Thursday, December 29, 2011

NYE

I have plans to hang out with my bestie
go enjoy some deliciousness staring in New Year's Eve
and drink some Diet Coke (we haven't had any since 2010, be proud!)
to me, this sounds PERFECT.
livin on the wild side eh?

how will you be ringing in 2012?

Monday, December 26, 2011

How can you give Kris Kringle a parking ticket on Christmas Eve? What's next, rabies shots for the Easter Bunny?

a boise christmas never ceases to bring a smile to my face.
never a white christmas, 
but happy and charming none-the-less.
this christmas i pulled a 'dad' and saved all shopping till christmas eve.
awesome.
samuel and i went out that morning
and gretchen and i went out that afternoon,
it was great fun!
and i was done and wrapped by 4 o'clock.
just in time to watch some cheesy movies on the hallmark channel.
everyone was asleep by 11,
and we slept in till 9 am.
WHAT?
ya i know. first in ward family history...thats what happens when there aren't any little kids
(don't look at me!)
but it was still great!
we opened stockings, went to church,
(where samuel played child #2 in the program...crack me up)
and then we had more christmas afterwards.
it was quiet and happy and wonderful.
(and i smell really nice with my new perfume.)
after which we watched more cheesy movies
ate ham and cheesy potatoes
(potatoes with actual cheese...not cheesy as in reference to hallmark channel)
and even got dad and ethan to play loaded questions.
i say that was the best christmas present ever!
what a hoot!
we topped the night off by falling asleep watching home alone.

christmas 2011 was definitely a success

how about yours?

Sunday, December 18, 2011

peppermint and cocoa


Dr. Neil Miller: Charlie, I'm sorry I didn't believe you.
Charlie: That's okay, Neil. You were just denying your inner child.
Dr. Neil Miller: You're going to make a great psychiatrist someday, kid.
Charlie: Nah. I think that I'm going to go into the family business.


Teaching 4th graders during the Christmas season is probably one of the greatest and downright most stressful things I have ever done.
Its so insanely busy this time of year, but these kids are hilarious and fantastic and just plain great.
It keeps me in touch with my inner child (not that I will EVER be capable of losing it)
But I'm pretty sure Christmas was meant to be celebrated with children.
I wouldn't trade my job for anything....
even if I do have to work this ENTIRE week.

Not kidding. Let's not talk about that...

Luckily the Christmas 2011 playlist is turning out quite nicely, I expect lots of crafting and Christmas celebrating on my evenings this week. Yes, yes I do.

Monday, December 12, 2011

3 days in a row plus some eye candy, my favorite flavor...

check this out. 3 days in a rowwww folks. i'm back! yes yes!
well. this is definitely post worthy.
i want to say its been two years that kym and i have been waiting for this.
i have read the book (twice).
followed the casting.
followed the filming.
and have been DYING for this to come out.
have now watched the trailer MULTIPLE times
and you better believe i will be there opening weekend!
hooray!
im totally an idiot, i admit it, but thats okay.
judge me if you must.
just dont tell me about it....
thanks.

and enjoyyyyyy

Sunday, December 11, 2011

a movie and a memory

'Do you think we are dreaming?'

'If we are, I hope we never wake up.'
Lets be honest real quick.
Everyone knows that they should have made this movie about 5 years earlier, and cast me to play Samantha, 
but regardless...its still one of my favorites. 
I cry every time I watch it,
and I just love that Uncle Gard.
He's basically perfect, nasty mustache and all.
I distinctly remember that Christmas morning my Samantha doll sitting waiting for me under the tree.
I don't think I let go of her for months.
In fact, I kind of think I cried that morning...maybe not...but I wouldn't be suprised if I did,
I have always been a big blubbering baby.
I do remember a few weeks later when her head fell off and I burst into tears.
I was terrified I would have to send her to the American Girl Hospital and wait for weeks to get her back.
But father just tied it back on, and she was as good as new.
Oh childhood memories. 
So happy. 
Boy do I love Christmas time
And yet it makes me so homesick....
only 11 days to go!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

We got a lot to learn, God knows we're worth it...

just thought i would share this little gem here officially.
its been on repeat for weeks. and weeks.
now if only 'mid 2012' would come so i can be graced by his lovely voice some more.


now excuse me while I to go spend my saturday night crafting, watching silly christmas movies, and drinking hot cocoa. 
bliss.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

it's the holiday season, oh woop dee doo!

remember this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?
well i do.
very clearly in fact.
it's weird to think that was already an entire YEAR ago!
so crazy!

but I am happy to report that this thanksgiving drive was MUCH better
and much quicker...
the 5 1/2 hour drive, went just as planned,
(although I did almost run out of gas...how is it that I got to Boise on a full tank with some to spare, and this time had to stop in snowville? thats over 100 miles difference?) whatever
it all worked out!

And it was a lovely Turkey weekend indeed!
I had to work the Mon, Tues, Wed before Thanksgiving (one of the perks of year round school) so my Boise visit was short and sweet, but it was definitely much needed.

