School's In Session

School is officially back in session! I'm not exactly sure where the summer went, but it sure flew by! We have only had two days of school, but I'm hopeful I have another great group of kids. Aside from all the craziness, I always enjoy the start of a new year. Everyone is fresh and excited to be there (for the most part). Not only that, but now that I'm starting my 4th year of teaching (wow, time flies), I feel a lot better about my own abilities and what I should expect. Mason is also getting ready to start school again. This will be the beginning of his third year and he is getting close to that halfway point, which is great! He will definitely make a fabulous teacher someday!

Other than that we have been staying busy, as always! My best friend Lindsey got married at the beginning of this month so we traveled up to Western Iowa for all the festivities. It was a beautiful wedding and it was wonderful getting to see everyone again.

She sure made a stunning bride! I didn't get a great picture of her handsome husband, but he looked great as well! : ) Speaking of weddings, my cousin Abby is getting married today! We definitely wish we could be there, but I'm sure that she and her groom Matt will have a fabulous day!!

We do have a little piece of not-so-great news...remember the car accident we had a couple weeks before our wedding? Well, because another person was involved, Mason had to go to court. They actually ended up setting another date for court because Mason's attorney didn't care for the judge he was supposed to have. But, the attorney said that even though we probably wouldn't have to pay a ticket or have it put on his record, that Mason may have to have two years of unsupervised probation. It's pretty frustrating, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

He's also been on the job search for quite awhile too, and so far, we haven't heard back from anywhere. But, we did hear a little piece of information the other day that does sound slightly promising regarding a possible job opportunity. I don't want to say too much in case it doesn't pan out, but please keep us in your prayers that it will work out! Every little bit can help!!

We are also pretty excited because we will be traveling up to Iowa again mid-September for my cousin Amy's wedding! Since JJ (my brother) is helping to coach football again this year at Dunkerton, we are going to drive up a little early because homecoming happens to fall that same weekend. We always look forward to visiting Dunkerton and everyone there, of course!! The following weekend we are heading down to Branson to spend some time there. As far as we know, Mason's mom and step-dad will also be coming with us, so we are really looking forward to it. While we are down there, aside from visiting the strip and Silver Dollar City, Mason and I will be running a 5K! The money will be going toward the cancer foundation. I haven't ran a 5K since college so I'm pretty excited! We were doing a great job of running everyday, but I started getting shin splints so I had to back off a little. They've finally gotten better so I need to get back into the swing of things so I don't die while running! : )

Well, I better get some cleaning done around here. It kind of looks like a tornado hit...have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Honeymoon

The day after the wedding was also a whirlwind as we had to bring everything back to the house, finish packing, and then head up to St. Louis to our hotel. Unfortunately that morning, I had a sore throat that moved down into my lungs as the day progressed, so by the end of Sunday I already had cold which stayed with me the rest of the week. It didn't keep me from doing anything, it was mostly just a nuisance. We were up and at 'em by about 3:00 Sunday morning so we could catch the shuttle to the airport to get on our flight. I have to say, the flights from St. Louis to Dallas/Ft. Worth, and then from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Cozumel were a couple of the worst flights we had ever been on. When we left St. Louis we were in a storm and when we got into Cozumel, we were dealing with Tropical Storm Arlene. Needless to say, there was a ridiculous amount of turbulence and we were both very happy to be back on solid ground!

Since we didn't get in until Monday afternoon, we just relaxed and hung out around the resort for the rest of the day and all of Tuesday. We did some swimming at the amazing pool they had, took some naps, and enjoyed the delicious food they offered.

This particular pool happened to have a lazy river, and was right by one of the outdoor restaurants, so we had drinks brought directly to us as we swam!

On Tuesday we had scheduled to go on a tour to Chichen Itza over on the mainland on Wednesday, but at about 10:00 Tuesday night they called and said that because of the weather they were going to have us go Thursday instead. So when we woke up on Wednesday we decided to go snorkeling. If we booked through our resort we got to go see three reefs. We were really excited because Mason had gone before and had spoke so highly of it. When we got out to the first reef we were probably about a mile off shore. Unfortunately, the water was still so rough from the tropical storm that when we got in the water it was very difficult to swim and really enjoy what we were doing. So I was that person that held on to the boogie board our guide had for anybody who got tired. Except I held on the entire time. Haha By the time we got back in the boat from the first reef, I was sea sick from the waves, and Mason had no intention of getting back in at the last two because of how rough the water was. Because of this, we ended up just lounging around the rest of the day.

