Class of 2011

Marcel finally graduated from:

but the wonderful ceremony took place at the Jordan Ballroom on the Boise State University's campus. 

Marcel looked pretty pleased while walking into the ceremony.  Oh, and I have to add that I was very pleased Marcel walked behind the tallest guy in the ceremony.  It helped me get this great picture.

This is the lady (Dr. Moore) who helped to get Marcel and the rest of his class to this special day.  She is the director of the Boise campus and was the cohort leader this year.  T5 got very lucky!

The speaker was really good.  He made a few great points:
"You could spend your whole life making a living, but not making a life"

"E- Example
T-
H- Hope
I- Integrity
C- Christ-like character"
(I am bound and determined to find someone who remembers what the T stood for)

I don't know about Marcel or his classmates, but I was very sad when he told me that Dr. Moore wouldn't be giving out their diplomas, but it worked out wonderfully because she got to "hood" them:

 I also missed the photo op that they posed for the professional photographer, but we'll definitely be ordering it!

After the ceremony, it was time for photos!  

I told Marcel if nothing else happened, we were getting a picture of us with him in his cap, gown and hood, and a picture of us in our dress clothes.  It was a success, only the second one of us didn't make it to the blog!

Marcel's other 2 women through the program!

Sue (left) taught Marcel how to teach music and supervised him through his student teaching, and again Dr. Moore

 Marcel, his mom and little brother

Emily and Snoh

 Afterwards, we enjoyed delicious cake at the cake reception :)

I let Marcel open his gift from me before we headed to the party.  He was SO excited to finally own the complete series of The West Wing.  He had been bidding on it on ebay, but little did he know, I was saving all my amazon giftcards I earned through swagbucks to buy it for him.

 A few hours after graduation, we had a party for Marcel and I did horrible at taking pictures there, but I did get a picture of the cupcakes we made!  Emily & Mellissa helped to roll and tie all the diplomas, which was wonderful because me and my mom had plenty of stuff to cook/prepare.

After being at the party for awhile, Marcel changed and looked like this:

Marcel opened gifts at the party and got some really great stuff!

Lilli was so excited to see us (especially Marcel) on a day we don't normally see her.  She kept trying to give his card to Snoh, but finally got it to the right person.  She even colored it for him!

All weekend, Snoh asked when we would be going swimming, so after the party wrapped up they all decided the time was right!  It was cloudy and everyone who swam were freezing after getting in the water.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend, full of celebrating Marcel's hard work and accomplishments. 

Now let our focus turn to job searching!

He is Finished

MARCEL IS FINISHED WITH SCHOOL!!!!

He hasn't graduated yet, but his schoolwork is finished and it is a day we've been looking forward to since we moved here, but especially since January (at least that is my opinion)!

He finally has time to find and apply for as many jobs as he can find.  Education isn't the most flourishing field now, but I've been pleasantly surprised to see so many open jobs.  Many would require relocating, but we're trusting God to bring us the perfect job and know whole-heartedly that wherever we live it will be in God's plan for us.  He truly knows what is best for us, even more than we do.  It can be very trying and tiring to live that out and feeling like we're "on pause", but we're praying to continue in our faith in ALL areas of our life!

Marcel and his final project, as presented at the research symposium

Bummed it is so blurry, but either way he/we made it through all 16 months!

Our Celebration

Thursday, April 21st, Marcel completed his MAT program!  He submitted his work sample and action research.  He still has to present his research in GFU's Research Symposium, but that will be a piece of cake after these last few weeks. 

We thought this called for a celebration, so we did just that!  We went rollerskating.  It was so difficult at the beginning and then we both slowly started to get the hang of it.  I fell once, which was very painful, but I survived!

Just trying to stay on our feet

I stayed this close to the wall for quite awhile.  I wasn't hanging on, but it being close was very comforting.

Marcel was very good on the skates.  He was able to do the dances to the songs, some of which even required stomping.

sitting out of the light & glow skate, because we didn't have anything that was glow-in-the-dark

Marcel even participated in the 21+ race (yes, he was 1 of 3).  Just for racing, they each got a free pop coupon.  The other two beat Marcel by quite a bit but they never crossed the finish line, so he was the winner by default and won another free pop coupon.

