I keep checking the blog and seeing nothing...so I figured 'duh, I should just write something'. I just don't feel like i have much to tell!! This summer has flown by; I've only been in Tennessee for three weeks out of the entire summer. I just got in from Texas Wednesday night so I'm enjoying these last few days before school starts.

Yep, school starts Monday (aug. 3) for me...kids come on the 13th. We are starting an entirely different approach to teaching reading this year (for the better) - even spent a week in New York City getting trained on it by the pros at Columbia University. It was a great week!!! Then we spent a week down here in Chatt getting trained on the different approach to teaching writing (it goes together with the reading). I'm excited about it - it's exactly what we need to be doing. Plus, this isn't some 'fad' 'program' that will be gone when the pendulum swings. But I had a little 'scare' - my principal was considering moving me to 8th grade writing this year. The 8th grade writing is really high stakes due to some major testing in the spring and he had an opening in it. He had to hire a first year teacher and was nervous about putting her in that position with it being her first year and all (cause you know it's hard enough as it is without all that pressure). So he told me he may want me to do it and have her do 6th grade reading this year. At first I freaked out, thinking "Of all the teachers in the school with years of experience that he could have picked, why did he pick me"...but then I realized that's a pretty huge compliment!! But we decided that it was better for me to stay in 6th so that I can do the reading since if I left sixth grade then that left no one in that grade who'd been trained in the reading...whereas lots of teachers got the writing training. So, I'm staying where i'm at for now.

But...Eric and I are considering teaching in Beijing at an International School. Now, when this would happen I don't know. Maybe next year, maybe in five, maybe never. They want experienced teachers, so Eric may not be able to be hired this next year... there's a lot of factors playing in. Like the fact that I'm 30 in August and don't have kids yet. I know it's not really a huge deal, but it does still need to be considered. Obviously returning to teach in China has always been a desire of mine. But the overwhelming student loan debt is a huge obstacle. Then I did some research and saw that we could make nearly double there what we can make here if we taught at an international school, with WAY less cost of living, therefore stashing away lots of money to get rid of the stupid student loan debt. We could possibly pay off $60-80 grand in one year...then maybe stay another year to get rid of all of it. We'd both have to work and scrimp every penny for the next twenty years to pay it off in the U.S., including working all our part time jobs as well. But, there's a lot to consider and like Byrd says, we really really want to be obedient. We both feel strongly that God does not want us living under the burden of debt any longer than we absolutely have to. We're doing the very best we can with what money we have, but the bottom line is that if you don't have the income, you can manage your money like a pro and still not get real far paying down debt. So we're going to pursue it, do the paperwork, etc. and just see what happens and how we sense God leading us. It's something I'd really really really like to do before we have children because even though I know we'll never be 'totally financially ready' to have kids, having them under the burden of tremendous debt concerns me...just having 'some' debt would be a different matter.

I think my mom's coming down Sunday to stay for a week. That'll be good - she can help get my room together for me while I"m in meeting after meeting. :)

I was talking with a friend tonight about sausage -ha! - and I remembered the time I found a sausage in my bed in a bag. (byrd) and the time we woke up to sinks filled up with little hotdog bits floating in them. (liz) :)

Byrd, I trust that you are going to keep us in the loop about getting your third kid! And V and Liz...pregnancies going well?? Bets and Byrd - I have had it on my brain all summer to come in and spend some time in Knoxville and I thought I'd have lots of time, but as I said I ended up spending lots of time out of town. But, I have you on my mind and Jaime Ketchen, too, so soon I"ll be making a trip to Knoxville. I'll keep you posted! Fulton...we need an update on your health as well! Oh, and I sent two books back to Coretha that I saw on my shelf that she loaned me, like, four years ago. Good grief! Liz, how's it going with Eli's new schedule? And happy birthday, Vanessa!!!

Love you all, meows...maybe someday soon we'll be together again!
- Klep