Goosed by a Goose

I have recently taken it upon myself to be the sole provider for the ducks and geese on the river by the Temple, since they get ignored in the winter. I hoard old bread until I can find time to hope on over there, since I only live a few blocks away.
Today though, was not the simple, happy experience I usually expect. The geese were the only interested party when I pulled out my old hamburger buns and were so hungry that they came right up to me. There I was, screaming my head off as I was rushed by a group of huge "THHH!"ing geese, while Jake laughed from a few yards away. They backed me against a tree and I started bawling, while my supposed knight in shining armor looked on and giggled with glee.

Later, now that I am home, warm, and most of my tears have dried, I can nearly reflect with even temperedness.
Jake and I have been discovering and falling in love with Idaho Falls a little more every day. We live in the historic downtown district and there is so much to do, even as a broke couple! There are walking tours, the ducks (obviously), and the most amazing library! We go there a lot. It is in a beautiful three story building, with a Koi pond and a super cool children's section. The best part is that it is in walking distance-not that I'll walk :)

I LOVE my job. I get to teach part time in the morning in a second grade classroom, and in the afternoons I head up the after school reading program for students who struggle to read. Every day I come home with new stories for Jake.
Jake, in the meantime, is still looking for a job, but has a few good leads. He just took the qualifying exam to be a census interviewer, and we're waiting on a call from them. In the meantime, he has become head chef and has skills far surpassing mine. He is so great. He also is studying up to take his EMT test so he can finally have his certificate.

We just go called to team teach the sunbeams in our ward. I'm glad Jake is with me, because all the little three year old boys ADORE him. We have a good time and work very hard to help the kids with the transition from nursery to primary. Now, if only they could make sharing time interesting to a mother-missing three and a half year old.

We're loving doing great, we love and miss our friends and fam, and we couldn't be happier!

Turkey Pot Pie! ( and a new job)

This morning I had an interview with the principal of an elementary school around here, and about 30 seconds in she offered me a job as an aide for the 6th grade teachers. I also get recess duty!
In addition, I am the new head of the after school intervention program for title 1 students who struggle to read.
We are so lucky, because this literally fell in our laps. When I posted my resume on the district's web site I got a phone call from the school about an hour after.
The principal and I talked for along time, and she said that if something opens next year I could even get teaching position--even if I don't have all the qualifications to do elementary school, the district offers programs to help me become a highly qualified teachers. So, who knows? I have a lot of options ahead of me in the next little while.

In the meantime, I have such a wonderfully supportive husband that took me grocery shopping with a happy face, and has been full of congratulations all day. This evening we worked together to make a turkey pot pie, which is sizzling in the oven right now as I type and Jake watches t.v.
It smells good and I am super excited!

We are doing so great out on our own, with great friends (thanks for dinner Molly) and wonderful parents to call on the phone for advice.

Candy House

For our very first Christmas, we decided to not get a tree, since we'll be at my parent's anyways. But we started other good traditions like hanging lights and Jake got to decorate his very first candy house.

It took forever! We literally spent hours covered in frosting and playing with candy. I got the best candy because we went to the bulk section of winco and bought just a few cents worth of all sorts of stuff. ( The lady checking us out thought we were very wierd for buying 8 cents worth of apple rings.)

Anyways, we are all moved in to our little apartment and the first week has been wonderful. Our next door neighbors have a sign in their window that has a gun and underneath it says "protected by the second amendment". Oh how I love Idaho.

It's getting pretty cold, but that is what sweaters and extra blankets are for right?

Case closed

This is why I love that boy of mine.

As I lay here in bed contemplating my untimely demise,

my dear husband arrives home from work.

He made a special stop on the way and picked up a very fuzzy red bathrobe he saw me eyeing, (ok, really I was pawing) at walmart for me to suffer and die in.

Or to get better in.

I Love my Jake!