We had a great time and it was so nice to do something different on a date day.  We're so excited for Marcel to be done with school, but it is going to be an adjustment.  In the nearly 5 years we've been together, one (or both) of us have always been in school.  We're also excited to see what job God has in store for Marcel as he begins his teaching career!

Pre-Festival Concert

Well, it happened.  We had a picture-worthy event, but I failed miserably and left the charged camera battery on the charger at home and still managed to bring along the battery-less camera.

Last night, Marcel conducted a few songs at Skyview High's Pre-Festival Concert.  He did fantastic and was happy to have his cohort leader/GFU Boise campus director there to watch, as well as his university supervisor.  They were both so proud of him, as was I.

He even recorded the concert to listen for the areas that need more work before they play them again at Festival, hence the Pre-Festival Concert! 

I did get major bonus points because the very last song of the night had 3 movements and after the 1st one all the parents started clapping, but I knew that you're not supposed to clap between movements!  I can be a music teacher's wife without embarrassing the music teacher :)

Now, here's to hoping that the camera and battery make it to the next picture-worthy event!

Marcel's Program

Thursday, Marcel had his program.  Well, the 3rd graders had their program and Marcel got to direct it.  There were 2 performances, which worked out well for me.  I took Lilli and met my mom for the first one.  Lilli LOVED it.  She kept pointing to Marcel and blowing him kisses and since they started late she tried wiggling her way out of my lap to go get him, so we walked around until it was time to start.  After each song, Lilli looked at my mom, in such a way to get approval before she could start clapping, but once she started she's a clapping machine. 

The next performance was so much better!  And I was able to get in a few pictures and recorded all of the songs.  I even got to meet Marcel's mentor teacher from George Fox, who was so proud of all his work, but honestly, I think I'm much prouder!

All 4 of the 3rd Grade Classes and their student teacher

So, Marcel told all the kids to always have smiles on their faces because his wife was going to take pictures and they'd be so sad if the pictures had frowny faces in them.  We found it ironic, that 1 of the few pictures I got of Marcel had him not smiling.

Welcme speech at the night performance, tux and all!

One song from the performance

In Our Life

A whole month without blogging.  Not typical for me.

We haven't taken any pictures, so that must mean we haven't done anything too exciting, so in summary...

MaryBeth
*Still absolutely loves Miss Lilliana to pieces!  She's 14 months old and the things she is picking up on is fascinating.  She's officially walking (she's been able to walk for awhile, but it has finally overtaken crawling as the primary mode of transportation).  It should also be noted that when I first started watching her, when she was 5 months old, she served as great birth control for me, but those days are long gone!  more about this at the bottom of the post!
*Started working at Michael's as a seasonal employee and is already counting down until January 1st, when she is "let go".  Even if offered to become a regular employee, that is not happening!  It is good for our budget to have this other job, but it is not good for my sanity (and therefore Marcel's) for me to dislike it as much as I do.
*Is just about caught up with scrapbooking for 2010 and is VERY happy about that accomplishment.  I haven't printed pictures from our trip to Yellowstone but I think I'll wait until the holidays are over to consolidate orders.
*Has started a countdown to Marcel's graduation and as of today we're only 179 days away!
Marcel
*Is in his last week of student teaching in his elementary school placement.  His cooperating teacher has a VERY different teaching philosophy and style from Marcel but he's made it through just fine.  Now he's just got to put the big work sample together so he can get licensed, which can't officially happen until after the next round of student-teaching.
*Looking forward to his next placement, which allows him to be in a middle school AND a high school because that's what his cooperating teacher teaches.  This is the same teacher he worked with when he was helping with the marching band.
*Still keeps plenty busy volunteering at church on the sound team and the worship team playing drums.  He loves it, but I'm selfish and hate having him gone Wednesday nights for practice.

We're both very excited for Christmas.  We are still on the hunt for a gift for each of our mothers and Marcel to get my presents, but I'm done and it feels wonderful.  Our tree is up and decorated and while I had hopes of hanging more lights in our house, I don't think that will happen.  And by working at Michael's I've become jealous about not having decorations for our house but realize it is just stuff and we're only spending money to pay our bills (and finish Christmas shopping); everything else is out of the budget for now, because...

We've decided to go on a cruise in June, after Marcel graduates.  We're not entirely sure where we're going, but I'm pulling for Mexico.  And it is still very tentative because even though we'd be able to pay for it in CASH (the only way we'll vacation or pay for anything now, thank you Dave Ramsey!), we may need the money for savings if Marcel is unable to find a job or if we need it for moving expenses, which could add up fast if we move to the other side of the country :)  And we'd totally be okay with that.  Yes, we'd be terribly sad to move away from family but trust that God will move us to where we need to be.  So it is still up in the air, but for now it has been great motivation to not spend money and it feels wonderful that I haven't swiped my debit card in a few weeks!

When I put the cruise plans on facebook as just a BIG celebration to being done with school, my sister started a bad thing saying she was hoping for a nephew and then people went crazy telling me how great of a mom I'll be, etc.  There is still no Bailey Baby in the picture!  Marcel came home from school (his college) one day and had a classmate very upset and just wanting it all to be done because her kids asked her when she'd spend time with them again.  It made me realize how happy I am that we've decided to wait at least until Marcel is done with school.  We struggle to spend enough time together with his hectic schedule and couldn't imagine adding a baby to the mix.  We talk about it like we talked about and planned our wedding before we were even engaged, just knowing it is coming sometime in the future.  After June 4th, we'll start praying for God's guidance and know that we'll become a family of 3 (or 4, if my mom gets her wish of me having twins) at just the right time!

Back to School

Marcel left just a few minutes ago for his last first day of class, as a student that is.  His program was so generous to give him the month of August off, which sounds lovely, except when you think they only go once a week anyway, so it wasn't too much of a break.  I guess the no homework thing is the nice part!  He has hated reading on facebook about everyone packing up to head back to school and not being able to do it too.  I told him he could if he felt like it but I was staying here :)  He reasoned his rearranging not only the living room, but also our bedroom and his corner of the hobby room, by saying "well it's like getting a new place like I've been doing at this time of year for the last years."

He gets to meet his pedagogy teacher tonight.  That's the guy (maybe girl, I don't really know) that is going to teach him specifically about teaching music.  He is STOKED to finally be in a class more directly focused on what he wants to do, but that doesn't mean he hasn't thoroughly enjoyed all the other general classes.

He only has 2 more months of classes before getting in a classroom to start student teaching.  He is in an elementary school from November 1st until whenever the school breaks for Christmas and then in an high school for the spring term. 

He's very excited for the schools he was placed in and I'm counting down until June to see him look so handsome in another cap & gown!  And for us to be able to spend a Thursday night together.  And to know where we are going to live.  We're 100% open to searching in all 50 states to find a job, because graduation means student loan payments which can't get paid without a job.  A job is very important!

Speaking of that, I'm still in search for a job.  A few months ago I was totally sold on trying to find a full-time job and give up Miss Lilli, but now it just about breaks my heart to think about not watching her anymore.  I have been very surprised about how much I've enjoyed her baby stage (I knew I could handle watching her, but I've always been a little afraid of babies!), but she is just about to the age I just absolutely love.  I can't give up now :) so I am now open to find a part-time job for the evenings.  Just something to make up the difference of Marcel not working as of November 1st. 

I'm off to do some shopping to help me feel better about being alone for the first time in quite awhile, at least with school being the reason!

I Just Have To Brag

Marcel is at school right now, sitting in his first class of a new semester. He's not particularly thrilled to learn about "language & literacy" but I know he'll do just fine...