On Thursday we were up and leaving our resort by 6:00 in the morning to head to downtown Cozumel to catch the 7:00 ferry. From Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen on the mainland it took roughly 30-40 minutes. Once we got there we found our driver and took the two and a half van ride down to Chichen Itza. It was definitely worth the long trip, and was probably one of the neatest places both of us had seen. The amount of history we learned about the Mayans was fantastic, and it was amazing to see a place that has been preserved so well for such a long period of time.

Our tour guide, Oscar, made it an exceptionally great experience. He had a quirky sense of humor and was incredibly knowledgeable about all parts of Chichen Itza.

After such a long day full of travel and exploration, we came back to the resort, ate dinner, and crashed. We were exhausted! Friday morning we woke up and decided to go swimming and lay out since it was one of the first days it was actually sunny! The whole week it was cooler in Mexico than it was in Missouri, in large part because of the tropical storm. They were in what the locals called the "tropical depression." So it wasn't overly hot or sunny the entire time we were there. Later on that afternoon, we went to have our hour-long full-body massages. Let me just say, they were AMAZING! It's definitely something we will be doing again at some point! After our massages we went back to our room, got ready, and ventured to downtown Cozumel to do some shopping. We ended up spending a lot more than we meant to, but we got some nice jewelry!

Unfortunately, this brings us to Saturday morning, the day we had to leave. Mason was ready to get headed back home, but I would have been content staying there another week! However, by the time we did get back, I have to say it was definitely nice to be back home. It was a fabulous vacation, and I'm thankful we were able to have that time together following our wedding!

Since the honeymoon we have stayed very busy traveling and getting odds and ends squared away from the wedding. We ventured up to St. Joseph to see Mason's mom and sister, and I spent about five days in Iowa. I went for Lindsey's (my best friend) bridal shower and bachelorette party and then spent some time with my family. We will be up in Iowa again the weekend of the 6th for Lindsey and Jake's wedding, so we are definitely looking forward to that. Other than traveling, Mason has been applying for several jobs so we are saying our prayers that something will come along soon! Any additional prayers would also be very appreciated! Otherwise, we're just trying to enjoy what's left of summer because school will be starting for both of us before we know it!

6.25.11

It's a month later and I'm finally sitting down to write about our wedding! The first month of wedded bliss has gone incredibly fast, and before we know it school will be starting! Right before we got married I talked about how we had gotten in an accident and were looking at a 2006 Cobalt. We ended up getting it and are happy with the decision. There are a few cosmetic things that need to be taken care of, but nothing too serious, which is good. And since it had lower miles, we are hopeful that it will last us for a while yet! We also realized it is the exact same year, make, model, and color as my Grandma Steffen's. Hers is in better shape though, with a lot fewer miles. : )

Once we got our car situation figured out, we were able to focus on the wedding. The most stressful day was Friday because we had to get the hall and the park set up for the rehearsal and the dinner. It actually went much smoother than expected, and when we made it to the actual rehearsal all stress went out the window. Everyone arrived on time and were extremely cooperative and helpful throughout the entire rehearsal. We even had a couple of chuckles, especially when Mason asked our deacon when he was allowed to kiss me. Following the rehearsal we went over to Schuman Park in Rolla where we had a grill out and got to talk and hang out with everyone. I'd post some pictures of it, but the majority of them are already on Facebook.

After the rehearsal dinner, the majority of us went back to the hotel to relax for the evening. It was great getting to see everyone who had already come in from out of town, and we spent a lot of time talking and catching up. Surprisingly enough, when I finally went to bed, I got a great night of sleep (very unlike the whole week prior), and was ready to go the next morning! Rather than go into all the details about the actual wedding day, I will simply say it was wonderful. It was definitely more than what Mason and I expected and it went very smoothly. Like I told the girls before I got ready to walk down the aisle, I wish there was a way to bottle up the many emotions I (and I'm sure Mason) felt throughout the day. It was wonderful, and I know Mason and I had a blast. We can't thank everyone enough who helped to make our special day so successful.

This is one of the many pictures our amazing photographer took. She was fabulous and we can't wait to see the rest!

It's official, I'm a "Heavin." : )

Goodbye, Elantra..

