birthday boy

dear husband,

today is your birthday.

today you are golfing, playing at the park, and eating lots of food.

i hope it's a good day for you.

congrats on another turn around the sun.

you're my favorite. and i love you very much.

always yours,

your wife.

70

When I first started blogging about a year and half ago, it was about writing really funny posts that would attract lots of readers so that I could feel awesome. I loved reading other people's blogs and seeing that they had over 100 comments on a post and over 1000 followers because it got me excited to blog and think 'Hey maybe someday that could be me.'

Well, about the time that I started this blog (not quite a year ago), I realized that I wasn't getting all the followers I wanted. I was especially worried to make the switch between blogs because I thought that no one would follow me here. I got really upset about it. Looking back, it seems to silly to have thought that way, but at the time I couldn't see the point of blogging if no one read it.

Since then, I have become much more wise. And thankfully, the desire to have hundreds of followers wore off very quickly. I have realized that what I post on my blog is for ME. It is also for my family and close friends who want to know what husband and I are doing in our lives. It is also for those who randomly stumble across it and find something that they like or that inspires them in some way. And I love that. I have come to the place where I feel very happy about my blog. I like what I blog about and how the blog is progressing. Mostly I like being able to go back and read posts that I forgot about and see how ridiculous I am. I plan to someday print out all my blog posts to keep somewhere for future generations to read.

This being said, I was clicking around on my dashboard yesterday and clicked on that little tag that says 'stats'. I haven't checked it in a long time because I got accustomed to just having 3 or 4 views a day - and that was ok with me. However, when I checked on it yesterday, I had 35 pageviews in one day. I was blown away. And I was especially surprised because I didn't think I'd written anything particularly exciting in the last while. Then this morning, I was curious and it seems that yesterday's pageviews totaled 70. HOLY COW!

Basically what I'm coming to is a desire to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has read, does read, or will ever read my blog. It's nice to know that there are people out there who are seeing what I'm writing. It was also funny to notice that quite a few posts from a long time ago have been read recently, too. That makes me giddy inside.

Thank you, you lovely readers you. You made me feel very special today.

Love,

Me.

Student Teaching is OVER!!!

I feel like that should be cause for a HUGE party. Seriously. Like, who is going to volunteer to take me to dinner? Anyone? Husband? Yeah. I'll talk to him, I guess.

Today I went in and watched a second grade class for a while and then helped my mentor teacher finish up some stuff in her room. It's nice to see it all come down because I'm getting better ideas for how it will all go up in my own room. Very exciting. She sweetly gave me a some letter magnets and blocks, so I can check those off of my list of 'need to find's. Unfortunately, the list still has a bajillion other things on it, but hey! Progress is progress, right? Abso-bloomin-lutely.

Anyway. Tonight is the last night of my Capstone class and then I am officially a free woman. Ready to intern and be an employee and have a 'real' job that is a part of my career. WOAH! Scary much? I'm basically thrilled. Class will be very laid-back (just the way I like it) and then tomorrow we're leavin' town to go visit my family and watch my sister graduate high school. That's another "WOAH! Scary much?" thing happenin' right there.

So. In case I don't see ya tomorrow, HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!

xoxo
Me.

I love to read

In fact, one of the reasons Belle in Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney princess is because she, too, likes to read. Go figure.

One of my greatest woes about college has been my lack of reading time. I feel as though I cannot do it. You see, when I get involved in a book - I get very deeply involved. I have come across very few books that I don't like. My library is quite large, and I have read at least triple the amount of books that I own if not more than that. I think reading is a wonderful way to spend the time. It is so important for children to love to read, too - that is one thing that has become very evident to me as I've begun my teaching career.

Because of husband's job, he has great access to the pile where the books go before they are thrown out. He has brought home many books, and because this last month has been fairly laid-back, I have been reading. I average a book a day. Seriously. (I read fast.) This week, I have been reading the Agatha Christie books he brought home. I love Hercule Poirot. Undoubtedly one of my favorite characters of all time is that funny little Belgian who likes to use his "little grey cells". *sigh* Genius.

My favorite Agatha Christie book does not star M. Poirot, however. Nope. My favorite book is called 'The Man in the Brown Suit'. After her father passes away, a young woman leaves the home she grew up in for an adventure in London - and gets more than she bargains for when she gets tangled up in a murder. I'll be honest, it's one of my favorite love stories. Truth.

Anyway. I am very excited to go to my parents' house this weekend and find all my old books that I gave away (silly me). I was 17 and a dumb friend made a dumb comment and I reacted by giving my books to my sisters. Well, I'm going to get them back and bring them home. After all, I bought them and put my name in them, and no one will miss them (except me). It's going to be marvelous. Shopping for free. Woo-hoo!

What's your favorite book?

