December...I mean almost January???

Boy does time fly! It is already the middle of December...almost Christmas, a day away from winter break, and almost the start of a new year!

Quick facts:

*Sam is still enjoying his job more so far this school year
*I LOVE my new job and have been officially hired under contract
*The house is still in progress, but the inspection went well, and we are hoping to close right after Christmas, giving us the rest of break to put OUR house together

Those are pretty much the things going on in the life of Heather and Sam!

More to come soon!
Heather

This is the life!

Greetings blog readers!

Sam has done such a wonderful job updating the past couple of days! I guess it is my turn to share my thoughts on the past month or so!

As Sam said, we are soon-to-be homeowners! I cannot even begin to describe how excited I am about this. It has been SUCH a roller coaster ride for us...well, me especially. I guess driving past the house everyday and becoming so emotionally attached was not the best idea I have ever had. Things have not gone smoothly due to the house we want being a short sale, and we were told about 2 weeks ago that we would not be getting it. Then last Friday, kind of out of nowhere, the bank that owns the house changed their mind and accepted our offer. Crazy stuff! You would think I would have learned my lesson, but alas, even though we have not signed paperwork yet, I am back to driving past the house every chance I get. It is quite lovely...built in 2007m 2 bedrooms, and office right off the front door (perfect for teaching lessons!), a walk-in closet, 2 bathrooms (one attached to the master bedroom), and a very open great room/kitchen with vaulted ceilings. Sam is giving up his hope for a basement, but is instead getting a three-car garage. The backyard is the only downfall. It is pretty small, but we have plans for making it an extension of the house for summer use, and it will still be big enough for a dog. :) Which I am also very excited about!

Work is also awesome right now! Sam is enjoying his job more this year, and I am in a long-term sub position for the rest of the school year. It will eventually turn into a .6 contracted position. I LOVE the school, LOVE the principal, and the kids are adorable. I am at an elementary school, doing what I love. It is perfect. The hope would be that it would become a full time job for next year, but if is does not, well...not working full time would certainly be conducive to having kids! ;)

Right now we are house sitting for on of Sam's coworkers, and I am thoroughly enjoying the view through the window. I have a cat cuddling with me on the couch, a dog at my feet, and there is beautiful snow outside, turning the mountains into a painting. Sam and I are living the life right now.

Thanksgiving is just days away...we have MANY blessings to be thankful for this year!!!

House Sitting and THE List

Wow! Two posts in two days! I must be bored! Actually, I am anything but, and I get to hang out with my wife for a few days, which totally rocks my world. We are house sitting in a nice little farm house, surrounded by fresh fallen snow. I am inspired to write, and inspired to plan.

While watching the fourth season of friends, I want to begin something that I have meant to since high school or so....a bucket list. I'll start it and add on as life goes:) There are a lot of things that I have done that would have been on the list, like get married to the girl of my dreams, get a house with her, graduate college, become a music teacher, so I'll continue on.

The view from the house we are staying at:) Can't wait for a hike!

1) Travel to Europe
2) Buy a new car
3) Watch all the seasons of Friends in order
4) Have kids!
5) Bungee jump
6) Sky dive
7) Drive down highway 1 from as North as we can get, in a convertable
8) Buy a project car: 1965 Mustang. Work on car and make perfect (preferably a convertable that     Heather and I can use to drive down highway 1).

This will suffice for now. Now, back to working on #3:)

Have a great day!!!

Sam

House and Home:)

I have not been able to blog because the blog gods wouldn't let me. But, alas, here I am.

For the last, oh, two months or so, we have been so busy! I just wrapped up a week of concerts and this next week I have off. I thought I might take some time and blog:)

First things, first. Heather and I will soon have a home! We put in an offer for a house and it was accepted!!!!! It was a short sale so there was a lot of crap to deal with, but here we are. We still haven't finished final paperwork or anything, but the offer is good and we just have to make it official. It will be nice to have a home that we can plan on living in for a while instead of an apartment. Can't wait!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO US!

Blog working????

Be busy, sleep, be busy. Repeat. Blog. But with a house:)

Oh so busy! We have been working and sleeping...that is about it. All the while, we have been looking for a house! It has been a very fun experience: frustrating at times, exciting at others. It was most exciting when we finally walked in to "the one." We both knew immediately that we wanted to put an offer into this house. We are very excited about it. It is a short sale though, so we are digging in, ready for a long wait. Since our parents have been so kind to let us live with them, waiting will be a cinch. And we will win.

Work has been fantastic! Kids are doing well, paying attention for the most part, sing well:) Not playing too hot....yet! We're getting on track though. I am really excited for the year, and it has just started. I am trying to challenge myself with pushing the boundaries with my students, all the while not taking work home with me this year. At the end of last year, I felt like I was in a rut (mostly because I was soooo tired), so I am looking to throw down this year. So far, it is rockin'!

Till next time!

Sam

Falling into Fall...

We are done moving! For now. As of yesterday, we have officially moved out of our first place, the beautiful condo in the not-to-beautiful Post Falls, ID, and into the basement of Sam's parent's house. It is actually a pretty awesome deal. We have a bedroom in the basement, a wood stove, a sitting room with our desk and such, and a bathroom, all to ourselves. We come home to stocked fridge and a clean house. We will be helping out of course, but really, it is nice to know that we are not responsible for everything! And, most importantly, we are saving money like crazy, and are looking at houses!!! Not just to rent...to BUY! We are so excited! It will be so nice to have our own home that we know we will be in for a long time, and it be the home that we will be in when we start our family! We are so grateful to Sam's parent's for giving us the opportunity to live with them! It isn't ideal for anyone, but it is perfect all the same!

In other news, we have started school and things are traditionally hectic! We are actually doing much better with leaving work at work this year. Sam is much more comfortable with his job, which is comforting, and I am doing a long-term sub job, so the pressure it pretty low. I am also working with a marching band. It is...interesting. Definitely not the style of work that I am used to with marching, but it is an additional paycheck. I'll take it!

So, we press on! Busy as usual, happier than ever, and on track to meet our goals in life!

Cheers to all!

