AK to OK Week 3

We have been busy!!  After I got home from my weekend in Washington and Oregon I was busy doing many things like: signing my paperwork at Putnam City School District, looking at apartments with Ryan and getting ready for my weekend in Minneapolis, MN.
I became an NYR Organic Skin Care consultant in June 2010.  I have been using and sharing these wonderful products with friends and family.  If you are looking for safe, organic and wonderful health and beauty products you should check out my website at:  https://us.nyrorganic.com/shop/krissee_neff
I decided to attend the NYR Organic Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  I drove from Oklahoma City to Minneapolis, it took 12 hours and was a great drive.  I had no problems on the drive and I was able to find my hotel by the Mall of America.  I was able to go to the mall a few times.  The conference started on Friday afternoon and went until Sunday at lunchtime.  We learned all about new products coming out,  the new catalog, saving the bees around the world, organic tips and tricks, direct selling ideas and much more.  I was able to have fun with my Alaska team members during the off time.  On Monday after the conference a few ladies decided to float the Apple River in Wisconsin.  We rented tubes and had a great time!!!  I ended up flipping off my tube and lost my sunglasses and flip-flops.  We had a great time and also were able to go down some water slides at the resort we rented the tubes.   I drove home on Tuesday.  It was another 12 hour drive.  I had no issues during the drive and am glad to be home for awhile now!!
Ryan and I will be moving into our new apartment next week!!  We are very excited to finally have a place to call ours.  We were able to sign a 6 month lease so we are hoping our house in Anchorage sells in the meantime.  I received my State of Oklahoma teaching certification in the mail this week.  I am certified to teach 1st-8th grade here in Oklahoma!

AK to OK Week 2

We have been in Oklahoma City for two weeks now.  We went and looked at homes last week.  We really need our house in Anchorage to sell in order to buy a place down here.  If you know anyone who is in the market, we have a great place for sale!  I spent the last weekend in Washington and Oregon.  I got to spend a fun weekend with Chelsea, Leah and Emily.  These are a few of my girlfriends that I grew up with in Anchorage.  We all now live in different place in the lower 48 so we get together once a year.  This was our second year.  We are thinking Montana next summer!!  Ryan is settling in to his new job.  He will be teaching his first class starting on August 8th.  He seems to be enjoying it and making some friends.  I am officially hired at the Putnam City School District.  I will be teaching 4th grade at Wiley Post Elementary School.  I am excited about my new adventure in teaching.  We have been really blessed during this move.  A few people have mentioned that maybe we were meant to move here.  We had no problems on the drive down.  I found a job in the first week and we have been doing great!!  Here are a few pictures from my trip and of some of the crazy weather we had last week.  I think it is going to take me awhile to get use to the thunder, lightning and hale storms!!!

AK to OK Week 1

July 10, 2011

Week 1 in Oklahoma City, OK

Our first week has gone by and we are doing great.  We got all moved into our apartment and are trying to keep cool.  We were able to see fireworks in the dark!!  Ryan started his new job on Tuesday, July 5th. I spent that day driving into downtown OKC and going to the capital campus.  I turned in all my paperwork and application for my State of Oklahoma teaching certification.  I also completed my background check and fingerprints.  After I completed this process I drove over to the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparedness.  I found out that I meet two of the three requirements for NCLB.  I still need to take one test but I have lots of time to take it and the next test is not even until November.  I then spent the next day submitting all my applications, resume, transcripts, etc. to the Putnam City School District.  I applied for nine positions and e-mailed all the principals and let them know who I was.  I got a call for an interview on Thursday morning.  I had an interview on Thursday at 1:00 pm.  It went really great.  It was a 4th grade position.  In the mean time Ryan had to take his truck into the shop and have the back end looked at.  It was determined that he needed a new axle or rebuilt differential.  We decided to purchase a used axle with about 47,000 miles on it and have the mechanics at the shop replace it for us.  The truck should be fixed by next Tuesday, so we have my car to share.  Ryan changed my rotors and brake pads on my car and it is running great.  Robert, Crystal, Brittany, Dani, Sam and Joe came up from Azle, Texas to spend Thursday, Friday and Saturday with us.  We ate out, swam in the pool, laid in the sun, went to the science museum and had fun!  On Friday I received a call from the principal that I interviewed with and she offered me the job!!  I GOT A TEACHING JOB!!!  I am very excited and feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Pictures of our apartment and Isola Bella where we are temporarily living.

