Where does money come from?!

This is my last week to just hang out before research and school and work start for the school year.
For those of you that know me, I am obsessed with Racheal Ray! I was watching her show this morning and ended up very disheartned by a segment. It was almost like a "Kids say the darndest things" segment. Racheal asked the question "Where does money come from?" On little boys answer was "The president has a machine and just makes more money!'
Is this what we want to teach children, that the government can make and spend money at the drop of a hat?

Simple Lunch

Nathan has been working out of town for almost a year! He is actually coming in for lunch today and then returning to work at the shop for the remainder of the afternoon. Do you know how exciting I am to actually prepare lunch for my husband. He always has to grab something or fix it himself while out of town. Today we are having turkey sandwhich's and chips, with sliced fresh tomatoes and cottage cheese. Although simple, it makes me feel so much better to be able to prepare his lunch so that he can have the energy to finish his day!

We are camping this weekend and canoeing Saturday! Hopefully the rain will stay away and we will have great weather!

Hope you have a great weekend too!
KP

What's New!!

Well I graduated in May with a B.S in Agricultural Education from the University of Arkansas. Since then I have been super busy!

I traveled to Canada and presented a paper at an international conference for ag ed. I stayed in Saskatoon. It was a neat little town (but very different from the "Canad" image I had in my head. There was nothing but miles and miles of cropland. I also got the chance to visit the University of Saskachewan and their farm. It was a neat experience and they are doing lots of great research.

Right after my trip to Canada, I jumped right into graduate school and work. My classes actually do not start for another week or so but I am staying very busy with research and creating lesson plans for a grant I am working on.

While excited about continuing my education, I am also a little sad that I am not going to be teaching for two more years. I know it will be worth the wait and that I will be a better teacher after my masters but I already miss being in the classroom. Student teaching was an great experience. I had a wonderful cooperating teacher and amazing students. I was probably spoiled by my experience. I can not wait to teach young people about agriculture. the industry has so much to offer.

Aside from work, Nathan and I have kept very busy. He is still working out of town and will be for the remainder of summer. I can not wait to have him home all the time. This past year has really grown our relationship and made us value every minute together. Our 2nd wedding anniversary was Monday. We went to Branson, Mo for the weekend and had a great time. He also took Monday off so that we could spend it together. God has really blessed us and continues to open up doors for our future.

I hope all of you have been well.

OOOOOOHHHHHH College!

Well, it is finally coming to an end. I am finished with my undergraduate degree in Agricultural and Extension Education. I am very proud of the work I have done and excited to teach...one day! I have elected to attend graduate school. I will focus on Ag Ed and Extension and my Thesis will focus on distance education (I think...it may change)
Anyways, it is time to move on to a new chapter and I am super ready.

Another Weekend Comes and Goes!

Here it is Sunday night. We are watching the Vikings vs. Saints game and trying to get ALL the laundry done before Nathan heads back to work tomorrow and another week of school starts for me. Here are some things I have been thinking about today!

If you noticed, the ALL in the previous sentence. It is meant to be exagerated. I can not believe how many clothes the two of us go through in a week. There are more outfits to wash than double the days in the week. Odd, I think! especially since Nathan washes all his work clothes on Thursday nights before he heads home on Friday.Where does it all come from. You know how some people keep a food diary, I think I am going to have to start tracking my outfit changes.

I am glad that American sports run all year long. There is always something to watch or go to. Football season ends in a few weeks with the Super Bowl (Saints vs. Colts) and then the following weekend begins the NASCAR racing season. In addition, college basketball season is jsut heating up and baseball season will start soon which will carry over into fall football! haha How lucky are we!

I hate the wall color in our house but am too afraid to ask our land lord if I can paint it. I really don't think that he would have a problem as long as there was no extreme color changes. I should really just make Nathan ask!

It seems like the weekends just fly by. No matter how hard we try, we just can not fit everything we need to into a weekend. It makes it harder I know with Nathan being out of town all week. This means that all family and friend visits have to be scrunched into two days. We haven't been balancing this well. For all of you that have noticed or been affected by this, I apologize. We are doing the best we can while also trying to spend time as a couple. Hopefully when this job in Atkins is finished Nathan will get a job assignment at home, but the reality is that we just do not know.

We went to the casino this weekend, I always think I am going to have fun and get excited to go, but then we get there and I remember that I really don't like it. The amount of cigarette smoke in the air takes your breath away immediately, I never win, and there is always really creepy people around that you can not seem to get away from. I need to figure out a way to remember these things so that I just don't go!

Well I need to get some homework done! Hope you all had a wondefull weekend and have a smooth week ahead.
Hopefully I start blogging more, I always have tons of stuff to say jsut never remember to get on here!
KMP

Student Teaching!

UGH. This week has been crazy and I am ready for the weekend. As of January 4th, I started student teaching. My first week would have been spent at the high school that is hosting me, but snow caused the school to close all week. Monday I started a 4 week "block" of class. We are learning about dealing with diversity in classes, teaching agricultural labs, as well as program planning and all the behind the scenes of running an ag program. This is 12 course hours all crammed into 4 weeks. I am so antsy by the end of the day that I have to get up and stand against the wall while listening to my teacher. There are only 9 of us in these classes so we all get to help each other out. After these 4 weeks I will venture back out to Springdale High for the remainder of the semster. That is, if I make it that far!
Also, I applied for graduate school and am ready to head down that road...I enjoy research and am excited to write my thesis. If you get the chance look into downloading SecondLife...Its free. It is an online virtual world that my reasearch will be using to look at the educational effectiveness of online atmospheres. If you decide to try it, look me up "Kristin Loopen" is my in world name!
I am headed out but felt the need to blog!

As time goes on...

I am realizing more as time goes on that I am not a nice person, nor do I like many other people. Today I was sitting at school, and as I finished ranting about an email I had recieved from a fellow class mate one of our graduate students looks at me, smiles and says "I've noticed as Kristin is here longer she becomes more honest." It was then that I realized that I am not vocal enough about the people I dislike. I try way too hard to put a smile on my face and make everyone around me happy. Anymore, this is way too much work. I would rather just not have to worry about these people that I strongly dislike. How I am going to do this with out making my school/work environment awkward, I am not sure yet. I will have to work on the logisitics as time goes on.
Also, as time goes on, I have realized how improtant my brothers are and their families. Of course as most siblings, the three of us hated to admit that we were even related while growing up. But now, I am proud to say I am Jeremy and Justin's little sis.
Jeremy and Amanda have been stationed in S.Korea for well over a year now and it flat out sucks. Not only do I never get to spend time with them, but I have an adorable niece and nephew that are growing up and I have to watch by pictures posted on facebook. :o(. Also, Justin and Sarah are two of our closest friends. We spend many of our weekends with them. (Even though the boys usually end up heading to the man cave while Sarah and I go to town with some odd ball agenda). Point is. My brotthers are two of the best people I know and I am grateful for all that they have done for me thus far. Oh well enough of my sap.


I believe I am done for the night. I do have a story that I forgot to blog though...Quickly or I will forget again...
Last Thursday morning I went to leave for school and as I unlocked my truck door realizesd that my tool box and diamond plate bed caps were gone. Someone had stole them in the middle of the night. Police will do nothing. My insurance is going to help out. I had never even though about being robbed. Scary stuff though. Especially with Nathan gone all the time. I am kicking myself majorly for not waking up while thieves were in my own driveway taking my stuff. Oh well, nothing I can do now.

Hope you are all well,
Good Night.
KMP