~Heahter

Dog Days

The dog days indeed! Heather is working with a marching band, I am not. This is a big adjustment for me. I've taught almost 10 straight years, every fall. Now, I am not. This sport is a major reason why I love the fall so much. It reminds me of competitions, cold, coffee...

So, I have been trying to keep busy by light work outs, cleaning, and packing our place up. These last few days I've had more energy to do so, but I am slowly sinking into that yearning to be doing something. It is a good thing that I will be starting school up next week, ready or not.

I mentioned I am packing. We are moving out of this place, in with my parents, and then into a house, hopefully by the end of the year. Moving in with the ole' rents is not what we want to do, but to avoid extending a lease agreement here, and not starting another one somewhere else, it seems the only logical thing to do. There are many positives to it though, the least not being that we will save a ton of money for a good down payment. My parents are very cool about this stuff too...how blessed I am! The office is first on the list to pack up, and we've almost packed it all away, just have to move all the big stuff out. Next, the spare bedroom! How fun!

School begins next week. I am not ready, but I think being in my room and office will encourage me to work to get a ton of stuff done. Part of me is very excited for it all, but my mind is just not in that gear for me. Summer was too relaxed, too laid back. This was the first summer in a long time that I haven't done something like work, etc. Getting out of this mode is tough! I remember at the beginning of the summer, it was hard to get into. I suppose I just don't like change. I'll remember that for next year. By then, hopefully we'll have a house and yard that will keep me busy:)

Exercise has been hard to come by. I try to supplement it by working around the apartment and staying somewhat active. I have a hard time doing anything extraneous with my beaten body, but it feels good to move around. Also, I try to eat healthy during the day. I suppose I am not too off track. I just have to be super careful about not grabbing the bag of Gardetto's and sitting down to finish off half a bag (they are soooo good!).

Until next time!

Sam

Only 3 more weeks?!

Sam and I just got back from a really fun camping trip with his Dad! We went to a beautiful place along the St. Joe River in Idaho, about 3 hours from home. PERFECT campsite! Couldn't have asked for anything better! We got to try out some of our new camping equipment that we received as gifts from the wedding, went hiking, ate good food, and just relaxed...wonderful 3 days!

Now that we find ourselves at home again, I looked at the calendar in the kitchen and realized that there are only 3 weeks until Sam goes back to school! That only leaves three weeks for a job to hopefully open up or I will be subbing this school year :/. Not my idea of fun, but a job, and extra income.

Over the next three weeks we have a lot going on! There are four weddings over 2 weekends (we can only go to two). Can't wait to see our sister and friends get married! We had such a joyous time at our own wedding, and cannot wait for these awesome people to experience the same!

In between the weddings, doctor appointments, getting ready for school, etc., we have started looking into buying a house! What?! Oh, yes. We are insane. BUT, with our lease at the condo almost up, it was time to start looking for somewhere to live in Washington and we just can't justify paying rent when we might be able to buy a house for the same amount! We are VERY anxiously awaiting reply for the mortgage guy to see what we qualify for and if we are really, truly insane. Sam and I are so excited about the prospect of being homeowners. It seems like (except for the job front for me) everything is falling into place for our lives together.

We hope everyone has a splendid next three weeks!

~Heather

We’re Home!

After a long and relaxing honeymoon on the streets and sand of Los Cabos, we are home! It was a fantastic trip and we cannot wait until our next adventure!

It is nice to be home in more comfortable weather. Heather and I have talked about how much we liked Cabo and both decided that it isn't really the place for us. We think we could have probably spent four or five days there and been satisfied with our stay. There just isn't a ton of things to do there without a lot of money at hand. This all being said, we did have a really fun time and it was probably a good thing that we didn't have a ton to do, as we really did need to relax for once. Our dream destination is Europe. However, if we did that we would never sleep and always be on the move because there is so much to see and learn! So, Cabo was and is a good honeymoon destination (just maybe not for 11 days).

Having had some time to adjust to this new life and reflect on our big day, we are very much enjoying this married thing. It is a wonderful thing to know that I will be spending the rest of my life with the love of my life and best friend! We get along (right now;)) famously, and love spending time with one another. I know, I know. This doesn't last. But, while we're still in our "honeymoon" mindset, we are living it up!

Our wedding was fantastic! We had such an enjoyable and memorable time; seeing everyone together was a real treat and a day we will never forget. We felt that everything went off without a hitch. A special shout out to everyone that helped in the long process. The "mom's" were priceless in the process, always wanting to help and helping things go smoother. Amanda Hansen at Dance Street Ballroom knocked our socks off. She had everything set and good to go and provided a fantastic venue for the reception. She even gave us dance lessons for free so that I wouldn't look dumb! Shannon at Puttin' on the Ritz put all of the food options together and provided a wonderful and competent staff. Reading some reviews online, they seemed mediocre at best and I was incredibly surprised. Don't be fooled! Shannon was FANTASTIC to work with and the food was delectable. Esther at Special Touch Florist created a beautiful bouquet for Heather and an arrangement that went around the unity candle. Like the former two, she was great to work with. We recommend these three people and their businesses without reservation and would be happy to give you their info if you are interested.

As for the last two days, Heather and I have been organizing all of the fantastic gifts that everyone gave us. We feel so blessed to have people that seem to be able to read our minds so well. That was the exact blender we wanted!!!! J Heather is working (hard) to make the name change with all of the vast businesses and government offices. Talk about a pain in the butt! But, she insistedJ

Again, thank you everyone for your kindness and support. We truly feel that we are surrounded by the most caring and kind people. God has touched us in so many ways, and we are reminded of this every day. (It's good to see the doggy's tooJ)

Sam

Mexico Blog 3...and final!

July 9, 2011

Today we decided to stay out of the sun as long as possible since we were going into town in the afternoon. That proved to be fairly difficult, as we got fairly antsy by lunchtime! To occupy ourselves, we took our time getting ready for the day, bought some internet time, and read some more in the comfort of our nice cool room. Heather is a bit concerned because she only brought one book and is enjoying it and the relaxation so much that she is almost through and there are no bookstores to be found!