Highlights include but are not limited to:
  • gretchen watching Lion King and thinking "Mafoose" (muh-foo-s) is a good name for her first born
    • A. thats a horrible name
    • B. its MUFASA!!! seriously? just about died laughing.
  • favorite quote of the weekend "Is there a difference between lesbians and homosapiens?" 
  • a DVR full of lifetime/hallmark/abc family christmas movies just for me to watch
  • turkey day at grandmas
  • seeing family
  • the tradition of black friday ads spread all over the floor after the turkey has been consumed
  • this year actually GOING black friday shopping
  • standing outside target for an hour
  • standing inside the checkout line for 1.5 hours to buy my happy christmas tree
  • trying to flirt with the guy standing in front of me, fail
  • mall shopping at 2 am
  • getting decked in the face by some IDIOT girl in the mall at 3 am
  • literally yelling at above mentioned idiot girl, causing her to flee in sheer terror 
  • feeling rather drowsy and delirious driving home
  • more christmas movies friday morning
  • christmas light hanging with father and samuel
  • experiencing a real like clark griswold moment...blasted lights
  • annual family christmas extravaganza till 1 am
  • more decorating and light hanging
  • more shopping
  • chats with my ma
  • another turkey dinner
  • a beautiful drive home with glee christmas and bieber christmas music :)
  • flirting with the starbucks man...thank you for making my day
  • another turkey dinner, yummmm
  • decking the halls at my apartment
oh how i LOVE the holiday season... dont you?

Sunday, November 20, 2011

this week

this week i...

  • went back on track...yay! i missed my kiddos.
  • had to write my first real set of sub plans for an all day workshop. barf
  • was observed twice. ick
  • legitimately cheese grated my thumb. ouch
  • painted my finger nails twice. awesome
  • was asked if i could be set up 4 times. wha?
  • cleared up my hulu queue. legit.
  • cleaned my room several times. nice
  • set the smoke alarm off. oops
  • organized my bathroom drawers. sparkly.
  • watched the hunger games trailer 7 times. teehee.
  • did NOT go see breaking dawn...yet. hum.
  • had several strange dreams. yup.
  • made delicious pasta. mmmm.
  • created several spotify playlists...including happy christmas ones. love.
  • got way super excited for christmas. eek!
  • graded lots of papers. oof.
  • and probably some other things...yes.

what an exciting week right?
the most entertaining thing was definitely when i told samuel i cheese grated my thumb. he asked if i got some epidermis in my nachos...unfortunately i probably did....

well, only 3 1/2 days until HOME! yay! and that means my FAVORITE day of the year! thanksgiving? well im looking forward to that but nope. the day AFTER thanksgiving. its THE BEST!!!

peace out folks!


Sunday, November 6, 2011

lately....

life has been lovely.
the past few weeks i have been off track,
but yet still busy as ever.
i decided to get some extra work in this time around, so i have been subbing lots and lots in other classes. lets just say that i love 4th grade. with my whole heart. my whole whole heart.

a few weeks ago i got to go to logan for my besties baby shower...oh what a happy day...
Kym. Katie. Karinne (and baby). Whitney
then to her surprise i am sure...the cutest little baby came exactly one week later!!!

i got to go down a week after that and meet new my favoritest baby ever.

Baby Kade!!
It was so happy to be there for a couple hours and hold a one week old baby. and it was also weird that my bestie is now a mommy. But she is so great, and that baby basically won my heart over. I can't believe i am admitting it, but i teared up a little when i had to leave...i love him! and i love karinne! ahhhhh

anyways. thats all for now. im on a pinterest kick right now...getting way too many teacher ideas....ahhh!



Thursday, November 3, 2011

"are you coming home on thursday? it is the greatest day of *YOUR* life after all..."

ya, thats what samuel said to me the other day. 
sadly no i won't be there, but actually he pretty much hit that right on, 
i think its pretty safe to say it was one of the greatest days of my life.
(awww shucks, look at me being all cheesy and what not)
 so.....ANYWAYS!!!!!!
happy birthday to the COOLEST twins i know.
seriously people. these are 2 wayyy cool kids...
they are now 15 years young. and still my best buddies.
i remember the day they were born,
(and now excuse me while i go and feel old for a minute)
and it was pretty flippin awesome.

i sure hope the day is magical you two...just not TOO magical
you kids are only 15, alright?!
ok. thanks.
awww probably one of my favorite pictures of them
gretch and damian/rory. and samuel getting his eagle. classy
oh....maybe this one IS my favorite.
you might think that I was the one turning 15...shoot dang.
Anywho. Hope you both have a most triumphant day! Don't miss me too much!!!!!!!!
Love, Your favorite big sis


Monday, October 31, 2011

life is good, and when its good i sing...

"Enjoy your journey. Enjoy your commute. It’s your movie even between takes. Acknowledge how incredible you are as walk to and from the set. Listen to music as much as you can. Especially while driving. Don’t text behind the wheel. But if and when you run a red light, you’ll not only want to be paying attention, you best wave to the camera. Because if you get your picture taken in that moment, or worse, sideswiped, I want everyone to see how much fun and humility one can possibly have because you simple chose to do so."
 -mr a-z

Sunday, October 23, 2011

tis' the season

We all know how much I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this time of year, but I am afraid it is slipping away from me faster than I can run through a pile of leaves! So I decided to make a list (which should come as no surprise, I have lists coming out of my ears...) of all my MUST-DO for autumn. And when that list is all checked off, then I will be able to welcome in the next happy season, complete with frozen fingers and slush soaked pants....(ewww, can you tell I am SO not ready for winter?)

