protect the bats from diseases found in other caves, so we had to answer a few questions in order to be able to go into the caves. Devin wanted to show his manly strength by trying to pick up a rock. Let me remind you that craters of the moon is a lava flow full of porous lava rocks :). It was still fun to pretend we could pick up huge rocks.

The park had a 7 mile loop with different stops along the way. Each stop had something different to see. This might sound silly, but one of thing that was really neat was how the rocks almost had a colorful hint to them.

The last stop on the loop was the caves. This was so cool! We got to take our own flashlights and go down and explore the caves. So, we went down into the first cave and got out our flashlights so we could see. Once the flashlights were out we realized that they didn't work very well at all. Caves are so dark. This might sound like a silly statement, but there was no way we were going to explore the caves with the weak flashlights we brought with us. We ended up going back to the visitor center and investing in a headlamp and some batters. Well worth the money to see the caves.

I am not going to lie. I was really nervous to go into the caves at first. There was something discomforting about being underground in the dark. But, once I went down into the first cave it was so fun and exciting that I couldn't wait to explore the next one.

Devin was really adventurous in the caves and enjoyed going into the smaller places. After a day of exploring we definitely built up an appetite, so we ended or trip with a meal at a local diner. Overall, the trip was so much fun, and I would not mind returning. I look forward to more day trips.

1st Anniversary

I am not very good at keeping up with my blog, but I figured a 1st anniversary is important enough to back track for.

Wow, 1 year went by so fast. Even though it did go by fast, looking back on the year a lot happened.
-Went to Disneyland for our honeymoon
-Moved into our first apartment together
-Had a summer of no jobs and no money
-Devin got a job
-Apartment flooded
-Moved to a new apartment
-Went to Carson City for Christmas
-Devin survived two n more semesters of school
-I found out I will be teaching Social Studies next school year

Now, those were just a few of the events that took place, but they all came together to make an exciting year. We wanted to escape our everyday routine to celebrate this special day, but a long trip just was not going to work out. Instead, we had to create a get away. We decided to got out to dinner and get a hotel room in the next town over. Although it was simply, it was still a great day that we had to spend together.

We went out to Texas Road House for dinner. I got ribs, and Devin ordered prime rib ( I may or may not have had several bites of his dinner.)

Our hotel room was so much fun. It was almost like a little studio apartment. Since it had a freezer, we got  a couple of pints of ice cream to eat while watching a movie. We spent time in the pool and hot tub, and enjoyed a great breakfast in the morning.

As a little extra surprise, the night before our anniversary celebration Devin got of work early without me knowing it and brought me roses. He also said we should be spontaneous, so he took me to a movie that night as well.

After a year of marriage, I am happy to say I am excited for another year. Devin is wonderful and I feel so blessed to have him in my life. I look forward to what adventures we will have in the next year.

February Fun

February has been a busy month, but it has brought some exciting news. Since Devin has started school we only get about an hour with each other each day during the week. He has school during the day and works at night and I work during the day, so we just have conflicting schedules. Since Valentine's Day fell on a Thursday we had little time to celebrate our first Valentine's Day as a married couple together. I wanted the day to be a little special even though we could not do much together that day, so I got up early and made heart shaped pancakes. I also gave Devin a card that he read at school.

Don't worry Devin did not forget about me. When I got home from substitute teaching, Devin told me there was a surprise for me. I did not see anything when I walked in the door so I was confused, but there was something in the bedroom. I always tell Devin I want a big fluffy dog, so that is what he got me. Okay, it was not a real dog, but he was still really cute.

February also brought me the opportunity to have a job interview for a Social Studies position at a new charter school that will open next fall. I was so excited because the charter school will be project based and I feel that this type of curriculum really aligns with my educational philosophy. After two and a half weeks of waiting for a reply I finally heard back. They had a few more questions for me and after answering their questions, I was offered the job. I am so excited to say that I will be a Social Studies teacher starting next fall. I will most likely have several grades, but I will do my best to provide them with the best education.

Christmas

This was our first Christmas as a married couple! This year we decided to go out and cut down our own Christmas tree. Okay, we did not trek through the woods to find a tree, but we did track down a tree farm and the nice owner cut down the tree of our choice.

Devin did a great job at tying the tree to the car. So,when the tree was outside it looked like it would fit perfectly into our living room, but I guess it must have grown going through the door because it definitely got larger when it was inside. We rearranged the furniture and found a spot in the corner. There was not a lot of room to get around the tree to the coach, but we figured it was just for a month.

We put the lights on and decorated the tree together. It looked so pretty. It will be nice to collect new ornaments each year so we can fill up or tree.
Devin was able to get a few days off of work, so we headed down to Carson City to spend the holiday with his parents. It was a short trip but it was nice to get away for a few days and spend time with family. On the way back a snow storm hit and the usual 10 hour drive turned into a 15 hour drive, but we made it safe. Overall, it was a wonderful 1st Christmas together. 

The Flood

This entry is about 4 months late, but it is a great story from our first year of marriage so it must be blogged about. I guess I should be careful what I wish for, because wishes come true and not always in the way that you want. I was excited to start writing about my life so that I could notice all the blog worthy things that happen in my life, and well the day after I started my blog our apartment roof collapsed and flooded our apartment. Now, if that is not blog worthy I don’t know what is! It took me awhile to post these pictures, because my computer was a victim of the flood, but after a good wash and rice bath it is up and kicking.

The flooding happened because the hose connected to the toilet of the upstairs apartment got disconnected and the water ran down the walls into our roof. The water leaked from about 7am till 2pm because no one was home upstairs. Devin and I were both gone for the day and did not return till we got a call from our land lady at about 8pm that night. Apparently our fire alarm was going off all day, but the police had a hard time locating the alarm because it was bouncing off the buildings around the apartment complex. The police eventually found where the alarm was coming from and went in through the bedroom window and walked into the living room to find the roof caved in.

That night we had to move all our furniture that was in the living room into either the kitchen or the bedroom, so basically we could not stay there. Eventually the carpet was ripped up and the whole actually got bigger because of all the water damage. Luckily, none of our stuff was completely ruined because we were lacking in renters insurance. Word to the wise to all those renting an apartment, renters insurance is your best friend because you never know when your upstairs neighbor’s toilet will become disconnected and flood your apartment. 

Well, a month went by and the apartment still was not fixed, so Devin and I decided to scrap up our savings and rent a new apartment. We had to camp out in our broken apartment for a day or two while we packed up and moved. We felt like a homeless couple living in a rundown shack. In the end we moved to a very nice two bedroom apartment that did not have a giant hole in the roof.

  

The Beginning

I have always enjoyed reading other people's blogs. It is fun to learn about all the different adventures, crafts, and special events others are involved in. After reading there is always a little part of me that wonders why my life is not as exciting. Although that is a negative thought, it got me thinking that perhaps my life is just as exciting but I have trouble seeing the adventure. Therefore I have decided to join in the ever growing crowd of bloggers to help shed light for myself on the many fun and exciting events of my life. So, without further ado I give you Kristin's Kupcakes.......

I was married April 7th of this year to my wonderful husband Devin. He is adventurous, caring, and social. It might sound cheesy but he really is the other half that makes me whole. If it was not for his adventurous, social personality I would most likely be a hermit. Devin is going to school focusing on public heath and I just finished up my student teaching.

We live in The Pueblo :), well at least that is what we have named it. No home is complete without a cool nickname. It really does make it that much better. That pretty much covers "The beginning", but I am sure there will be more posts to come.