A sad day has come. I had to say goodbye to my Elantra. Almost two weeks ago, Mason and I got into a pretty serious accident. We were coming home from Springfield on I-44 from a little pre-wedding shopping. There was a car on the side of the road, which we later found out had run out of gas, as the driver was one of the first responders. Mason went to merge into the left lane after looking in the side mirror. Unfortunately, he did not look over his shoulder because there was a Jeep Cherokee in his blind spot. By the time we realized what was happening we had already hit once. We believe that it startled the other driver so much that she swerved left and back right again, and we were positioned so that she was pushing us down the road nearly sideways. Keep in mind this was at 75 miles per hour. Luckily we didn't roll the car and Mason was able to maintain enough control to drive smoothly into the median. As we were coming to a stop we looked back and saw that the other driver's car was rolling. It rolled probably 2-3 times before it finally came to a stop. We called 911 while Mason went to check on the other driver. She was able to get out of the car and only had a few minor cuts, which is a miracle since she wasn't wearing a seat belt. The ambulance and other responders came shortly, and they took the lady to the hospital just as a precaution. As far as we know, she is doing fine, and didn't have anything other than some cuts and bruises, thankfully. We still felt pretty bad about it since we were technically the ones that caused the accident.

After assessing the damages to our car and realizing it was going to be totaled out, we found out it would cost a minimum of $2300 to fix the basic necessities (two new doors, new front fender, tires, and alignment). By the time insurance would go through we would probably have to pay roughly $500 or $600 out of pocket. Since it was a 2001 with nearly 140,000 miles on it, we decided to look around a little first. We found a 2006 Cobalt with only 84,000 miles on it. Yes, we will have to pay a little bit more than it would cost to get the Elantra fixed, but long-term it will hopefully be a better choice and last a little longer. I told Mason if he wrecked anymore cars, he was getting a bicycle to ride to work. He agreed. :)

As I write this, a lady is coming from State Farm to take the title, which is pretty sad, but it is what it is. It's been real, Elantra, but it's time to move on to bigger and greener pastures.

Aside from the craziness that Mason and I always seem to stir up, we are only 4 days from "The Big Day!" I can't believe it. Other than the whole car situation, I'm doing pretty well as far as stress is concerned. Even Mason and Duane have chipped in a little to help with cream cheese mints for the reception. What studs!

Gus helped too! :)

We are just excited to see everyone, have a great day, and then spend the following week relaxing in Mexico! See many of you soon!! :)

School's Out for the Summer!!

Well, we finally made it through the year, and only slightly worse for wear! Mason and I started this final day of school down in our cellar. At about a quarter to five a random truck was driving up and down the road with their sirens on. Given all the storms going on we figured that was our warning that there could potentially be a tornado in the area. After about twenty minutes we ventured back inside and I finished getting ready for school. Aside from the fact that the kids were crazy, it was a great day! I really enjoyed the group of kids I had this year, and they will be missed. But, for now, I will enjoy my lazy days!

I was very excited to get out of school early since today was only a half-day, but mother nature again had other ideas. Missouri, as well as many surrounding states, has had a ridiculous number of tornadoes this year. Just as our entire faculty was getting ready to have our last meal together for the year, the sirens in Waynesville started going off, so we all had to take cover in the classrooms in the basement. Luckily that didn't last very long, but shortly before I got ready to go, they went off again. So needless to say, I didn't even leave school until well after when I would leave on a regular day. Then I was chosen for the random car inspection as I entered post. Awesome. It's not a big deal and I did finally make it home! Mason, on the other hand, was not so lucky. He is still stuck at a friend's house as I type this. He was driving home from work in the midst of these storms, and ended up stopping at his friend's house because it was hailing and getting pretty bad out. And now, he's stuck there because of flooding. Oh well! He's safe so that's the important thing!

On a better note, I plan on spending the next couple of days laying around and doing a lot of nothing. Mason and I are going down to Branson for the weekend, and then I start summer school on Tuesday. Luckily, they are only half-days and will go until June 17th, so it will go very fast! Eight days after that and I will become 'Kayla Heavin.' Weird! Here's hoping the next month goes smoothly! Congrats to all the students and teachers who are finished or will be finishing school soon!! We did it! And lets be sure to keep all those affected by all these storms in our thoughts and prayers, especially all the residents of Joplin, Missouri! Happy Summer!! : )