Family Trip to Chicago

Our family vacation is finally here! On Thursday, July 15th we will depart for my aunt, uncle, and cousins house in Crystal Lake, Illinois. While visiting we will be going to Brookfield Zoo and taking a river tour on the Fox River. There will also be a special visitor in town...my younger sister, Mandy. She will traveling from Arizona to be in a friend's wedding and then spending the rest of the weekend with the family.

Hitting the Gym

This past spring my dad had surgery on his knee and since then has been struggling to get it back to 100%. He joined the gym following his physical therapy and to keep him motivated I decided to join too! I have found myself becoming motivated and dedicated to work hard. This is a great way to start the day and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will continue the hard work when school begins. However, my favorite exercise is walking with my mom and three four-legged friends. Our favorite walking spots are by the river and at Bergfeld Park. These walks keep us active and allows the dogs to get in some running and walking to start off there days. It always helps to have a partner when doing these actvities and the support is amazing!

On the Softball Field

It's Monday and I am on my way to meet 10 of my teammates at the softball field. Each week our team competes against one of seven other teams in our league. It is a relaxed atmosphere where I enjoy spending time with my friends and sharing our competitive ways on the field. On Friday, July 9th, our team departed for Urbandale, Iowa to compete in the Women's State Softball Tournament. Our team played a total of 4 games throughout the weekend before being elimated late Saturday evening. After a big, long day of playing some intense games, we returned to Dubuque to turn right around and play some more...that's dedication. So, until next
Monday when we take the field...

Checking out the Sites

From June 27-30, I was in San Francisco, California for a Social Studies Conference. While attending the conference, I met teachers from all around the United States that teach the same curriculum and I learned a number of tools to use while teaching Social Studies this school year.
Outside the conference, our group was able to walk around and check out the Bay Area. We took a day trip to Muir Woods, a Redwood Forest on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. The following day, we walked through ChinaTown and browsed the shops. Our walked continued to the pier where we had dinner and our day ended with a trip on the trolley up the steep hills. During our final visit to the pier, our group went to Alcatrez, Fisherman's Wharf, and Pier 39 for some shopping. It was an exciting trip out west which was full of learning and a great way to start off my summer vacation.