Ah, Summer...

Summer has officially started. Wahoo!

Todd and Dale returned to Phoenix around 4pm on Saturday. They both enjoyed their time in Tucson and I'm hoping that maybe Todd will post a bit about it later. After they got home, they spent some time working on some projects in the garage (again, I would imagine that Todd could tell you more about this than I could). After their projects, we went out to eat at the Organ Stop. It's a wonderful place to visit if you're ever in town - great music and pretty good pizza to go along with it! I'll let you check the link to read about it. I like to take visitors there because it's a pretty inexpensive dinner but a great experience. To the right is a picture of Charlie (one of the organists) playing the organ. You are able to put in requests and he'll play a lot of different songs (using different kinds of entertaining props that help complete the show - like puppets, lights, different instruments, etc.). So if you're ever in town, you at least know one place to check out!

Sunday started a little rough when our alarm clock failed to go off. Instead of waking up at 4:00am so that we could take Dale to the airport for his 6am flight, Todd and I woke up at 6am. A bit of a bummer and an expensive mistake. We had to find Dale another flight home, but we got him successfully to the airport for a different flight.  He made it home without further incidents, which is a good thing.

With Dale at the airport, Todd and I decided to spend some time shopping at Arizona Mills Mall  for some new summer clothes! We spent the morning and afternoon there and then spent the later afternoon out by the pool. We topped off the night with kabobs and corn on the cob cooked on the grill. And then we watched a movie before bed.

And today? More of the same - at least for me. Todd did a little work from home today, while I completed my weekend of relaxation (more pool time and a lovely book).

But it wasn't all rest and relaxation. We also got some work done. We've finalized our Vegas plans, bought some plane tickets home, did some laundry, cleaned the bathrooms, washed dishes, and other household chores. This week is also somewhat busy for us. I'm going to be making phone calls tomorrow to different people in order to get errands done. I will also be doing some things throughout the summer for Teach For America, which will help to pass the time. Todd will be going in to work, since he will continue to work throughout the summer.

I have to say, I'm glad that summer is here. I don't know what I'm going to do if I ever have to work all year long. I'm so accustomed to my vacations!

That's our mini-update for now. We have some fruit  smoothies waiting for us before we head off to bed!

Oh My!

Yes, yes I did. It's here!

It's totally not done in any way shape or form. And pretty much everything about it will probably change. But let me know what your thoughts anyway!

P.S. If it wasn't working before, it is now!

Dale's Visit - Day Two

Well, I wish that I could write about everything that Dale and Todd did today, but honestly, I can't. I was at work all day doing paperwork and cleaning the classroom. But when I came home there were all sorts of new things that they had to show me! I'll leave it to Todd to post the pictures and talk about it in-depth. All I know is that after I got home, the two of them worked away in the garage for a couple of hours before we went to dinner. There was a little indecision about where to go for dinner. We had thought of going to The Organ Stop but they close at 9:00 and we were just leaving the house around 8:15. After some discussion, we decided instead to go to the The Texas Roadhouse. It was pretty delicious and now I have more leftovers to take for lunch!

I think that we're going to try to make it to the Organ Stop for dinner on Saturday, so I'll post more about it then!

For now, I think I'll head off to bed. Remember that illness I was fighting? Yeah, I seem to be losing the battle. Yes, mom, I promise that I will be taking my vitamins tomorrow.

Hmmm....

So, I've been tossing around the idea of having my own side blog, along with this blog. I feel like "Hoffmann Happenings" is a blog that pertains to updates about Todd and I and how life is going. You know, actual events, things we do, etc. Isn't that what people read this blog for?

However, I also have several random thoughts and musings (strange, I know), that I am tempted to add to this blog. But it just feels out of place here. They're almost like little twitters or just brief sentences. And too many of those could crowd out the actual events. Plus not everyone who is interested in how life is going is interested in a random thought I had walking down the street. Who knows, maybe no one is interested! So, I thought to myself "Why not start another blog?" In fact, I had that very same thought almost a year ago and decided to hold off in case it was just a "phase" type of thing. But I keep thinking it. If I do start another blog, there are so many decisions to be made!

First: Do I start another "Ashlee's Random Thoughts/Musings/Stories/ect." blog? Or not?
Second: If so, what should the URL be? I need something that's available and easy to remember.
Third: What should the title be?

