Monday, December 5, 2011

Happy Holidays 2011



Happy Holidays,
We had another exciting year full of changes. We moved back to Seattle! After leaving Seattle in 2009, we knew we had made a mistake and it would only be a matter of time before we would return.
In early spring, I was contacted by my former employer and they offered me a full time teaching position in the upper elementary at Woodinville Montessori School. In the summer I was enrolled in an intense Montessori credentials program. I'll continue this for the next 3 summers and walk away with my Montessori Teaching credential. I'm so excited and passionate about Montessori teaching and enjoy being a lifelong learner and dedicated educator.
We have also had a great year bonding with family; from backyard BBQ’s, birthday parties, and one pretty wild St. Patty’s Day, it has been a wonderful year to reflect on. One particular celebration that should be mentioned is the exciting news of my brother Mike’s engagement to his long time girlfriend Taelor. We are so excited to see those two get married!
Prior to the start of the Montessori training; we treated ourselves to some incredible adventures.  In April we made a trip down the Pacific Coast Highway from Seattle to Los Angeles. We camped along the Oregon and California beaches and let the waves lull us to sleep every night. We enjoyed hot clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls at Splash Café in Pismo Beach, Danish pancakes at Paula’s Pancake House in Solvang, and fresh beer on tap at the San Pedro Brewing Company in San Pedro, CA.
In San Pedro, we met up with Zack’s parents and hopped on a cruise ship to Mexico. We had an amazing suite with floor to ceiling windows that we spotted dolphins out of several times during our trip. We enjoyed first class dining and round the clock service from our personal butler. We truly felt like royalty.
At the end of May we headed out for a month long music festival road trip. We headed to the Sasquatch Music Festival at the most beautiful venue in the world, The Gorge in Central Washington. We spent the 4 days camping at the Wildhorse campground. It was pretty chilly at night but we were thankful for that because our next festival would treat us to severe heat conditions.
From Sasquatch, we drove 2,381 miles to Manchester, TN for the Bonnaroo Music Festival. This would be our second time at Bonnaroo and we were more prepared than ever. We took 2 weeks to drive there and stopped at some amazing places along the way. We went to Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, Mall of America, Lambeau Field, Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville.
When we arrived at Bonnaroo it was HOT! We spent 4 days sweating in the humid Tennessee heat listening to some great bands; My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, Buffalo Springfield, Gogol Bordello, Matt & Kim, Childish Gambino and far too many more to name. We walked away feeling like survivors; having braved the heat , the crowds, the dust storms ,an awkward experience with Ron Jeremy, and the miles we walked daily. Bonnaroo will surely be missed. 
Upon leaving the festival we maneuvered our way back West. We made a stop in New Orleans where we walked Bourbon Street, ate beignets, listened to jazz at Preservation Hall and took a Cajun cooking course. We then headed to Houston and had a lovely but short visit with Zack’s grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins. It was great seeing family during such a long trip. Next we headed to Dallas to see Dealey Plaza and the Book Depository Museum. We walked through Carlsbad Caverns and passed through Scottsdale till we reached Las Vegas. We spent a few days at the Vdarra Hotel and Spa in an incredible suite overlooking the Bellagio fountains unwinding from all of the driving we had done.
At the end of summer, we took one more final trip; we went to Southern California with my brother and his fiancé, Taelor. We toured Hollywood, cruised through Beverly Hills, enjoyed the world’s best breakfast at Griddle Café, walked the beaches of Santa Monica, scarfed down chicken and waffles at Roscoe’s and of course visited Disneyland/ California Adventure.  It was a great trip with memories to cherish.
The start of the school year was exciting for me as I was able to start putting my Montessori training to practice. In this school year, I organized a strong Geography curriculum in my classroom with a focus on Europe. My students created a 5’x5’ topographical map of Europe using Model Magic to construct land and water forms that really made the map pop. I also facilitated the school’s Halloween party and it was a huge success. I also helped the students build a Haunted Maze in the multi-purpose room and put together 7 organized games, a cupcake walk, and an army of parent volunteers. I'm definitely looking forward to introducing some new and exciting materials to the classroom during the remainder of the school year.
Looking back on this year we reflected on how much we have accomplished and the journeys we had made. In the upcoming year we look forward to making more unforgettable memories and spending time with our two dogs Roxy and Peanut. We wish for all of our family and friends a blissful new year that they too will use to celebrate and create new memories of their own.
                        Love,
            Zack and Patricia Martens

2 comments:

  1. I am SSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad you are back. I have been wondering how you. I used to live in Federal Way for 9 years. I live in So. Cal now. If you ever come back this way maybe we can meet up. I hope you will post more often.

    Glad you are back.

    Sassy

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  2. Hehehe....I missed blogging deeply....I just was so busy I couldn't figure out how to balance it with life. But I'm glad to be back and will hopefully keep posting.

    Where is So. Cal? We go often my sis-in-law lives in Los Angeles.... Toluca Lake to be specific.

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