Now on to why I'm posting:
Last Thursday I had just gotten into bed as Marcel was getting home from school. He was so excited about something, it was kinda strange! But he pulled out some papers to show me. They were the two ruberics for his big projects in his last class of first semester. I wish I had a scanner to put the pictures up, but I don't so I'll suffice to just typing her notes:

PROJECT 1: Teach a lesson from your specialty
*The lesson you chose to teach is the BEST I've ever seen. Well done sir!

PROJECT 2: Lesson-planning toolkits--binders of information regarding your specialty that will be used to make lesson plans
*Marcel, not even sure where to begin. These two portfolios are an excellent representation of where your knowledge, heart & passion stem. You seek collaborative support...I noted many entries pulled from a variety of sources. Excellent that's what teaching is. You have a gift. You also have a very firm foundation that defines a clear framework to be taken into your teaching field. Marcel, I am pleased and impressed by your work. Please do not take offense to this next sentence, as it is intended as a praise: You shine tremendously in the big things--teaching and culminating projects. You have a transparency that is second to none. You also gave your wife credit for helping?! :) Well take her on a cofee date. She is a gem! Marcel, I commend you on exemplary toolkits :)

I helped only by lending my awesome hole-punching abilities and designing front covers for his binders so that they were better than just listing his name! And he did take me out on a coffee date, only because we have a gift card still from Christmas, otherwise it would have been out of our budget!

One more thing, I think he is still waiting on the final grade from the class where he received that AWESOME feedback, but if he gets an "A" like I'm expecting he will, he will have finished first semester with a 4.0! To be working full-time and still doing so great at school is hard work. I'm so proud of everything he is accomplishing!

Also, he has his student teaching placements. He'll start November 1st in a Vallivue district elementary school which is mostly observation and some teaching, and after that he'll be at a Nampa district high school for his main teaching of a band. We're both very excited for that to start and for his graduation in about a year, the date is yet to be determined!

First Day

Counting that it is almost 9am, Marcel is just 9 hours away from his first day of grad school!

He has class Thursday nights and about 1 Saturday a month until November, when the schedule picks up and he starts student teaching.

Here's to hoping everything goes great over the next 16 months so that he can become a certified and licensed teacher!

Now In Idaho

There are a few new posts below this one!

We've been very busy since getting here Saturday night. We are almost entirely settled and out of boxes. The main room we have left is what was called "The Office" in Oregon. Now that our house has a built in computer desk area, now known as the "Study Nook", our office is now "The Hobby Room", as it holds Marcel's drums and guitars and all my scrapbooking stuff. I told Marcel he needed to take pictures of me doing something because I was taking pictures of him unloading the U-Haul and setting up our surround sound systems, but there was no pictures to show that I did anything. This is the picture that I have now!


We thought the closet was big until we started to fill it!


Monday, December 21st, Marcel had his interview for George Fox University to get his Master's of Arts in Teaching. It turned out to be a group assessment, not an interview, but nonetheless, Marcel was accepted. He had to stay in Boise after the assessment for the mandatory orientation session that night. He starts classes January 7th! We are very blessed by this opportunity and love that he'll be able to work too, as classes are only Thursday nights and a Saturday a month until November when he starts student teaching. I was scared about signing up for internet without knowing just exactly how much either of us would be working, but with school, Marcel will need the internet, so we stepped out in faith knowing that we would always have enough to cover our needs.


Marcel dressed up for the assessment!

Some of the things we are still trying to get used to about being in Idaho:

• TV--prime-time starts at 7pm, not 8pm, like in Oregon
• Sales Tax--although we are both originally from states that do have sales tax we have spent 4-5 years in a place that didn't. And when we went grocery shopping, I learned that Washington (where Marcel is from) doesn't tax food.
• Altitude--we have been living nearly at sea level, so being at a higher altitude means thinner oxygen. I liked the oxygen in Oregon!
• Recycling--after being in Oregon for 5 years I have become an avid recycler. We were able to recycle just about everything, even putting everything in the same bin. I know that we'll have to sort our recycling, which is something we've already started, but now I just don't know where to take it. We ARE going to find a place to recycle everything that we did in Oregon, just might take awhile, but we will be Idahoans who recycle!

