The Kohlmans

When I was searching for a job, there was a lot of disappointment. I lost track, quite possibly on purpose, of the number of interviews I had without a job offer. (I do not count the offer from my former high school journalism/newspaper teacher/track coach who's now a principal... that was too easy.) My job opened on May 15, which is the last day a teacher can resign and be let out of their contract without paying the district. I initially went to interview for an 8th grade position, but that morning the 6th grade teacher resigned. I'm fairly certain that they were planning to hire me before I even got there; the assistant principal has known me for years, and I'm sure that helped. I left the interview at about 10:30. By 10:50, they had offered me a job. Which one depended on who else they hired. I very much wanted to teach 8th grade - now I know better. My second year of teaching starts in T-18 days. I cannot wait. I love, love, love my job. Of course, it's easy ...

This weekend I got a great reminder: my family is so cool. (And I'm not saying this only because I just found out that they read my blog.) We were in Minnesota for my cousin's wedding. We got to spend time with my aunts and uncles and grandparents and cousins. How fun they are. I wish I could explain the family dynamics. But I do not have time for such things. I can only say that I would not trade them. Other families cannot possibly be so wonderful. Sorry. My sisters and I are not the type to go shopping and out to eat or get manicures or have "sister days" together. We just don't do the typical girly things - never have, probably never will. We shopped and ate together at the Mall of America. It was fun. My cousin, Andrea, and aunt, Ellen enjoyed the warm pool at the groom's dinner. Andrea does improv. She's that person who's funny without trying. My most vivid "Andrea memory" from childhood was when, once or twice, we called her "Appl...

The next two-ish weeks will be a little wild for us. Thursday we leave for my cousin's wedding in Minnesota (where the highs will be 74, 76, 78, and 81). Sunday we return. Tuesday is a Royals game, then a few days in Lyndon, then a weekend in Omaha to see the zoo, more baseball, and shop. (Obviously our day to day existence is pretty tame.) So, I might not be around here for a while. We'll see. Anyway, on to my story... Our church, Hope Mennonite , partners with Mennonite Mission Network to support missions efforts around the world. Recently we were given the chance to partner with a woman who serves in Ukraine and Russia. Mary works at several theological schools, but is mainly working towards starting a master's program at Odessa Theological Seminary (at least, as I understand it...). Mary shared in church on Sunday. What I remember best was that there is a saying in Russian, greeting and goodbye, that translates to "Thank you that you are." She said it sound...

Thanks to my wonderful husband and Uncle Greg, I can now walk through my house without shoes! Hooray! I may be biased, but my house looks really good right now (and will look even better when the baseboards are back on and the transition pieces are down in the doorways - but minor details, comparatively). You can get a reminder of the "before" here . I've already forgotten, but I still can't believe I live here: And the rug works, too... but I'm sure it doesn't look nearly this good if you don't remove the bag before display. Now all we need is to move our tv back up (and to run a cable line to the wall where we want it) and get some furniture - and Monday it comes! I'll post more pictures when things get put together. -Megan p.s. and if anyone has suggestions for the big, empty wall in the living room or over the fireplace, just let me know... I was thinking maybe my black and white wedding photos?!?! I have a lot of random home decor; I'll have ...

I grew up knowing that "pride goeth before a fall." I even have an uncle that (dare I say it?!) is due for a big fall any day now. For as long as I can remember, I knew how much he annoyed everyone else, so I made sure to be the opposite. I spent a lot of time apologizing for my mistakes and even sometimes for my accomplishments - or just ignoring those. But, a few years ago, a wise woman told me that it's okay to be "humbly proud" - you know, tell people about it without being a snob. It's better than putting yourself down; I'm working on it. So here it is... I am "humbly proud" of myself... Brad's birthday was yesterday. I made a cake. Though I am well-versed in basketball, Christmas, and Easter egg cookies, this was my first attempt at decorating a cake . I used too much frosting, and it's a little sloppy. But I did it. He was in awe. He kept saying, over and over "I got a Ken Griffey Jr. cake!" (The autograph is KGJr., cop...

A newfound guilty pleasure of mine: styrofoam cups from my friends' gas station (Go-Mart). Not the drink I buy (which depends on my mood - I don't have "my" pop), but the actual 20-oz., brightly decorated, styrofoam cup. They used to be plain white, which I liked a little better, but I can deal. Guilty because I know how terrible styrofoam is for the environment. Pleasure because styrofoam doesn't sweat and I'm supporting a locally-owned business - that happens to be owned by someone I work with. Every few days, Brad or I will end up at Go-Mart for a special treat (yes, we're five)... I will inevitably keep rinsing and refilling my cup for days on end (tea, water, gatorade, it doesn't really matter), until the lid cracks or I get a new cup. I actually drink more when I have a Go-Mart cup; I think it's the straw. It's strange, I know. In other news... Here is my first (successful) square for my quilt. The entire top, except the border, is cut ou...

Royals game... Friday night Our neighbors' shows... Saturday night