http://www.myisolabella.com/

Day 1 in OK

July 3, 2011

We slept in until 10:30!  Isola Bella has some great benefits to staying at their property.  They serve you breakfast and dinner everyday of the week.  On the weekends breakfast is 9-11 am.  We ran over to the Pavilion where they serve breakfast and had some good food. We then came back to the apartment and started unpacking everything.  That was quite a job.  We decided to go get Ryan a haircut and also to go to Wal-Mart.  Ryan had talked to one of his FAA buddies who is currently here in OKC.  We made dinner plans with him, so after bringing all the items back to the apartment we headed to Zio's Italian Kitchen.  We had a nice dinner and also had ice cream from Cold Stone.  Ryan and I decided to head downtown after the ice cream to see the fireworks for the Fourth of July.  The City of Oklahoma has fireworks two nights.

AK to OK Day 10

Day 10
July 2, 2011

Azle, TX to Oklahoma City, OK(Better know as OKC or Oak City)

We slept in today.  We then went to IHOP with Rob, Crystal, Dani, Sam, and Joe.  We had a nice late breakfast.  After we got home from IHOP we loaded up the truck to head for Oklahoma City.  The truck had started making a whining noise in the back end.  Ryan and Rob looked at the rear diff and checked the oil in it.  The gears or bearings seemed to be making the whining noise.  We decided that we could limp it to Oklahoma City.  We left Rob and Crystal’s about 1:45pm.  We drove for a bit to get on the I-35 north.  Once we were on the I-35 we stopped and fueled up.  We then drove into Oklahoma City.  We arrived at Isola Bella just before 5:00pm.  Isola Bella is the name of the extended stay resort we are staying.  We got checked in and went to see our apartment.  We then off loaded the car from the trailer and decided to return the trailer before the U-Haul place closed.  We returned the trailer and the lady at the U-Haul place was thrilled to meet people from Alaska!  We decided to go to Braum’s for dinner and we also got a few groceries at their market store.  Once we got back to the apartment we unloaded the truck and car.  We then crashed for the night!

AK to OK Day 9

Day 9
July 1, 2011

Albuquerque, NM to Azle, Texas


We got up at 7:30 and where off by 8:30.  I started the day driving.  We made great time and got into Texas about noon, but had to set the clocks forward to central time.  A reminder to all my AK friends and family:  I am now 3 hours ahead of you!  We made it to Amarillo, TX and got off the I-40 and onto Texas state highway 287.  This highway heads south to Azle, TX where Ryan’s brother Robert lives.  Just after we got onto the Hwy 287 I noticed that the trailer lights where not working.  We stopped in a small town named Claude.  We got gas and Ryan looked at the trailer wiring harness and realized it had gotten wrapped around one of the exhaust pipes.  The wires and plugs where melted and charred.  We asked at the gas station if there was a auto parts store in town.  We were directed down the road and once we got there the place was closed.  We decided to go to the next town, Clarendon.  We found an auto parts store and Ryan bought what we needed to fix everything.  He then went to rewiring both the harness on his truck and the one that came with the U-Haul trailer.  He got everything rewired and only one brake light was working, so we got a multi-meter and realized that no power was getting to most of the wires, so he checked the fuse box in the front of his truck and realized that two of the fuses were blown.  After replacing the fuses everything was working great and we went on our way.  I helped Ryan as much as I could.  I also walked to a Subway near by and got us lunch and cold drinks.  We then drove into Azle and found Robert and Crystal’s house.  We stayed up late talking and playing with their dogs and kids!!