At 3 pm we headed to the lobby to catch the shuttle. On the way into Cabo San Lucas, there was a “guide” of sorts who told us what we were looking at, a little bit of history, and answered questions. It was crazy to look out the window and see the very tip of Baja and visualize it on the map. They call it “Land’s End” and it is easy to see why. On Monday we will sail around it and get to see the “Arch” up close. The guide told us that it was the symbol of Cabo, and indeed, it is everywhere on everything. As the guide spoke, first in Spanish, then in English, Heather started remembering more words. Spanish is VERY slowly coming back to her, but it is more of a slow understanding of what is being said, rather than being able to speak it herself. Both of us think that we would fare better in Germany.

The town was fun, but also not quite what we expected. Our expectations were for a huge outdoor market, taco carts everywhere, and old buildings. Instead, there were several small, very repetitive markets, a very large designer (think Fendi, Coach, etc.) mall, and NO taco carts. We did find a Starbucks, which was very exciting. Probably the first truly cold drink we have had since we have been down here…cold typically means slightly cooler than the air temperature, which is hot and humid. We walked a ways down a couple of smaller streets and the shopkeepers were like cheetahs pouncing on us at every doorway. The small markets were okay, but again, the merchants were ruthless. We did not buy anything today because we wanted to look around shops with prices on the things we want and then go back and bargain with the outdoor merchants. We think we can make a couple of good deals on a few items. On Monday when we go back into Cabo for our Sailboat Cruise we will stay a bit after before coming back to the hotel and do some shopping and eat lunch at a more authentic type restaurant. Oh, and Dr. Emery was right. There are pharmacies all over the place selling prescription drugs over the counter. We went in one just to see what all they actual sold and were almost shocked…anything from Tylenol to Ultram, Amoxicillin, Penicillin, and even…Viagra. There are no bounds.

Tomorrow we might try to take the city bus into San Jose del Cabo, as the guide said that it was more historic and had older buildings and churches. Maybe we might even get to attend a late Mass since it will be Sunday? We will have to see about that though…we are nervous since everything will be in Spanish and the Mexicans are known for be very strict Catholics. Sam might also try to go into the ocean again tomorrow. His ear is feeling better, but today the waves were definitely too big. Hoping for better water conditions tomorrow.

Tonight the hotel restaurant served “tex-mex” for dinner. That term makes us think of Chevys in California and we wonder why they wouldn’t just serve real Mexican food? We were guessing that it would probably be pretty similar, though…for some reason Mexicans making fake Mexican food just doesn’t sound possible or logical! Rather, Mexicans making anything other than Mexican isn’t possible or logical, as was proved by the Mexican tasting Italian food last night. Indeed, “tex-mex” was Mexican food with a side of baked potato, BBQ chicken, macaroni and cheese, and of course…American country music. Whatever the case, it was delicious.

After dinner, at 9 pm in the lounge, there was supposed to be live music, so we went to check it out. There was a Mexican band that actually was not too bad…although it was quite hilarious listening to them try to sing American songs. They didn’t fail too terribly, but we were shocked to hear Elvis’ “Jailhouse Rock” in Spanish!

July 10, 2011

Today we went into San Jose del Cabo. This was the first time we rode the public bus sytem and it was quite interesting…something to get used to. We picked it up right outside our hotel along the highway that connects Cabo San Lucas to San Jose and got there without too much of a problem, except the bus driver convinced us to get off the bus in a part of town that was obviously not for tourists. So, with sandals on our feet, we started to walk towards what we thought was the Center of town. About a mile and a half later, walking through what we felt was the Mexico we had been expecting (dirty, etc.), we finally found where we had intended to go. It was Sunday so everything was closed, but it was a small historical part of town that was fun to see. The venders were just as vicious, if not more so, than in Cabo. We stumbled on an old church, a mission, but were unable to go in because Heather was not wearing a skirt or dress. We ambled around town and took in the sights. There was also a small arts district, but again, everything was closed, so it was a short trip. On the way back, trying to get a bus out of the Center seemed next to impossible, so we put on our “walking shoes” and walked the mile and a half back up a hill to try and get back to the main highway. There was a Walmart at the top of the hill, which the locals call the “Mega Store.”

Finally, we were able to catch a bus back to the hotel. We were not familiar with where we should get off so it was kind of a guessing game, but we picked our stop wisely. We were both beat by the sun, and our feet were killing us (in fact, Heather’s shoes had melted and her feet were stained black…no fun!). We went to the pool for a bit to cool off and just hung out for the rest of the evening.

July 11, 2011

Today we got up bright and early at 6:30 am…shocking to all of our readers we know! It was actually quite nice and made us feel like we were actually accomplishing something by being up, rather than lazy and lethargic as we have been the majority of the trip. The sun was just coming up as we ate breakfast and we got to watch it come up over the ocean and mountains. It was a beautiful sight…much more impressive than the sunsets.

After breakfast we exchanged some of our money at the front desk and then went to catch the public bus into Cabo San Lucas. We were fairly confident after our experience yesterday in San Jose del Cabo, but quickly realized that we had no idea about which stop we needed to get off the bus. We must have had the look of “lost tourist” to a gentleman who was getting off at “our stop” and he gently told us “aqui.” Or rather, he told Sam, who did not know what he was saying. I remembered that that means “here” and we got off the bus. We were very grateful, but also had a good laugh over people talking to Sam, not to Heather. It is a fairly common occurrence, although we just realized it this morning. The people are very nice, but they do have their traditions and customs in mind at all times.

We proceeded to Starbucks (since we found it on Saturday, we were very excited to get back, especially since we got up SO early) and then to the docks to try and figure out where we were going to catch our boat. Even at 8:30 in the morning the ruthless salesmen were out in full force on the docks, offering us water taxi services, boat rides (which were way cheaper than what we paid for ours…this bummed us out at first, but our experience was well worth what we paid in the end), and begging us to buy breakfast from their restaurants. We found our dock well ahead of when we needed to be there, so we continued around the marina, finding that we missed out on a lot of cool looking locations on Saturday. We plan on going back to explore and do more shopping tomorrow, with tennis shoes instead of flip flops!

As I said, we were a bit disappointed at the price we paid for our boat ride, but, come to find out, we were on a 42 foot sailboat with a 2 man crew and one other couple from Texas. That alone made up for it…we were not on a boat with 50 other people and could actually strike up conversation with the people we were with and not feel like cattle.

The first thing we did after pulling out of the marina was to stop at a rock, called Pelican Rock, to go snorkeling. Heather was not very excited about this as she is not the best swimmer, does not like not knowing what is under her, and certainly does not want fish anywhere near her. However, she agreed to snorkeling so that she did not have to go scuba diving. Heather was very pleased to find that the salt water helped make her more buoyant, but just to be safe, she took a water noodle with her out in the water. Sam went in first, then Heather cautiously followed. Both of us found it hard to breathe with the snorkel gear, which surprised us since we had both played with the same sort of gear in pools when we were kids without a problem. Heather had the worst time of it, and struggled to not panic. Needless to say, she only saw a couple of fish and was then content to just try to keep her body as flat as possible on top of the water so no fish would accidentally touch her feet or legs. Sam had a hard time, too, but not nearly as much. He saw a few more fish than Heather, but the water was very murky from the crazy big waves and extra high tide that we had yesterday. Sam also started feeling sick, so we went back to the boat a little bit sooner than we had to.

When we got back, one of the crewmen had delicious sandwiches and chips with salsa for us while we waited for the other couple to finish snorkeling. As it would turn out, we should have brought the sea sickness patches Mom offered us…Sam ended up sea sick, and once we were actually sailing, Heather didn’t feel so hot either. That was kind of a downer. Sailing was really great though…no engine, just the wind! It was a bit nerve-wracking when the boat was lying practically on its side, though. We sailed past the famous “Arch,” “Lover’s Beach,” “Divorce Beach,” and back and forth between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. Overall, it was truly a great experience.

After our ride, we cooled off in the mall a bit before getting back on the public bus and heading back to our hotel. The afternoon was spent mainly in the hotel room, as Heather is burnt and also had some heat sickness. We even ordered room service instead of going to dinner.

July 12, 2011

Today we made our last trip into Cabo san Lucas to do some shopping and finish seeing the marina. By now, we were quite familiar with the public bus system and had no problem figuring out what to do and when. When we got to the marina, we were again hustled by the venders. There was a cruise ship in port (they are so big!!!) and that made things a little bit more busy.

Around lunch time we found a small local restaurant to eat at, and enjoyed the local fare very much. Heather has been on the search for tortillas to buy and bring home, and failing in her quest after several tries, she was content ordering quesadillas in order to at least EAT the tortillas. Just outside the restaurant were painted men, like the ones in San Francisco, only these were gold not silver, and were dressed like pirates instead of robots. We found this to be quite amusing.

After lunch we meandered back down the marina to go to the market to try and bargain with the venders. We were told it was possible to talk them way down in their prices and we thought it might be fun. The venders that were hustling us earlier remembered us and had more fun with us than anything on the way back. Instead of water taxi rides, they offered us trips to the moon and seeing that we were American, ketchup from McDonalds.

Once at the market, we located the items we wanted to buy and tried to haggle with the venders. We already knew the prices at the gift shops in the mall, so we were pretty confident that we could talk them down at least by 50%. Little did we know. They are not to be haggled with and once they tell you their price, they will not even give a counter offer. Even after Sam had explained to one of them that the mall prices were a third of their price for their smaller item (the mall had a bigger version for less), they would not hear it. This was very disappointing, especially since we have both been to Hawaii where haggling is fun and very effective, but we still got what we wanted at the mall. “Cabo” is the Spanish word for expensive. We wish we would have known that before booking our honeymoon here! There are some deals to be had, but we have not become familiar enough with the area to successfully seek them out. Apparently tourism is fairly new here, and growing very fast. Five years ago, over half of the hotels that are currently here, were not. We are thinking that the vender expertise that we saw in Hawaii (ex: $2 shaved ice on every corner), has not yet reached here. That being said, it was very fun to be in the town again today

This will be our last blog for the trip. Tomorrow we plan on just staying at the resort and spending one last day relaxing in the sun and water. We plan to soak it all in before we get back to our frigid 85 degree temperatures at home.

We have had a blast here in Cabo and have spent some very wonderful quality time together. We are looking forward to coming home, though, and seeing our families! Thursday will be our travel day and then we will spend Friday catching up on sleep and getting Heather’s name officially changed. Saturday its off to Seattle to visit with Heather’s middle school band director and her husband, who could not be at the wedding! Never a dull moment for the Newlywed Schlaich’s!

We hope you all have enjoyed following along on our adventure to Mexico and we can’t wait to see you all when we get home!

Keep tuning in as the summer continues! We plan on making this blog a fairly regular means of communication! J

Mexico Blog 2

July 6, 2011

Another beautiful day in paradise!

This morning we slept in again…still trying to catch up on sleep. We can’t believe how tired we are still! Once we woke up and had breakfast, we decided that a couple days of lying around the pool and beach were enough and it was time to set up some excursions.

First of all, we recommend Gray Line for all of your traveling needs. They are very friendly, accommodating, and work hard to find an activity to suit your needs and what you can afford. Tomorrow, we are going horseback riding on the beach at sunset. We get picked up from the hotel and will be taken to a kind of wildlife preserve (sounds kind of like an estuary type of place) where we meet our horses. We will drive through San Jose del Cabo, so we can decide then if we want to book a shuttle later in the trip to explore that city more. We also booked a shuttle into Cabo San Lucas for Saturday. We will only be there for 2 and a half hours or so, but we figure that will be enough time to decide if we want to come back and explore more and for a longer period of time.

Obviously we have accessed the internet. It is so expensive! $12 USD per hour! It is hard to justify paying that amount, but job searching must be done and we are enjoying updating everyone on our adventures!

Before lunch today, Sam went swimming off of the beach in the Sea of Cortez. The waves were massive, and it was crazy watching everyone ride them in and out. A young girl got pummeled by a wave and got scraped up pretty bad by the sand. Sam came out unscathed and had a blast. Due to her limited swimming experience, Heather decided to stay on land and take pictures and video! Her only injury was a sunburn. It appears that 50 spf sunscreen and a cover-up will do her no good on this trip! Shade umbrellas it will be! That being said, we are both very happy that the sun finally came out today…the water was such a beautiful, rich, deep blue, as was the sky. After months of rain, we were slightly disappointed yesterday by the cloudy sky, but today made up for it!

The rest of the afternoon was spent pool-side again, will intervals of reading, napping, and swimming. At about 4 pm we went back to our wonderfully cool room and took a nap for a couple of hours. When we woke up, we took showers, got all dolled up, and went to the reservation only restaurant here on the hotel property. The food was good, but we decided that the buffet where we eat regularly is more delectable! The atmosphere, though, was quite delightful. The couple behind us had a spectacular evening as well…the man proposed to his soon-to-be-wife…and since we have recently experienced getting married, we couldn’t be happier for them and ourselves! We had a beautiful walk after dinner and enjoyed looking at the stars and watching the satellites.

Now we are off to bed…hopefully after tonight we will be all caught up on sleep! Buenos noches!

July 7, 2011

Continuing our everlasting quest to catch up on sleep, we again slept in a little. We are starting to think that the incredible heat and humidity just wears us down through the day. We have not been very active, so we don’t have a ton of energy. It was another day at the resort. This place really has it all. If we weren’t bent on seeing the sights, this place would satisfy us for the entire trip. The ocean is just a short walk away and there is a fantastic beach. The food is fantastic and the drinks are free! Everything we could ever want.

Again, we spent some time around the pool. It is so nice just to sit around and have nothing to do. We read quite a bit, relax, and sleep whenever we feel the urge to do so.

Around 5PM, we sun-screened our bodies and got on a bus to get over to a small ranch-like area just past San Jose Del Cabo, to the East. Going through the town (or what we supposed to be the outskirts of it), we saw a wide variety of things. One block might be a bunch of run-down shacks, and then a nice little town with fun little shops or eateries. This made us look forward to getting into Cabo San Lucas later in the week. We wound through these towns and ended up on a dirt road that seemed like was headed toward a pretty seedy place. Heather and I are always pretty observant as to what is going on, as we don’t want to be the next ransom for the U.S. and the drug trade. Anyway, we ended up at a little shack that had a couple horses tied to it. It was here that we jumped on the horses and hit the trail. It was just Heather and I with a guide that seemed nice, although tired of riding with an endless line of dumb Americans, who seem to not ride very well; he looked bored. I noticed every time I turned around, he was talking on his phone. He was very nice though and took our camera so that he could take pictures for us while we rode. We started our trail ride a couple hours before sunset, so we were treated to some very romantic evening sights right on the beautiful beach. Heather’s horse seemed to have to poop a lot: every time I turned around, her horse was either peeing or pooping. After the horse finished his business, he always caught her back up to the group. Always looking for a new house, we couldn’t help but notice the amazing mansions we were riding by. One was on sale, but after discussing our financial situation and our small desire to stake a claim outside of the U.S., we decided the 3.2 million dollar home was not quite to our liking and that we would have to pass. Our horses seemed to have a business oriented attitude, albeit, from a business man who had been around for years and couldn’t wait to retire. They lacked any spark. For us, who are not the best riders, this was probably good. However, I couldn’t get my horse to go any faster than a slow trot. We rode about a mile and a half down the beach and turned back about 45 minutes before the sun set. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. We both agreed that this was worth having on our bucket list.

We eventually made it back to the hotel, where we ate dinner and kicked back. Each night, the hotel has some little party going on in the lounge that they personally invite us to. Yesterday was karaoke, tonight was a “lounge party.” We dropped by and had a drink. The “party” was very kid oriented, interestingly enough. We paid attention because they were playing some great games with the kids that we could easily transfer to our classrooms. Yes, at a bar, we picked up some great school-oriented games. Having had enough “excitement,” we retreated to our room. The bed is horribly firm so we have a hard time sleeping. But, after these hot days, we do alright. When we came back to our room, the covers were turned down and the hotel staff had left mints and bookmarks on our pillows, as well as soft music playing on the television. Yay for being on our honeymoon!

Till next time!

July 8, 2011

Today has been another day of relaxation! We have finally determined that our tiredness during the day is due in part to the bed. We have “baby bear” syndrome…our bed at home is a bit too soft, this bed at the hotel is a bit too firm…maybe one day we will find the perfect mattress!

The morning was spent down at the pool again, but until after we watched the final space shuttle launch. We were very glad that we did not miss it! Both of us are enjoying our books a great deal, along with the occasional nap. Sam wants to swim in the ocean some more, but is currently banned because he seems to have a bad case of swimmers ear. With no rubbing alcohol in sight, the ocean shall have to wait!

After a few days of wonderful relaxation, we are ready for some activity. Tomorrow we will take a short jaunt into Cabo San Lucas to determine what the city holds for our entertainment. We are using the hotel shuttle so as to become a little bit more familiar with the city before braving the public bus system.

This afternoon we braved the pool again, only to find that we think we might be getting too much sun! As much as we craved the vitamin D, Heather is now burnt (it appears that no amount of sunscreen or hat, or cover up will help her down here), both of us are drained, and we generally feel lethargic when we go outside of our air conditioned room. After we ate dinner we went back to our room, and watched Fox News and read for awhile before crashing pretty early. The staff had turned down the bed sheets and left a chocolate again! We already feel better and will try to stay indoors more tomorrow before heading into the city!

July 4th and 5th in Mexico

July 4^th, 2011

Greetings from the Melia Cabo Real in Cabo San Lucas Mexico! W

e have arrived and are doing most splendidly!

Yester

day (the 4^th) started our adventure…with a mix up at the airport! The computer system would not let us check in! As it would turn out, Cheap Tickets did not inform us of some flight changes, and we had missed our flight leaving Spokane. After making SURE to tell the ticket counter guy that we were leaving for our honeymoon, he found us a different flight path, got us booked for exit rows (2^nd best to first class – more leg room!), Mom and Dad fixed our shuttle to the hotel, and we were on our way.