Birthdays and Ballets

Yesterday we went on a lovely adventure. It was very very hot in our transport, however, and due to being exhausted from lack of water and sleep - no pictures were taken. Believe you me, I am very sad about this.

Our adventure began with meeting Dad Pearson in Lehi for a surprise trip to Cabela's. It was a surprise to Husband, at least, because it involved getting him an early birthday present: a fishing license. It's true.

Then the three of us embarked to Texas Roadhouse (or as my Grandpa Brown kindly put it "Roadkill") for my Grandma Brown's birthday celebration. It was a delicious dinner. Husband and I ate a lot and appreciated the AC of Dad Pearson's car on the trip.

Finally, Husband and I departed for the mystical land of Sandy, UT where we went to see a ballet about faries and such. My cousin was participating in the Mountain West Ballet's production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' as Hermia. (This is the same company that Husband and I danced with in December. Remember?)

It was a most lovely production (the gentlemen in particular were outstanding), and we drove home after looking out over the valley and seeing three temples. Draper, Jordan River, and Oquirrh Mountain in the distance. Beautiful.

Notes

Dear Draper Temple,

We loved coming to visit you. The drive up that very big hill was scenic and lovely and exciting. Thanks for helping to inspire our spontaneity. We will come again soon.

Dear kindergarteners,
You guys are the greatest. You are full of life and fun and say the most hilarious things. Thanks for letting me come and spend time with you and helping me learn how to teach. I can't wait to see you in the halls next year when you are big first graders. Good luck!
Love, Mrs. Jackson

Dear first graders,

I miss you guys so much. Sometimes I have dreams that you all move to Santequin and come to my second grade class just to see me. You were the best and I loved being your teacher. Maybe I will surprise you with a visit and some cookies this week just so I have an excuse to get hugs and hellos from you again.

Thinking of you, Mrs. Jackson 

Dear second graders,
I don't know your names and haven't met you, but I already love you. I am so excited for August when I get to meet you and start a wonderful adventure with you. It's going to be so much fun. I hope you like me.
Sincerely, your future teacher

Dear Pearson family,

We are SO EXCITED to come and visit you this weekend. Every other conversation centers around our excitement. It's going to be a marvelous adventure. We want to play outside, too. And eat lots of good food.

xoxoxoxoxo, Shelly

Dear Jackson family,

We love reading your blogs and seeing your pictures and video updates about life. We are working hard for the day when Daniel will be making lots of money and we can buy a private jet and visit you every month... just kidding... but wouldn't that be nice? We hope to visit either before school starts or during Christmas break. We'll let you know.

We miss you!

Dear StarWars,

Thanks for being an awesome movie-series-saga-whatever.

And George Lucas - we love the featurettes.

Many thanks for an entertaining Saturday night.

-a couple of nerds

Dear Husband,

You are my favorite. Never worry - we got it. Thanks for everything you do: it means the world

and I promise I notice. I love you.

Always Yours,

Wife

Contemplative Musings

This week has been full of ups and downs. Just like any other week, right? Well, this week specifically has set me to thinking about the future. What I want, what Daniel wants, what we want together. And about what it is going to take to get there.

For me? I'm finished with school. I don't think I want to go back - unless it's to do something with music, dance, and theatre. I have loved my major and time spent doing Early Childhood. I would do it again a hundred times over. But I still hunger to go to a dance class and stretch and move my body in rhythmic and beautiful ways. I still yearn to take on the part of a new character and explore another world through their eyes. I still desire to move people with music - and by being a part of that music in some way. Any way.

Daniel? He wants to support the family. He wants to get a masters degree and make more money than I do. ;) He wants to take good care of us and be a good husband and daddy. Both things I feel fully confident in him doing.

We? We want to live happily and have a big, wonderful family. We want to stay close to the Gospel and to our extended families. We want to live outside of Utah for a year or maybe two (if not more) and explore our beautiful world. We want to be together forever.

This week I have been discouraged because this summer will be very different from all the others I've experienced. Not only will I not be moving home for the first time ever, I will not be doing a theatrical production. This is a big deal to me. My summers for the last 12 years have been consumed by theatre - singing and dancing and being with friends and family. This summer I will be working on my classroom and curriculum and lesson plans and at a job that I love/hate. Not that this summer will be all bad. I'll actually get to be with Daniel for all of it - as opposed to last summer when I only saw him on the weekends. I'll get to go on some fun trips and see old friends that I haven't seen in years. We're going to a family reunion or two and super excited for that.

And all of the things we are doing are slowly moving us toward the ultimate goals of family and children and exploration and God and happiness. All around us are so many blessings of love. I am so very grateful.

So. I will continue to focus on the upcoming positives and try to come up with some sort of creative outlet for my mind. That sounds reasonable. And exciting. And forward-moving. Very yes.

Until Monday, my friends - Happy Weekend!