1. Watch the following movies:
  • Hocus Pocus, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Practical Magic, What Lies Beneath, Birds, Watcher in the Woods, The Village, Young Frankenstein, and any other deliciously scary and/or halloween-y movies
2. Make my favorite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies...they are heavenly and (weight watchers friendly) as well as any of the FANTABULOUS recipes that I have found on pinterest...mmmmmmmm
3. Find a pile of leaves to jump in to...or at least walk through and just enjoy that perfect smell.
4. Step on some extra crunchy leaves
5. Take pictures in the canyon
6. Go a Corn Maze and/or Haunted House
7. Go to a costume party
8. Carve a pumpkin WHILE watching It's a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
9. Make Grannies Chili...and maybe some cornbread
10. Go to a football game
11. Bake a Thanksgiving Pie
12. Stay in my PJs and read all day (with plenty of hot cocoa)
13. Finish of my autumn '11 playlist
14. Attempt to recreate some of the happiest of autumn crafts found via pinterest
15. Read the following happy fall books
  • The Little Old Woman Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams, Skippy Jon Jones In Mummy Trouble by Judi Schachner, The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg, Witches Broom by Chris Van Allsburg, Room on the Broom by Julie Donaldson, By the Light of the Halloween Moon by Caroline Stutson




Monday, October 10, 2011

hello! I've just got to let you know...


First off, the fact that this is the 2nd post this month and it's only the 10th is pretty legit right? Well, I'm getting back so don't you even fret!

Second of all, its SEP week. AKA Conference week. AKA report card week. AKA meet with all the parents week. AKA might as well bring a sleeping back and my toothpaste to school week, cause I will be THERE wayyyyy more than I will be anywhere else. Needless to say its going to be exhausting, and long. But its all good. After this week we have 3 pretend days of school next week, and I go off track until 11.11.11....I love year round school :)

Third of all, I have been scrambling to get my report cards done, finished and printed, but one of the things I am realizing about my self, it that I kind of a little bit despise entering grades into the computer. So I leave it all to the end, which mean instead of a weeks worth of grades to enter...I had 9. Kill me. Luckily, I have that finished, but still had one project left to grade. Social studies. This project consisted of 12 maps...PER KID. Oh, 12 times 23...why YES!!!! I DID just finish grading 276 maps. Jealous right? *ooooowwww head hurts*

Well, amidst these 276 pages of maps, I had to have the 5 following things in order to maintain my sanity
1. Glee playing in the backgroud
2. a few Jason Mraz breaks
3. left over Cafe Rio (i love that i can get 3 meals out of their salads)
4. several facebook/youtube breaks.
5. roommates to come talk to me

and that is why I bring you this post...these are the best videos that surfaced from this Monday night adventure:

ahhh this kills me!

<a href='http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/disneyland-surprise/200byndf?src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='Disneyland Surprise'>Video: Disneyland Surprise</a>

I have no clue why I laughed out loud at this one...but I really did

this is for my sister...she is obsessed with this group, and they sang a little JB. in your face Gretch! Just embrace the Bieber Fever like the rest of us!

I love him. duh.
 

and last but not least. I am OBSESSED with this song...can't even tell you how many times I have played it since it was released. Especially the strings that come in like 20 seconds in....oh. my. gosh.


okay. now to put in comments for all 23 students and then I can be done!!!!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

sometimes shmumtimes

sometimes my brother hangs out in my car and switches the ipod to drowsy chaperone and starts singing all the words

sometimes my students call me 'mom'...5 times in one day to be exact

sometimes my toes feel frozen because my basement is soooo cold

sometimes i love my job. haha thats i lie...i ALWAYS love my job

sometimes i feel like a super creepy stalker person when i actually am NOT a super creepy stalker person, it just would appear that way

sometimes i forget to eat

sometimes i run laps in the jog-a-thon with my kiddos, and my pants basically fall off. okay, they literally fall off, but i catch them. thank heavens!

sometimes i believe it would be easier to watch glee by my lonesome, because no one else laughs at the jokes, broadway and pop culture references, and because the ONLY person that understand how much i truly love this show is an hour away

sometimes i order more toms to make my feet happy

sometimes i clean my room and then realize that i want to move, but i cant yet, so i rearrange my whole room, including the bazillion pictures on the wall

sometimes brainwashed little byu fans at my school (i know that was harsh, forgive me...im still bitter) torment me for days on end because of their accidental victory over my beloved aggies

sometimes my kiddos say the funniest things

sometimes i sit in my car for no reason because i love it, and the fact that is starts, runs and doesnt cause me stress

sometimes i dont have a balance in life...still working on that one

sometimes i HATE when people try to cover my one true love: jasons songs and my beloved coldplay songs, but then other times i love it

sometimes wizard and i stay up wayyy too late talking and talking and talking and then its super hard to wake up the morning

sometimes i feel the need to purchase things purely out of the desire to have it in my possession. need therapy much?

sometimes i get really excited to be an 'aunty' even if its technically not for real. yay bff kren!

sometimes things really really bother me. 

sometimes i miss college (woah, that makes me feel old saying that...)