I'll take more pictures of our house once we are finally out of boxes, have pictures up, and decorations placed!

Pizazz

The first weekend of December (the first weekend of my girl's night out) Marcel had his last symphonic band concert. He had a percussion piece selected just for him.

It seems like forever ago so I'm short on words, but there are pictures to tell the story!


in his piece...Pizazz

proud wife

Marcel & Dr. B-P, his advisor

I tried to upload the video of his percussion piece, but after at least an hour of waiting for it to upload there was an error...maybe I'll try again later, but not for a few days.

MAT @ GFU?!?!

A long time ago, Marcel and I decided we were being called to Idaho because I was going to go to nursing school and he'd be getting his MAT. Then I realized I was far from ready for more schooling and just a few months later Marcel decided he wouldn't be able to start in January as originally planned because of some confusion from the Admission's Office, but after a lot of prayer we realized it was still the right thing for us to go to Idaho.

Fast forward to last week and things are changing: Marcel received a letter from George Fox University's Boise campus informing him that he still had time to apply for their program to start January 7th. It seemed impossible because before school can start he has to: apply to school, write an admissions essay, get 3 letters of recommendation, create a teaching experience resume, update his FAFSA, take the PRAXIS test, participate in a group assessment/interview, and attend the mandatory orientation session on December 21st, just 2 days after we're leaving Oregon! But with help with the wonderful people in the Career Center, a final schedule to die for and a wonderful wife, he has been able to get everything done! Plus, by using the Career Center he is eligible for their Grad School Application Fund--each student who uses them can receive $150 in funds for the application and testing fees. It has left us with just $20 to cover out-of-pocket. What a blessing!

The admissions counselor @ GFU told him there is still plenty of financial aid available and it is still the FAFSA using 2008 tax information, so we should be getting plenty of aid. And she also told him that pending no red flags being seen during the interview and the letters of recommendation he'd be an admitted student as of Monday, just in time for the orientation and he'll be on his way to getting his Master's of Arts in Teaching!

The program is part-time for the first 2 semesters, January through September, with class just Thursday nights and a class or 2 online, so he'll still be able to work nearly full-time! That's the reason he first thought this program was where he needed to be. So if he makes it through the rest of the process without any red flags, he'll be a licensed teacher in May 2011 and we'll be preparing for another big move to wherever he can find a job teaching music!

It feels good to be rewarded for our faithfulness and continually trusting in His plan, instead of following the path we set out for ourselves. It may be very uncomfortable at times, but it is ALWAYS turns out best when we allow Him to lead our lives!

A College Student With Nothing To Do

This weekend is the only weekend when Marcel doesn't have an event on-campus. And when there is an event, he HAS to go because he puts it on, being pretty much the lone sound guy at Pacific (he even has an event to do on MY birthday). So we took advantage of a free Friday night and went to McMenamins, got a tasty drink--I recommend everyone try an Electric Watermelon if you drink alcoholic drinks!--watched a movie (Wanted) and soaked in their Soaking Pool (a really big hot tub). I didn't like the movie, but I figured I wouldn't--it was Marcel's selection, but it was still good to be together. The hot tub is always nice so there's no room for complaining there!

It's nice to spend time together but as I sit here in his dorm with his roommates and all their friends, I am reminded that I am no longer a college student. Living off-campus is weird (it's the first time since I've lived in Forest Grove that I have) but even more weird is being on-campus and not being a student. Good thing Marcel only has 1 year left to be on-campus!



A picture of us headed home after a great soak!

It's Official!

I have a college degree! I made it through 4 years of college and ended on the best semester of them all. I just have to say thank you to my family and friends for their love and support during all the challenges I've faced and the fun I've had! Now for some pictures...

Me and my college roommates proud of our diplomas!

Striped of the ugly gowns to show our pretty dresses!

Next year it will be his turn, but for now my boyfriend couldn't be more proud :)

Me and my sister, Emily...Hannah couldn't be there in person but she was in spirit, as I was in Kansas for her high school graduation the week before.