The first flight was from Spokane to Portland, and it was very empty. The pilot told us about all the places we were flying over, including Mt. Baker, Mt. Adams, and the Cascade range. Then, the pilot announced that he requested a special, up close flyby of Mt. Hood and that it would be on the left side of the plane. Then he did a wing tip to the left and there it was! We could have touched the mountain…it was so beautiful and definitely a treat!

On our way from Portland to San Francisco, we flew over the Sierra Nevada mountains and saw Mt. Shasta. Both of us were on the lookout for Eagle lake, but none of the lakes we saw looked to be the right shape or big enough.

When we arrived in Mexico and stepped off of the plane, we were hit in the face with massive amounts of humidity and heat. Everything was automatically sticky! Papers do not stay crisp…they are always damp! We made it through customs without incident, pushed our way through the most obnoxious time share people in the world, and our shuttle driver greeted us by name without prompting. More like rescued us…those time share people are everywhere in the airport and it is so easy to become confused. Anyhow, we got on the shuttle and after 20 minutes of INSANE driving, made it to our hotel.

At the hotel, after announcing that we were on our honeymoon, we were upgraded to an ocean view room, our bags were carried everywhere for us, and we had champagne and air conditioning waiting in our ro

om. AC never felt so good! Both of us were so exhausted from being up for some 28 hours, so we just hung around for a bit, unpacked, and…hung up four American Flags so that we could privately celebrate the 4^th of July!

Eventually we went to dinner, where they were serving BBQ. We are wondering if it was the hotel’s tribute to the Americans that are staying here. Whatever the case, the food was delicious! We were not at all disappointed. After dinner we explored the resort a bit more and when it got dark (much earlier than in Washington), we walked on the beach a little bit. We were all alone…the hotel is surprisingly not crowded, nor is the beach. Must be the crazy humidity! Out of nowhere, the Hilton, which is right next door, put on a beautiful fireworks display for the Americans staying there…right over our heads! It was absolutely magical! So, even though we are in Mexico, we celebrated our country as much as possible! As we are writing this…we have FOX News playing on our television…which is also very American and quite exciting for us. We will be watching the shuttle launch on Friday for sure!

So far, we are lovi

ng our honeymoon. The people here are very friendly, and we are trying to pick up on some of the more simple Spanish. The service is amazing and the place is beautiful. Our only disappointment has been the clouds! There are some storms off shore somewhere that are causing it to be very cloudy here. Hopefully it will clear up soon and we will see the sun!

Right now, we are getting ready to head downstairs to the activities director to see what our options are while we are here. We saw a horseback ride on the beach yesterday and are pretty sold on finding a stable and we want to go for a sailboat ride around the peninsula.

We hope everyone had an amazing 4^th of July and we would like to wish Joshua, Heather’s brother, a very Happy 20^th Birthday today! We will update again when we can. For now…adios!

July 5, 2011

In an effort to become acclimated to Cabo, we have made it a point to sleep in everyday. Today was no exception, as we rolled out of bed around 8AM. We had a crazy night last night, and went to bed around 930PM. I know, some of you are thinking that we should take it easy, but our ability to party cannot be matched, so we must take advantage of this skill! In all seriousness though, we are pooped. We’ve still not really caught up on our sleep so we are trying to do that in these first few days.

The food here continues to be amazing. We haven’t had a bad meal yet, and are always looking forward to the next one. They serve real eggs! That by itself is awesome. The rest of the food is divine and is just “frosting on the cake.”

This morning, we ventured out of the confines of the hotel and walked down the beach about a half mile.

The waves are huge and it is no wonder to us why swimming is not advised. You would be pulled out in j

ust a couple

of waves. On our way, we saw a dead crab, and a dead pelican. Heather did not appreciate the former. As we walk on the beach, you can see all these pin holes where crabs dig in overnight. Once in a while we come across a big one, so I am continually on the lookout for the biggest one.

After we got back, we relaxed by the pool for a couple hours and read (Margaritas are generally in hand while pool time is happening). We both enjoy all of the down time. We are planning on heading out to Cabo San Lucas in the next couple days and do some activities like snorkeling, sailing, and horseback riding on the beach, although there are no solid plans to do these at the present.

We ate a delicious dinner at a hotel restaurant where they had Mexican cuisine; it is apparent that they know how to make this food! While there, they had a family playing a marimba that looked to be home-made. The resonators were a little rough, but other than that, it sounded excellent. The dad generally played the melody, which was usually pretty fast, and the 5-7 year old daughter and son were using double mallet technique to accompany him, with little effort but amazing results! For a few songs, the kids just played, which was a blast to watch. After dinner, we watched some piñata activity, and then called it a night. Great day!

Welcome and Thank you!

Hello to all who are new to this blog! We hope you enjoy reading our updates, especially in the coming days!

Yesterday, we celebrated one of the most sacred sacraments in the Catholic Church: Marriage. And we couldn't be happier!!! What a wonderful day we had! Thank you to everyone who traveled both near and far to join us on our special day! Especially thank you to our parents, who filled in the gaps and helped us make the day happen!

Tomorrow (or rather in just a couple of hours!), we leave for our honeymoon! We are going to Cabo San Lucas on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico and are so excited! Check back often for updates on our adventure! We hope to post pictures here and there, too!

Thank you all again and we look forward to sharing many more memories with all of you!!!

~Mr. and Mrs. Schlaich ;)

One Week!

This time next Saturday, Sam and I will have left our reception and headed to an undisclosed location for the evening (so that no one pulls silly pranks on us ;) )!

Back up a little...we are ONE WEEK away from our wedding!!! Time has flown and I am sure this week will be no different. Katie gets here tomorrow, with Amanda, Rachael, Jessica, and Jamie soon to follow! Sam and I are so excited to share this special time with everyone!

Just an FYI...this blog will be used on occasion while we are on our honeymoon in order to share pictures and our adventures with everyone from Cabo. Stay tuned!!!

to do lists and other things

We have made it! One year of teaching down! I've been out of school for a week and have barely had time to soak it all in. It is a relief, but it has not really hit me yet. For the last 10+ years, I have not had a summer off, and now that I do, I don't know what to do with the extra time. Obviously, there is the wedding, but we have taken care of everything there is to take care of for now. In a week, it will be airport runs, entertaining guests, and putting the finishing touches on everything. It will be here and gone before we know it!

It will be incredible to have all the people that we have known for some time to spend our wedding day with us. These are the people that have had significant impacts in many different aspects of our lives; people we've grown up with, people we have grown with. It is an incredibly exciting time for us and we cannot wait to share the day with everyone.

After the wedding, Heather and I will be heading south to spend some one-on-one time together and reflect on everything in our lives that has led up to our marriage, as well as look ahead into the future and really start laying the foundations for the rest of our lives together! We're planners, so it will be fun! We're also music people, so we know how to deal when things don't go as expected...we certainly "planning" on the latter:)

As for the rest of the summer, Heather and I love camping and hiking, so we'll get some of that in. Depending on the money situation, we will try to take up some other activities. I would love to get a bike and start doing more of that, both road and downhill/trail riding. Other than that, we have some time to explore new things. It will be great!

Sam

The Final Countdown

Well, here we are...the final few weeks and days until Sam and I will be married in front of our friends, families, and God! We are so excited, but I still do not know that it has truly hit us that we ONLY have 18 days left. In just 11 days, our friends and family begin to arrive! Usually at this point, for just a normal visit from a friend, I would be SO completely impatient and the time could not pass fast enough. I am sure that as we prep our house for the 5 girls that will be staying here, time will begin to fly, but for now, we are just kind of coasting along now that Sam is out of school.

The weather has been horrible so we can't get outside, the details are all worked out, and there is no stress! I always pictured myself being the stressed-out, tense, detail oriented bride. Instead I am sitting here wondering why everyone BUT Sam and I seem stressed. I believe my mom even expressed concern that I wasn't. I suppose it is because I am at peace with the fact that no matter what else happens on July 2nd, the most important thing is that Sam and I show up at the church and exchange vows. Anything else is just the fun, "fluff" for the day. Don't get me wrong, I am REALLY excited for all of that, too, but if it doesn't go exactly as planned, I am okay with it.

And after that day, we go to Mexico for 10 days, to relax and escape the daily grind, and to just enjoy the new chapter we created. An maybe take a cooking class, kayak, snorkel, zip line, sail a boat...you know...the other little things :).

~Heather

Life Changes...

One would think that getting married was a big enough life change for any one year period. I certainly did. But, in true "Heather" style, I had to add to the list! With less than two months to go until our wedding, I decided that I could not stay in my position at the school I was working at any longer. The Vice Principal and I...we just could not agree. And he could not agree to disagree. Here is the back story:

The Vice Principal at the school I was working at was the past band director, and is in his first year as an administrator (all the while, I am in my first year of teaching). He had a VERY difficult time letting go and letting me make my own decisions on how to teach. I thought I was doing a very good job, and I was learning a lot (I will be the first to admit that I make mistakes...AND I AM a first year teacher after all...)! I was getting big time results from the students and had received compliments from other educators and administrators that I was doing a fabulous job with the students and that the groups sounded better than they ever had before! Then I got called into the office for three days and told that I was a horrible teacher, had no curriculum and was going to have an incident report placed in my file. Luckily I had the weekend to review the report. It was very poorly written. Terrible grammar, VERY generalized...no specific complaints. In fact, he used, word for word almost, my GLOWING fall evaluation and just spun the words around so that it would sound negative. I had no opportunity to defend myself or ask him to come in and watch me teach. I simply had to sign it and accept that I would be 'micromanaged' for the rest of the year. I don't think my blood pressure has been so high since Mr. Kenyon's class in high school. I didn't eat for a week, I couldn't sleep. My health was suffering, and Sam was suffering, too.

Since I had the weekend to mull over this "report," I called several mentors and fellow to teachers to discuss my options. My middle school band director asked me to describe how I ran my class, what music we were playing, and the situation in the office with the VP. She told me I was being bullied and harassed, that my teaching methods were right on, and I should get out as soon as possible so that the "report" would not hurt my career in the future. Then I met with our student teaching supervisor and his wife (he is the past president of MENC and she is a principal), and they said to get out on MONDAY. Sam and I talked a lot with each other, with these mentors, and with our parents. It was a very hard and big decision, but before I had to sign anything, I resigned first thing that Monday morning. I felt horrible for leaving the kids without saying goodbye or giving a reason. My phone rang off the hook for almost two days. But, my reputation as a teacher is intact, Sam and I are much healthier and happier, and there are a couple of possible...maybe...job prospects for the fall.

BIG life change! Unexpected, but so far, God has continued to provide for us in miraculous ways. And I am learning to be that dutiful housewife! ;-)

So, with now 45 days to go until Sam and I get married, we can focus on the more beautiful things in life, rather than on the stress that was unnecessary and unhealthy. I know that I am a good teacher, and that I have a lot of support, from other professionals, our families, from Sam, and from God.

Cheers to life!

Blogging to blog

Heather and I are in Seattle this week! We are taking a four day weekend to get some work done and prep for the rest of the year. We've been sick with strep this last week or so, so it is nice to sleep in a little bit.

Today, we are gonna try to get over to the Air museum that neither of us have been to. I'm looking forward to it! I really want to take some pictures there so we can hang them up at our place. I have always loved planes and the way they look. If I could get the perfect shot, I'd love to display it! Although I am partial to fighters, I absolutely love the B-17. I really don't know why, but it seems sleek with just a ton of guts. It has such a history. The way it looks as it rumbles through the air gives me a sense of air superiority! Go US! I'd love to see one hanging at the museum, although I don't know if they have one.

When I come to the Seattle area, it always has a fresh feeling to it. It's green (when my side of the state is getting snow) and never feels like spring goes completely away. I always want to get out and go for a walk and breath in the fresh air (that is outside of the city). I hope Heather and I can get out and take advantage of the decent weather sometime this weekend.