sometimes i design really ridiculous choir shirts for my school choir, complete with our name "ChoiRAMa", slogan "Rams don't sing but we do" and a picture of a singing Ram....yes, i laughed too. and yes i intend to wear it all the time

sometimes i lay in bed exhausted, but can't go to sleep. why? cause its raining. we all know how much i LOVE the rain! also the sound of rain is sooooo much happier than the thought of waking up in the morning

sometimes i become obsessed with teacher blogs. 1st it was wedding blogs, then it was craft blogs, then it was everything blogs, and now teacher blogs. im insane

sometimes kym and i go to see drowsy chaperone for the 4th time, and the same guy that played aldolpho the 2nd time we saw it, and who played freddy in my recently discovered musical, was there again. and was awesome. and i want to marry him.

sometimes i crave going to the gym and then eating an apple

sometimes i realize that my blog is super boring and has no point, and i feel the need to apologize to anyone who has taken the time to read this far...

and last by not least sometimes it snows in october, and make me want to throw up.

the end

except for: Sometimes....
Source: tumblr.com via Whitney on Pinterest




except this is like everyday for me...



Thursday, September 15, 2011

dear self. you are getting old...

we had a rootbeer floacial (pronounced: flow-shul. meaning: float social...get it?)
and it was awesome!
party started at 8, and by 9 i was worried about going to bed.
seriously? 
"how late am i going to be up? how will i ever function tomorrow? oh my! there are so many people here!"

excuse me, but when did i turn 90?

i finally let lose and enjoyed myself, and even participated in the sponataneous dance party that broke out around 10 or 10:30.
ya it was awesome.
i don't think i went to bed till around midnight....
look at me! living life on the edge and all.

oh brother.
 
anywho. just felt the need to share my thoughts...
particularly the fact that:
this may be the coolest picture ever.
oh im aching to go here and take cool/random photos of my own....aching i say!
someday right?
well. when will that SOMEDAY ever get here?!
on a different note. im OBSESSED with this song.
and this song
my fall playlist is almost perfected.
i work too much.
i LOVE my job and absolutely ADORE my kids. 
i may or may not meet a particularly beautiful man tomorrow who i just LOVE.
* ya scratch that already. i HATE being poor. and i HATE that he is going to be 4 hours away...lame. 
and i am most definitely spending friday with 3 of my absolute favorit-est people in the world.
life is good. life is grand.
over and out for now.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Ten years have passed since a perfect blue sky morning turned into the blackest of nights..."

Post title taken from this wonderful article

Can you believe it has been 10 years since that fateful day? I remember it clearly. I remember sitting in 8th grade math. I remember feeling strange all day. I remember being confused. I remember being scared. I remember losing my tennis match that afternoon. I remember feeling relieved when i got home that evening. I remember it clearly.

I have been reflecting a lot about this the past few days, as I am faced with the responsibility of answering questions to a class of wide-eyed 4th graders. As I have researched the past week, wondering what to say and how to say it to my students, I immediately realized that with the exception of, I think, 2 of my students, they had not yet been born on that September day 10 years ago. Woah. Now the responsibility has kicked in. What am I supposed to say? How do I answer their questions? Are they too young? Is this too touchy of a subject?

This is the battle that has been zooming through my mind. So as we left school on Friday, I took 5 minutes and asked them what they knew. And told them to think about these events and talk to their parents over the weekend, and we would talk about it on Monday. So as I have been battling and stressing over this responsibily, and trying to figure out what to say, I realized that this truly is a touchy subject. They are young, and hopefully their parents will educate them on these events, but we can take time to reflect on the feelings following the attacks and the heroism and patriotism that reigned.

So  its been decided that we are going to read the book "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers" by Mordicai Gerstein which tells the true story of Philippe Petit, a man who walked between the twin towers of the World Trade Center on a tightrope in 1974. He tells of the marvel of the buildings, his journey and then ends with the book's final painting of the imagined imprint of the towers, now existing "in memory"-linked by Philippe and his high wire. I feel this book helps us to remember that day, without striking up too many questions. Then hopefully we can read either "New York's Bravest" by Mary Pope Osborne or "14 Cows for America" by Carmen Agra Deedy (depending on which one I feel i will cry the least amount...) and then discuss the different heroes from that day, and from our own personal lives. Hopefully it will be a meaningful and lasting discussion, and hopefully I don't need too many tissues.

So now I feel much better about tomorrow and what I am going to say, and I am going to spend the rest of today reflecting and counting my blessings. As well as listening to this over and over again...



God Bless the USA

Sunday, September 4, 2011

sometimes life gives you lemons...


Beware of the killer lemons!
now don't get me wrong...i love lemons.

lemonade, lemon bars, lemon yellow wall color, lemon sorbet, lemon pepper...this weekend i even went to a new pizza place called 'pizzeria limone', which had a delectable margarita pizza and lemon brownies which were quite tasty, so believe me when i say im grateful for your average lemon...

but tonight im talking about those lemons in life that are really sour and sting your eyes and come flying at you when you least expect them. they are quite rude really, and always seem to be disguised as something else, or they just pop out of no where. they are painful and make us feel weak, lonely, and scared. ya, no one really likes those lemons. but for some reason we all get them.

i have had a few of those lemons lately. blast. not cool. not fun. and they REALLY sting. that deep down sting that seems down-right unbearable. luckily its only for a moment...its only ever for a moment, even though it seems like forever (they are tricky little things, those lemons). but i really am grateful for those lemons, and the knowledge i have that those lemons each have a purpose. and even though they sting really REALLY bad, and make you want to gouge your eyes out, say bad words, and run away (in that order) it eventually stops stinging, and makes us stronger. it gets better. it really does.

