General Conference

This weekend is General Conference for our church.

It's going to be so awesome. It is something I look forward to every 6 months.

And it's time for the flow of inspiration again! Yay!

PS. Aren't those striped purple flowers fantastic? Wow. I just love spring.

Spring! Spring! Spring!

Whenever I start to see signs of spring, I always think of the song 'Spring, Spring, Spring' from 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. I get extremely happy and excited and I just love it.

I also think of when Bambi and his friends get 'Twitterpated'... Cuz I sure know how that feels when Daniel's around.
Tee hee hee.

Flying Solo

 (Last) Tuesday I went to school knowing that we would be having a sub. However, when I got there, no one was there. I was very confused and figured the sub must just be running late. Then my facilitator came in and told me that the sub had needed to cancel and leave town. They were working on trying to find a new sub, but until they did (or if they did not), I would be “flying solo”. At first this freaked me out and I started to panic. I looked around the room and tried to find where everything was and couldn’t remember anything. Then I remember I had a couple of specific lessons I was supposed to be teaching and so I went to the copy room to make copies. As I walked, my brain started to clear and I started to relax. I was nervous, of course, but I also started to get excited.  It helped my thinking brain a lot to remember that I had sub plans that I could use if needed and I also have been in the classroom for four Tuesdays and every Tuesday is the same. My mentor teacher has a very set schedule for the students and that was very helpful. I went back to the classroom and started to breathe again. The students were coming in and I knew I had to start strong or I’d lose them the rest of the day. So I sat down, started working on organizing my lessons for later, found all the things I’d need before lunch, and then got to work. I mostly mimicked what I’ve seen my mentor teacher do in the mornings and then eased them into their work. It was truly incredible. I expected at any minute for the class to explode in my face - but it didn’t. I reminded them at one point when they were getting particularly rowdy that I had been with them for a while and that I knew that they could and were expected to behave themselves. That sobered them up pretty quickly. The morning was great - my pacing was fast, but I was ok with that and we just read an extra story to kill five minutes. (Of course, I added a sort of objective while I was reading. I was very impressed with myself.) About 10:15 they found a sub and brought her in, but the rest of the day I - if my fuzzy brain serves me right - I did everything. I taught all the lessons and took care of all the management and the sub was there to help me when I asked her to. It was so nice. Even though she didn’t take over at all, I was so relieved to have her there. I honestly feel as though I could have been successful all day long by myself, but having the sub there lowered my stress level. So, other than a few minor management problems, the day went remarkably well. It was something that I really needed to know that I could do. I was having a rough start to the week and wasn’t feeling confident at all in my abilities as a teacher. I was doubting myself and my capabilities to teach and manage and enjoy. Tuesday was the most fantastic opportunity for me to really see that I can do this. It made me really nervous at first, but now I wouldn’t change it for anything. It was a great self-confidence boost and a day that I really needed.

Blickenstaff's & Hunger Games

 

 

  

Over the weekend we discovered a magical land called Blickenstaff's. You find this land in the Riverwoods.

It was full of fun toys and fantastic things to explore. I wish that I could fully depict for you the wonderment.

It was beautiful and wonderful and exciting and turned me into a child again.

Then we went to the Hunger Games. It was perfect. Can I tell you it was simply perfect. We loved it.

linking to myself

So... last week I wrote a post and inserted it amongst all the other happenings on the blog that week. However, I don't want it to be passed over, so I am linking to it again on this post instead of writing a new post for today. I know this seems really crazy, but I just can't shake the thought that this is important for some reason. Probably just for me, but that's ok, too. So, here is the link. Enjoy.

Last Year

or copy-paste the direct link:

http://www.danielandnashelle.blogspot.com/2012/03/last-year.html

Warning?

I was making brownies and noticed at the top of the box a small phrase that intrigued me. That phrase was:

WARNING: Do not eat raw brownie batter.

Don't think I'm making this up. Because I'm really not. I couldn't. I wouldn't! So anyway, I started thinking about this whole 'do not eat raw batter' thing and got confused. I mean, yeah... eating raw eggs isn't good, but raw water? and what about raw oil? I mean, it doesn't change much after you cook it, right? It's still oil. The only other thing I could think of was raw chocolatey goodness and there is no reason to not eat chocolatey goodness - raw or otherwise.

So I ate my raw brownie batter anyway. And loved it.

The Gondoliers

Husband has been participating in an operetta at BYU by Gilbert & Sullivan called The Gondoliers and has been having a blast. I went to watch and had a really good laugh. So here are some lovelies of husband in all his glory.

St. Patrick's Day Party

Don't you love how I said I would post this like five days ago? So is the life of a BYU cohort.

This St. Patrick's Day we partied like the Irish. Literally. Well, almost literally. We didn't drink any liquor - that's not allowed at BYU. But you know, we were ok with that because we still had a great time anyway. We went up to campus where there was a super-fun party going on with lots of yummy refreshments and fun people. The best part though? The live music. No joke. They were incredible. All Irish music all night. Awesome. And the best part after that? Learning Irish dances from a girl who is from Ireland and taught us some of the dances that everyone does when they get together for big celebrations.

You know - sometimes (sometimes!) I wish I grew up somewhere other than America. I seriously feel like we're the only ones who don't have really cool cultural dances that everyone knows and loves. I feel very jipped. