my life in pictures...

you all know how much i love my pictures, so i am just going to let these pictures tell my story. so much has happened in my life over the last six months - firsts and lasts, beginnings and endings...

and then we were seniors...007 baby

the season flew by

but i was so lucky to have support every step of the way

the post season nerves were met with confidence
as we became the 2007 MPSF conference champs

while this trio showed Davis what goes down in "club falcon"

its true that nothing is better than hosting nationals senior year

and seeing my first BIG real-life design project

and having the cutest fan at the championship

and most of all having our team unite...
we never knew 2nd place could feel so good

it looks like gold to me

and before anyone knew it 14 years had passed

and it was time to say goodbye

with more goodbyes coming quickly, I did my best to enjoy seattle....
as a tourist in the market

on aliki enjoying my best friend and our favorite 90's style passtime

eating wonderful themed meals at the coo-ney-sta-van residence

on the water with some babes

and of course loving every moment with the triple k

and then it was time
we graduated on QUEST field (i wished i was playing football)

instead of sitting in the rain

but we did like our spu ponchos

and the next day i became a part of a national movement

and a week later i became a "teacher"

and even with a lack of sleep and a language barrier we still pushed forward

i was lucky enough to work with some incredible people

and together we found the good in the not-so-beautiful houston...
some amazing mexican food

wainwright elementary school

darts and karaoke

rice village

mark broussard

and my personal favorite, the texas two-step

then it was another goodbye to my loves heading to memphis, south dakota, rgv, houston, and hawaii

and hello to my new city

where my eyes have been opened,
to crazy bugs and plants

and some volumptuous women

overall it has been quite an adventure, sometimes am still not quite sure how i got here, but i know
there are many challenges to come and of course lots of fun along the way

the end.

ANDERSON COOPER 360

Yesterday Courtney and I became friends with Anderson Cooper.

Some things I have learned

I have learned:
I actually do like spending time alone
I have a hard time not having complete control over my life
Life cannot be planned
I wear my heart on my sleeve
I am too nice to people I don't know (I guess the don't talk to strangers rule never sunk in)
My friends and family complete me
I trust very easily
Nothing is in our time
I need physical affection to survive
And there is so much more to learn....

The Slow South

Life in the south is going to take me awhile to fully adjust too. You definitely cannot be in a hurry here...It is called the Big Easy for a reason! Life is relaxed and everyone goes at there own pace. For now it has been fine because I haven't had too busy of a schedule, but it might be frustrating when I am trying to get things done.

We just started orientation this week. So far, we have just gotten some basic information and they assured us that we would have jobs before the first day of school. I sure hope that I get my placement before that so I have some time to plan and prepare! We have sessions more specific to our placement, so it will be nice to just concentrate on lower elementary objectives. It would be so much more productive if I actually had a job though! They say the ball is rolling, but I am sure it is so complicated with all these new schools opening.

We got some very interesting statistics yesterday:
Only 1 in 10 students from low-income communities will go to college
100% of students in the Recovery School District (RSD) receive free and reduced lunch - that means ALL of my kids!
1 in 3 adults in this community are illiterate
Out of 128 schools pre-Katrina only 54 have re-opened and 12 more are slated to open this fall
100% of the schools in Orleans Parish were damaged or completely ruined by the storm

This is such a time of building for the education systems in the city. These schools were the worst in the country before the storm, so not only is it our mission to rebuild and reopen the schools, but to make them better and more successful.

On a different note our house is starting to feel more like home bit by bit. First step, we got out water running!!! Now we need beds and other furniture. Here are some pictures of our place:

Micaela

It’s not about us, but about SHE
It’s not about what she didn’t do, but about all she DID
It’s not about what she missed, but about all the days she did LIVE
It’s not about the songs she never sang, but about all the songs she sang BEAUTIFULLY
It’s not about saying goodbye, but about knowing she is ALWAYS with us
It’s not about lost love, but about all the LOVING she did
It’s not about this moment, but about ALWAYS remembering shared adventures
It’s not about missed opportunities, but about the way she was continuously ACCOMPLISHING
It’s not about blame, but about a lesson that will be with us ALWAYS
It’s not about the tears, but about remembering her SMILING
It’s not about what is fair, but about a greater faith we must ALWAYS rely upon
It’s not about us, it is about Micaela C. Maestas IN OUR HEARTS

SHE DID LIVE BEAUTIFULLY, ALWAYS LOVING, ALWAYS ACCOMPLISHING, ALWAYS SMILING, ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS.

Rest in peace Micaela, God’s beautiful little girl.

Here in NOLA

Dang. Once again I have waited so long to update this thing, I will try to get you up to date:

New Orleans...there is really no way to describe it. Somehow I have pride for the city and I have lived here for less than a week. I love all I have seen and am pumped about all the adventures ahead! It is so beautiful, with something new to see around every corner. There are streets with house after house of mansions. They are so big and beautiful - bright colors, intricate details, amazing porches, manicured lawns and big trees line the streets. The craziest part is a block over are houses that have been gutted and barely touched after Katrina. It is so different to be here and see how intense the effects of the storms were and how they are still so visible in the city two years later.

The roads are all crazy confusing - so many one way streets and "neutral grounds" which are like huge grassy medians and the most rugged pot holes. Parts of downtown reminded me of Seattle and then we went around the corner and thought I was in Vegas. The famous Bourbon Street is some strange mixture of Mexico, Hawaii, and what I would imagine of some European city. It is a skinny street with bars, restaurants, bars, hotels, bars, shops, bars. On the second level there are apartments with cool balconies. The places are painted bright colors and many have plants growing down the sides. People are walking around carrying Daiquiris - I guess the open container law is not in effect here.

Every time you drive into a different area there is more diversity and more to see. The city is such a mixture of so many influences and styles. I was so nervous coming here and knowing I had made a commitment to be here for the next two years. So far, so good...

We signed a lease on Monday - it did not take us long to find a place that we love. I will be living in an area of the city called Uptown with three other great girls named Courtney, Wilhelmina, and Lizzy. The house is a double shotgun that has been renovated into a single house. Our landlord just fixed everything up and it looks like new but still holds its character. There are new appliances, fancy lights, refinished floors, and really fun colors in the rooms. I somehow ended up with the huge room with a massive closet and very large bathroom. you know what that means? There is plenty of room for all y'all to visit me!!! I am pumped to get settled in and organized, but first I have to find some furniture!

My first visitor, my mama, spent the week with me. It was so great to have her here and now she will have a picture in her mind of where I will be living. She is so amazing and helped to keep me motivated and get things done. I feel bad that we had so much business to tend to instead of just having fun. We did some exploring though - we went on a Katrina tour. It was very sad, but better for me to have as much knowledge about the storm as I can. I just can't believe the force of nature. It is so crazy and sad to see house after house abandoned. The people who are back in the city have such faith and desire to rebuild this gem. This tour proved to me that I am in the right place doing the right thing. We drove past several schools - abandoned, empty, water lines past the windows, torn apart, boarded up, rusted - two years later, still closed, children loosing precious years of their education at no fault of their own. It is just not fair. I am so blessed to be a part of this time of rebuilding and growth.

I took Mom to the airport yesterday, she flew home early to go to Micaela's funeral - may she rest in peace.

CP and SJ

It was a fun weekend...this picture is from the charity ball that we went to.