so here's to the lemons. here's to life, the beautiful thing it is. and here's to all of us making that lemonade...or lemonade bars, which ever tickles your fancy!

oh, and here's to one of the best songs ever...it really is a beautiful world.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

ABC, one two three

shoot. i fear i have been neglecting my blog. so sad. im totally trying to balance life right now. and am SLOWLY getting there.
i need to give more precedent to other things in my life, and not just my job. i mean not saying my blog should be the number 1 thing in my life, but its something for ME that i love and i think i should do more things for me too :) SO i'm trying to become the teacher that goes in first thing at 7 and leaves right at 4...and leaves everything at school for that matter...but like i said...i'm SLOWLY getting there. 

but such is life, and here's how mine is going...
 

i thought it was going to be super weird starting out with a new class since i got overly attached to my kiddos last year, but it was much easier than i anticipated. i have a super cute class, all very bright and for the most part very respectful, its weird how young they feel though compared to the kids i had at the end of last year, just goes to show how important 1 year can be!

speaking of school, but is it totally obvious if i say, i LOVE it? ya...it basically goes without saying, but serious now. the new school year is great, and the first day was so fun. seeing shiny new backpacks and shoes. crisp pencil boxes and an array of justin bieber folders and notebooks. oh it was glorious. but i am still waiting for that bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils...the ones that are just for me. not the ones i had to buy and then sharpen for my 24 kiddos, i want some for my very own!

life is super weird. i feel like its a constant roller coaster...why is that? and how do we make it stop?

i like the rest of the world have been addicted to pinterest for the past couple months. why? well...im kind of obsessive and when i see something i like i book mark it, or print it off, or save it to my computer...now i dont have to do that. its all there in one spot. just being awesome. ya, im a fan.

i have been obsessed with mat kearney's new album for that past couple months. still cant believe i havent blogged about it yet, but whatever. its amazing. i love him. a lot. and yes kym, i realize its another mat...coincidence?

im kind of over facebook. seriously considering deleting it for a while. its boring, and people are so superficial.

been going to the temple once week and its been wonderful. simply wonderful.

a couple weeks ago our home teachers were over, and upon leaving they asked the tyical question of "what can we do for you" we usually have nothing for them, but after a second of silence, katie perks up and says "i know! we need you to bring your vacuum over!" ya she was serious too. we have 2 vacuums, but neither of them work. in fact one kind of almost blew up...anyways. mr joe sure did bring his vacuum, AND actually vacuumed for us. it was glorious. glorious indeed.

some of my favorite texts i have received lately are:
* i hope he or she is not a big boob
*pizza is to new york as child birth is to utah
* i just bought that potato book you were telling me about
* im renewing my library books online. i guess my low iq wasnt enough to read them in the amount of time given
*ugh. your such a teacher sometimes

p.s gretch, the blog title is for you....

thats it for now. my creative juices have been used up the past 3 weeks, and now i must sleep. yay!


Sunday, August 7, 2011

"Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books."

"Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought."  

I finished The Help about 2 weeks ago, 
and am already aching to read it again.
i dont know why it took me so long to finish it, 
(probably because i was so busy at the end of the school year)
but i seriously loved it. 
such a clever read, with brilliant characters.
ahhh it was lovely.
i actually listened to the majority of it on audio, and it was
AMAZING.
im not usually a fan of audio books, but i think im newly converted!
can't wait to see the movie with kym and her mom next weekend! yippeeee!


"...out of the blue, he kissed me. Right in the middle of the Robert E. Lee Hotel Restaurant, he kissed me so slowly with an open mouth and every single thing in my body-my skin, my collarbone, the hollow backs of my knees, everything inside of me filled up with light."



'That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive--all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.'(12)


 go read this book...NOW!!!!
its amazing.
i borrowed it from one of my team teachers, and i couldnt put it down!
as soon as payday comes again, im running to the store to buy it for myself, so i can read it again and again
and mark up all the FANTASTIC quotes and moments. seriously, it was wonderful and enchanting! 
ahhhh love a good book.

'It was amazing to me then, and still is, that so many people who wander into bookshops don't really know what they're after--they only want to look around and hope to see a book that will strike their fancy. And then, being bright enough not to trust the publisher's blurb, they will ask the book clerk the three questions: (1) What is it about? (2) Have you read it? (3) Was it any good?'(16)

Saturday, August 6, 2011

oh life

oh bother, its been so long! so here are some random thoughts as of late...

can i just say im addicted to pinterest? okay good. im ADDICTED to pinterest. i signed up a long long time ago, but never logged on really until about 2 or 3 weeks ago. CANT. STOP. PINNING!!! there should be a support group.

i have had a few harry potter dreams lately, i still cant believe its all over. no more books. no more movies. what a cruel cruel world in which we live in

finally made it to lagoon a few weeks ago. it was lovely. but i felt super old. the heat about killed us, but we prevailed. we stayed 12 hours, and it took me like an entire week to recover. i think going in october is the best idea ever...wont wear us out so fast!

on july 23rd, i did something crazy! i camped out in downtown salt lake. it was weird for me....but apparently the whole state does it, cause there were people piled ever where. it was a strange experience, but it was such a FUN way to celebrate pioneer day. the parade was awesome, and they totally put boise parades to shame. sad.