When we get back, we get to chaperon a prom for her school. That should be fun:) We get to dress up and go take it easy, making sure that hands are only on the hips:)

Till next time,
Sam

The Final Countdown...

Sam informed me that I haven’t updated in too long, and more importantly since he updated so here I am. I seem to always start that way, don’t I?

Well, then, here I am and I am updating. What is the biggest thing going on in life right now? HA! Where to begin…?

First on my mind is the fact that I am becoming Catholic (officially) in threeish days. Easter Vigil on Saturday night. It is all that is left in the process. I did my first confession last night with Father Mike. It was nice. Better than I expected…rather peaceful actually. I am really excited for Saturday night! I have picked out a Saint’s name to take…Sam will introduce me with it. I wonder if this be emotional at all. It is a big thing, but my heart has already been here for a long time now.

Second is the beautiful quilt that I cannot wait to put on a bed that our parents bought for us at my band’s auction fundraiser last weekend. Not so much the quilt, though, just the circumstances and the fact that our parents bought it for us as a wedding gift. Sam probably will not admit it, but both of us got a bit teary up in front of everyone when the auctioneer announced that our parents had done this for us. It was a special moment.

Third is the fact that we only have 38 more school days. 38 days until I am no longer a first year teacher. It doesn’t feel like it, but I hope that I will take a lot away from this year and use it in the coming years to be a better teacher. And a more patient one! It has been a hard year to be sure, and I am so grateful that it is coming to a close, but it is still kind of hard to believe that it will be done so soon! It has gone by much faster than I could have imagined that it would. Sometimes the week and days drag on and on and on…but now looking back…wow. So fast!

Lastly, but most importantly, in 72 days Sam and I will be married at last! I could not be happier! This week we have been so sick (strep throat, fever, just plain yuck!), and both of us at once, but we took care of each other! Anytime either one of us has been sick, we try so hard to take care of the other, and always wondered what would happen when we were both sick at the same time. Well, I can tell you: we were a team. A really good one. Taking turns getting up in the middle of the night to get whatever the other needed or wanted, cooking food, getting meds…whatever it was, we each made sure the other had it even if it hurt to move. True love folks!

Oh…and in 74 days, we will be basking in the sun in Cabo San Lucas. Away from the world, just the two of us, for 12 days! ;)

One more thing…Happy Easter Everyone!!! Christ is Risen! What a time for celebration. Enjoy your families, friends, and rejoice in the life you live and that you wake up every day! Sam and I will be doing just that this weekend…Jesus is the reason for the season! :D

~Heather

Some things to think about...

"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." Aldous Huxley "If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music." Gustav Mahler "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." Victor Hugo "Music in the soul can be heard by the universe." Lao Tzu "Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy." Ludwig van Beethoven "Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." Plato "Without music, life would be a mistake." Friedrich Nietzsche Notice, there are only two people on here that are known for their music. The others are considered some of the greatest minds of any time. Hmmm... Sam

As Sam said...

It is SPRING BREAK people of the blogging world! Yay! We needed a break and it finally came. Poor Sam is bored at home and I am missing him like crazy from California. Although I am having a blast on what will probably be my last "girly" trip for awhile to visit with Katie, I have definitely realized that I would much rather travel with Sam.

I had my bridal shower yesterday, which was...awkward. GOOD, but just the oddest mix of people. The cake was amazing though, and we were gifted almost $300 to put towards the four main activities we want to do while on our honeymoon in Cabo. :) God is good!

God is also good because he reminded me in so many ways why my faith is good, and again why my choice to become Catholic was the right one. I am so sure of my decision! Such a peaceful feeling. To top it off, Sam and I had a great conversation about it this morning, and about me getting to defend my religion. I love it!

Not much time...was in bed, woke up after a dream, and need to get back to sleep before a busy day tomorrow (short visit with Mr. Tipton, our high school band director, and then swimming with dolphins!!! followed by some shopping), but wanted to post a quick update and just let everyone know that I am in LOVE! With Sam, with life, and with God!

:)

Bordom was never so boring....

I've made it! I've made it! Spring break. I have the next week to relax and take it easy! But, sitting in my condo with nothing to do and with snow flourishes in March, and close to April, I am quite bored. Heather is gone for a few days so she can't entertain me. I have been organizing and cleaning because I have nothing better to do. Any suggestions? I am making every effort to not do anything school related this weekend because I NEED the break, whether I want it or not. So, today I will try to keep that effort true and try to find something mind-numbing to do. I'm sure when I look back on it, that's what I would hope I could cherish: nothing:) Sam

Wedding Update!

Wedding update:

We have confirmed everything but the cake! Yay! This is such a relief. When we switched venues, who knew how easy this would all become? More expensive of course, but much less stressful.

Here are our venders:

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church – Father Mike

Dance Street Ballroom – Amanda

Puttin’ on the Ritz Catering – Shannon

Nathan Coltrane Photography – Nathan Coltrane

Special Touch Florist – Esther

DJ – Steve Baker

Ceremony Music – Andrea Hope (piano) and Shannon Baker (cantor)

Cake – Soon to be Rosaurs (good and affordable!)

We still need to do tuxes, and all of the little things, but all of those major things are taken care of. Hard to believe, but we only have 127 days left! In less than a month I will be taking a short trip to California where my maid-of-honor, Katie, is putting on a bridal shower and we are going “dress shopping” for a dress for me to leave in from the reception. I am really excited to see everyone and “celebrate” with the people that cannot make it to the wedding…and some that can!

Sam and I have one more premarital counseling session to attend. Thank goodness! We found out this past weekend that Marisa and Danny went through the same course and seem to have found it to be just as much of a “one-size-fits-all” program as we have. This Saturday we will be talking about our finances, which we have had under control and have had a fairly strict budget since we moved in together last August. I think it’s strange that they need exact numbers. We have a budget, it is working very well for us, and we do not argue over money, but, oh well…we are done after Saturday!

So, there is the wedding update since Sam did the “life” update. He pretty much hit that one right on the nose!

TGIF!

-Heather