Case of the Hypochondriac

I came home from school early today because I lost my voice. I consulted the charts in our "family medical guide" that Jake bought at an estate sale and according to it, I either have a cold, strep throat, laryngitits, tuberculosis, or a tumor in my throat.
I'll play it safe and say that it is either of the last two.
In that case, I am prepared to die, I just have a few goodbyes and plans to set in motion.
Here is a list of my demands:
First off, ABSOLUTELY no primary songs at the funeral.
I require at least 8 varieties of funeral potatoes, and a sampler of assorted chocolate cakes to be served at the luncheon.
Every one who comes to the funeral has to bring something to eat, like one big, sad potluck.
No pink shall be worn, even on little girl babies. Yellow may be acceptable. Check with me on the outfit before you put em in it.
I would like to be buried with my favorite pillow, you know, the squishy one in the green pillowcase.
Finally, everyone has to be nice to Jake. I'm sure he will be really stressed out.

As for goodbyes, I would like to recognize my grumpy cat one last time. Cleo, I may have fancied Taylor's cat Hector at one time or another, but honestly, I've always been on your side. Thanks for the fluffity puffity times.
Also, my ipod. I don't know what I would have done without you all those times I wanted to keep listening to my audiobook but had to go some where and could just discreetly cart you along.
Finally, my nieghbor, I'm not sure which one, who has the car alarm that goes off every night. I won't miss you very much.

Well, I'm glad I got this one last blog in before I went. I really think the nyquil is starting to kick in.

IF, almost here!

Jake and I went up to Idaho Falls a few weekends ago and found ourselves a hole to camp out in.
It's actually a great tiny little apartment near the temple with hardwood floors and a big kitchen.
I have gone a little crazy in my search for the perfect curtains, and can't wait to move in.
We are heading up there December 1st, just in time to start decorating for Christmas.
Unfortunately, Jake says I can't have my starter puppy yet, but in the meantime, we are checking out some really great pet rocks.

Halloween was so much fun! At school I dressed up as Hermione, poofy hair and all. My favorite part of the whole day was my group of male students who dressed as Disney Princesses all being in my class at the same time. (Jasmine was a little disturbing)
We also drove up to Soda Springs and spent the night at Jake's sisters cute new house and had mummy hotdogs--almost like pigs in a blanket but with a breadstick wrapped around a hotdog and mustard dot eyes instead. Jake's sister Jodi and her Husband Dallin only live about an hour and a half away from our new digs, so we are way excited to spend more time with them and their Schnoodle Alfonzo (Half Shitzu half poodle).

A few weekends before that, Jake's entire family came down from Idaho for his cousin's wedding. The day before we all went to frightmares, and I managed to talk Jake into wearing matching orange sweaters with me. It was so fun.

To sum it all up, I am having a great time being a Zollinger.
Life is good and only getting better!

Getting aroud to it.

I've been wanting to start a Jake/Taci blog forever, but I realize now that if I don't start one when I have the time, that I will never be able to do it in the coming months.

Jake and I are coming up on the big three week anniversary on Saturday! It actually seems like more time has flown by than that. Jake is very busy with his job with Larry H. Miller as the groundskeeper at the Megaplex and office building. He has to wake up around 4 every morning, and he is getting little dark circles under his eyes because he never seems to get enough sleep.
The great thing is that he is off by 1 every day, and so he can crash before I start dragging him around town, returning presents and making him choose home décor and whatnot.

I started going to teacher's meetings at the beginning of this week, and I start teaching on Monday at Eastmont Middle school. Actually today the 7th graders came in for half a day. It was so fun watching those tiny people.

With Jake's job, we have the chance to go see free movies all the time. A few weeks ago he took me to see Dark Knight, which I absolutely hated, and so for my revenge the next week I made him sit through Mamma Mia!. It was so funny. Every time you could feel a song coming on, he would turn to me and tell me how much he hated me. The last movie we saw, we took Tara with us as a middle ground. She chose Swing Vote, which was way better than the previous two we had seen. Still, it seems like there are no really good movies out there! And now they are moving Harry Potter back to next July? What a bummer.

Well, when I get another chance, I will post all of the wedding pictures and will write a lovely blog about them.
Until then, the frumpy teacher and the grumpy groundskeeper are totally in love.