birthdays are super weird. i mean really. so what if you go from 22 to 23, or 78 to 79 woopdeedoo. who cares? its like the quote from one of my favorite shows :
“I saw him on the news recently ‘celebrating’ his 100th birthday…They wheeled him out and he had that wide-eyed expression of pained confusion that God reserves for the very, very old on their birthdays. You know, the one that says ‘Who are you, who am I and why is this cake on fire?’”
(pretty sure only kym will know this one)
but seriously why is this cake on fire? why do we celebrate birthdays past the age of like 16? its silly to me. but regardless of that, i did have a good birthday. i did my laundry, spent hours trying to consolidate my student loans, organized my important documents, walked around gardener village with liz and had a lovely dinner with my TWO favorite katies! ms craigo and ms katie jane they were awesome and took me to red robin (yummm) and to a movie, which i will have you know is my NEW FAVORITE. oh my goodness...so magical. SO happy.

i also went home to boise for the weekend and let my family wish me a happy birthday, which was fun :) the best present of all was mr thornton...all for my very own. swoon!

while home we also had samuels eagle court of honor, which was lovely! got to see lots of friends and family, and even got together with some of my high school crew and performed. it was weird, and awesome.

for some reason, my dad told samuel that after he got his eagle he would take him to golden corral which is this giant buffet in boise (dont ask me why on earth he would ever WANT to go there, but he seriously couldnt wait...the kid loves food, whatever) so the day after the court of honor, dad and samuel go to golden corral...well, about 30 minutes after they leave i get a text from samuel (fyi he doesnt have a phone, just an itouch) this was our conversation
samuel: so im basically in heaven right now
me: oh geez. how come? non stop food and free wifi
samuel: oooooooooooooooo yyyyeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh
me: oh wow. you need help
samuel: i can die now. i'll just go to scotland as a ghost with joseph smith or something
me: what? you are the weirdest kid i know!
samuel: am not im basically the coolest
me: okay maybe, but still

seriously, i have no idea where he came from.

so the week i saw midnight in paris, i also saw soul surfer and crazy stupid love. seriously loved them all. 2011 had the best summer for movies, thats for sure. i mean, i have already seen crazy, stupid, love 3 times now...i need help. but i just loved it so much. and who wouldnt want to stare at ryan gosling for another 2 hours? i mean, personally, i could stare at him forever...just sayin

is it sad that im really excited for school to start? i love my job, and am super excited about all the fun things i have planned. oh im such a nerd...i know i will be crying as soon as it starts, cause for some reason i feel the need to be super woman, and am now helping direct the school choir, as well as serve as a student council teacher. what is my problem? chances are you wont be seeing me much this year, or i wont be sleeping much...we shall see

how is it that with a college degree and a career, im more poor than i ever have been. being an adult kinda sorta really sucks

um...what else...OH nitrous oxide is super weird! gahhhh

okay im done for now!

peace. love. happiness





Friday, July 15, 2011

i've always wanted to be mcgonagall

it all started last week...
the epic marathon of 7 brilliant movies began whilst i was relaxing in boise.
this marathon was continued upon my return. it was happy...and yet a little sad, for i knew the end was near...and endings are sad...

well on wednesday night, the girls and i decided to make our sad-yet-overly-excited-excitment known.
we discovered the awesome-ness that is freezer paper.
yes. freezer paper.
you see, this magical creation allows you to trace, cut, iron and stencil error free,
so what did we do? made harry potter stencils of course!
i learned about this on a happy blog one day, and have been DYING to try it out.
i figured harry potter and this epic era that was ending, was the PERFECT opportunity.
as you can see. epic shirts were made by all...
which ones mine? ya that shouldnt be too hard to figure out...
then it was the night of all nights.
an already very tired group of friends, (mainly myself, who hasnt been to a midnight movie in over a year, and rarely stays up past 11 pm), embarked upon a very happy adventure. and it was magical (haha get it, magical...ok, i know) 2 hours of sheer intensity, several tears shed (lets just be honest here) and an overwhelming bittersweet feeling. what an amazing saga, boom, over, 14 years later. (what?) i remember when the books started getting popular, and me being the 'super mature' 5th/6th grader refused to read it for a while...i wasnt about to follow the crowd...who does that? but i eventually came to my senses, and embraced the awesomeness that ms rowling started on a napkin. ahhh what an awesome journey it has been! i believe my pal mr rickman (freaking love him!) summed it up best....

yes. he is simply brilliant.

so the final battle is over. so what did i do? ya, started reading the book again. im now currently in the middle of i believe 5 books now, but i just have to read this one again. i just can't seem to let it go.

i also went and saw the movie again. still as intense, still cried. deal with it.
im a harry potter freak! i cant help it :)

and, yes, i will in fact grow up to be just like mcgonagall one day and say things like 'particular proclivity for
pyrotechnics... and BOOM!' that was great. she is great. sighhhhhhhhhh love it.



Saturday, July 9, 2011

to be or not to be

To dream of the person you would like to be is to waste the person you are. 
 