Please comment or email with your thoughts =)

Dale's Visit - Day One

Despite the long delay at the airport, Todd's dad finally made it to Mesa today. He's down here to visit us for a bit and then he and Todd are leaving Tuesday morning to head down to Tucson for a Tuba Convention. They'll be gone all week and drive back here sometime on Saturday.

After he flew in, we went to eat at Joe's Farm Grill. It's was a yummy little place that Todd went to with Tom and Sonya when they were down here. Tummies full, we then drove home to give Dale the full tour of our little home in the middle of the desert.

I would like to tell you all about the exciting facts and little quirks of our house that were explained to Dale on the aforementioned tour...but honestly, I was a walking zombie by that time. I had to excuse myself so that I could take a little nap (and by little, I mean 2 hours). I think that my immune system is struggling against something - my sore throat and stuffy nose are dead give-aways. And today's weather, which was colder and windier than normal, didn't really help matters. Maybe Dale brought the cold Wyoming weather down here with him?

But after my nap I felt much better and so we went out to find a small dinner (since we were all still rather full from Joe's) and dessert. We decided on Mimi's Cafe, a little chain restaurant just down the street. Todd and I usually try to avoid chains, but we had never eaten there before. We ordered appetizers first, followed by dessert. Dale and I had a delicious trio of desserts (apple crisp a la mode, triple chocolate brownie a la mode, and bread pudding) that I was unable to finish. Todd, knowing my habit of ordering more than I can eat, was fully prepared to finish it for me. What would I do without him? It was a nice little time out, but Dale and I both felt like we needed to walk back home in order to get rid of some of the calories that we had just consumed. I consoled myself by saying that once we got home, I would hop on the exercise bike for a bit. And now that I'm home with a full tummy, bed is looking awfully nice. There's always time to ride the bike tomorrow, right?

A New Look - For Summer!

As you might have noticed, Todd and I have been playing around with the design of the blog (Well, mostly Todd editing the html and me telling him what I wish we could do with the site). Like hairstyles, I think that blog templates should be changed around every once in a while just for a new look. If you have any feedback, feel free to let us know. We're determined to post more on the blog now (say bye-bye to all those facebook updates) so we want to make sure that it's easy for us and our readers.

Speaking of summer, I can't wait! I have one week left at work - a week dedicated to cleaning the classroom and filing a metric ton of paperwork. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that I have all of the paperwork somewhere in my files. I had several revelations throughout the year that sounded a lot like "Ohhh. I never knew we had to fill out that paper," or "Oh! So that's what that paper is for." After next week, I plan on using the summer to relax, plan for next year, and relax some more. I have so many ideas for next year - for the classroom environment, teaching and assessment methods, curriculum, and paperwork organization. Here's to hoping all of it can be easily implemented!

It's already hit the triple digits here, but we're staying cool with our AC and our pool.

How's the weather in your part of the country?

End of the Year, Luau Party!

The end of the year is here! My commitment with Teach For America is halfway over. It's a day that I wasn't sure would ever come - like a far off dream that seemed too good to be true. Friday was the last day of Head Start for the 20 little kids in my class. We had a lovely celebration, gave them their certificates, and wished them well in kindergarten. Only one of those students will be returning next year (since she was a 3 year-old this year). It was a year that was both long and short - each week seemed long but as I look back now, I can't believe it's all over. After all of the parents and students had left on Friday, I sat there, almost in shock. I can't believe that on Monday the bus isn't going to come by and drop off my kiddos.

It was a year of learning and growth for me - personal growth and professional growth. I'm going to miss the students I worked with, but at the same time I'm looking forward to next year and expanding on my teaching skills.

In order to celebrate the end of the year, Todd and I hosted a Luau party Saturday night. We had fruit, kabobs, vegetables, hot dogs, drinks, and wonderful company.

Here is our little sign pointing the way to our party:


And here is the master chef of the party! He did an excellent job grilling the food. I should keep him around =)


As you can see, we decorated the house with flowers, tropical fruit, and leis. Here I am, showing off some of our early food selection.


It was our first house party and we consider it a success! We're so excited to continue to make our house available for little gatherings. It was a fun night with good food, good drinks, and great conversation.