 

Friday, July 8, 2011

courtesy of the red white and blue

here's my typical july 4th weekend summary. you knew it was coming, didnt you? i bet some of you have been just DYING to hear all about my stellar weekend, and are just eagerly awaiting my blog right? hum....didnt think so.
but here it is anyways.


july 1st- last day of school...summer is here! i miss my kids already, but i am SO glad its summer vacation, and i have a chance to PLAY!!
i celebrated this glorious occasion by going to dinner with some of my favorite girls, shopping at old navy, and then embarking on a series of most random adventures which include: cute boys at smiths, being hyper at smiths, dancing atop the whole foods parking garage, and staying up later than i have all year. serious. i didnt know 2 am really existed anymore...im getting old. i hit my block at 10:30 and i cant seem to function much past then.
but it was definitely a blast. im so grateful for these girls and the randomness they appreciate with me...we truly are all kindred spirits...i mean, few people would celebrate justin bieber day with me....thats true friendship :)



july 2nd- kiss.me.dirty....race that is. oh this was epic, no, this was BEYOND epic. seriously?! 4 miles running in the MUD!? i am all over this. oh it was glorious. we didn't race one bit, in fact i think we were last ones in our wave of runners, but it didn't matter because SEVERAL people said we were the dirtiest they had seen that day, and honestly that was our ultimate goal. after the race, getting clean took like 7 hours i swear, and then i most definitely zonked out for like 3 hours. when i woke up i drove to centerville to meet kym and her parents for dinner, and then a production of 'civil war' at counterpoint legacy theater. pretty good show, not my favorite, but had some great songs, and im always up for any kind of musical. after that, kym and i got subzero icecream (love) and drove around soaking up the summer evening, and listening to all the fireworks. flip, i love summer.


july 3rd- went to church, same old same old. then, i DROVE HOME! seriously, i was super excited to go to boise, because christmas was basically the last time i have been home. technically i was home in april, but im pretty sure it was less than 24 hours...so i was stoked to have a real boise vacation :) also, this drive is always something i look forward to. 5 hours by myself to think, and belt songs at the top of my lungs....it something i quite enjoy

july 4th- i think it goes without saying that independence day is my favorite holiday. summer, food, family, friends, fireworks, parade, bliss. ahhh yes it is so great. we went to the parade in the morning, which was kind of lame this year...im not quite sure who is in charge...but its always fun to see mr samuel piping away with the band. we then came home for a nap, and packed a picnic and went to the park to camp out for the fireworks. this year the fireworks rocked. maybe it was due to the awesome location where we sat, but it was definitely worth it :) LOVE fireworks :)

p.s. remember that one time i chopped my hair? ya crazy. ALSO, this is the ONLY time you will see anything remotely close to country coming from my blog, but this is a family favorite on 4th of july...love it!

so there you have it. the red white and blue weekend was a success, and now im just chilling in boise for a few more days, soaking up the sun and visiting some of my favorite kiddos and counselors over at playcamp...boy do i miss that job...

oh summer. cant you please stay forever?!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

so long, farewell...

remember this one time, where i graduated from utah state in december, and on february 7th i started teaching 4th grade? sometimes it still baffles me...its crazy that something i worked so hard for, and something i wanted so badly has come true, and has been my entire life for the past 5 months. needless to say, im still ecstatic, overjoyed and i love my job. i had a super awesome class, and if i could i would post videos and pictures of our end of the year celebrations...but thats legally a no-no, so just imagine me and 23 ten year olds having a grand old time, and you will be set.
the last week was a crazy whirlwind. i had to get awards done, grades and reports cards done, had to clean my room, and pack up and move in to the off track closet, all while still teaching. luckily there was something awesome every day, monday we taught the kids how to make oragami frogs (a nice little angle and line review) and then we raced them in the gym. en-ter-tain-ing. tuesday we went on a field trip to the utah capitol, toured the daughters of the utah pioneer museum, and ate lunch and played at liberty park. seriously so much fun! wednesday was field day, and i got extra cool points for being the first teacher in the dunk tank...sweet. thursday we had our 4th grade rendezvous. played pioneer games, made leather necklaces, and made homemade rootbeer!
friday was the last day, and what a strange day it was. the kids were anxious, and i felt super anxious, like there was something dire that needed to be done. but we just had a lovely day, there was the faculty vs 6th grade softball game that morning, and it was a blast! im pretty sure we tied with the 6th graders, but we really just had a great time, and the kids loved cheering us on. we then had a class auction so the kids could spend the last of their class money. we had year book signing and then we cleaned up the room. the last half hour of school, we sat in a circle on the floor and the kids each shared their favorite part of the year, then i went around and told each of them what my favorite thing about them was, and why i was grateful to be their teacher...i felt myself getting emotional a few times, but then some kids would crack a joke, and that was forgotten. but when the bell rang, and i hugged each kid and wished them a happy summer, i felt it coming. once each kid was gone, i turned around and definitely burst into tears. i seriously felt so silly, but so sad! i mean, i will see most of them again, since they are only going to be in 5th grade right around the corner, but these were MY kids. my FIRST class. my FIRST year teaching! i learned so much about myself, and about teaching from them, and now i have to say goodbye? rude. i dont think its fair, but i guess thats part of teaching. hopefully i have a super awesome class next year...
next year which starts in 6 weeks...gotta love year round school! (i actually really do, i think its genius)
here's to my 6 weeks of summer vacation! PARTY!


Saturday, July 2, 2011

SYTYCD

its not summer without SYTYCD.
and teaching year round school has pushed my summer back a little bit.
but school is out (i will blog about that soon) and i am FINALLY all caught up on SYTYCD.
so far...loving the season...but my favorite dances so far are the following:





and dont forget my favorite tappers...love love love

Thursday, June 23, 2011

im totally falling...timberrrrrrr

music, dancing, french humor and pop culture references?

could ANYTHING get better than that?

i submit that it can not!

tonight my dear friend amy and i went to see dirty rotten scoundrels at hale center theater. um...i freaking LOVED IT! i had heard a lot about it, but had not heard many of the songs, and i think its safe to say that i have a new favorite show. oh it was glorious. i was laughing so hard, i was crying...no joke. also, i may have sort of...okay....totally fallen in love with the guy who played freddy. (yes mother, i fell in love with another actor, and no i did not meet him in person...story of my life) he was great. fantastic. simply charming. im making kym go with me again in a couple weeks....maybe then i can meet freddy in real life...cha ching!

watch the promotional video, just ignore the commentary. thats not important. the SHOW is whats important! yes!


 
now excuse me while i go find a way to download the soundtrack...
and watch more videos on youtube.

ahhh i love the theater. cant wait to get season tickets!

p.s. happy birthday mr a-z. i bought an avocado in celebration!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

and thats the sound of sunshine comin down

we all know how much i love summer,
and today was the first OFFICIAL day of SUMMER 2011!!! solstice wise...still have a week and a half of school, but the next 8 days are going to be AWESOME in 4th grade...just sayin.

ANYWAYS, to celebrate my favorite solstice.... i wore a skirt to work, i laid out in the sun for a couple hours after work reading my book, i watched PLL, i created a new summery blog banner and then listened to my three newest favorite summer songs over and over over and over again...


and


and


p.s. okay, OF COURSE this is an ultimate summer 2011 song too....don't worry, the whitney summer mix is well in the works....as soon as my computer with all my music gets fixed. boo. 

today, i also almost went and got Bob's again, but i have gone twice in the past 4 days, so maybe tomorrow...(haha maybe?...ya right. try a definite yes...)

happy summer bloggers. drink it in! MMMMmmmmmmmmmmm...glorious

Monday, June 20, 2011

ask her if she sings...

we finished reading one of my favorite short stories on friday (literally this book only has 58 pages, i think it took a total of 30 minutes to read a loud to my students) but i seriously love it. love love it. but my favorite part, is that today we started watching the movie....

and, i feel as if i shouldnt be saying this as a teacher....but this is one of those stories, where i prefer the movie over the book. maybe because i saw the movie as a little girl way before i read the book, oe maybe because the movie is so much more detailed, or maybe because still to this day, i find the movie simply magical. who cares the reason. its one of those movies, where the only person that understands the love i have for this movie is my mom. its just one of those things we have.

any who, whats happy is that my students are really enjoying it, and i am just loving every minute of it. seriously, if you haven't watched this trilogy, please do....now. you won't regret it :)

i swear, every time i watch this movie, i get the biggest chills when they round the corner, and the kids see the wagon, and her yellow bonnet... beautiful.

{for some reason i can't embed the video. so click here}
love.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

it's the dad life. it's the dad life.

i miss my dad today.
he's pretty stellar. take a look for yourself...


i think he's a pretty cool dad. but i think its pretty crappy that i didnt get to see him today.
oh well. hope he had a happy dad's day. 

and just because this is ridiculously ridiculous...

Friday, June 17, 2011

it will all be worth it


i have been pondering how this blog post would come out since last friday when i received the news that lamba delta sigma had been cancelled for good, and that the organization was no more. i refrained from speaking out about it until i knew more, and until i had really gained an understanding, so here i am now...

for those of you who don't know. Lamba delta sigma is an LDS sorority organization that i have been a part of for the past 5 months. i joined hesitantly back in January after i finished student teaching in hopes of meeting new people, and as a means to find adventure. i was hesitant due to the fact that i had graduated and was not a student, and have never attended the U, and because the idea of a 'sorority' has always struck me as a bunch of catty girls up in every bodies business. well, little did i know, that this organization would become such a huge part of my life.

since i started in january, i have met some amazing girls. before i joined sigma, i didnt have very many friends in salt lake, and life was just so so. but the blessings have been numerous. these girls are amazing. they have become friends that i know will be forever friends. we have had countless adventures, an infinite amount of late night giggles, and even some silly drama that just ensures that we are real friends. being a part of this organization has made this the best year of my life. its amazing to belong to a sisterhood that is centered around the church.

in april i was called to be the sisterhood officer for sigma next school year. over the past 2 months i have been planning for the next year with the rest of the presidency. from rush week, to fall activities, to exchanges with the fraternities, and sweatshirt and t-shirt designs. until now. when we got cut off.

i will admit i have been really confused. maybe a little mad. and definitely really sad about this. hence, why i have refrained from posting until now. it makes sense. they want us to devote more of our time to the newly reorganized YSA wards, but its still hard to come to terms with. no more weekly sigma. no more rush carnival, no more fall barn dance or winter formal, which are all things i never got to participate in since i joined mid year.

but at the meeting on tuesday night, we were given a lot of reassurance and we left feeling at peace with the decision. the first presidency made this decision unanimously in the temple, so it is up to us to stand beside them and look at the positive. the priesthood leader of sigma shared this parable, which i found fitting.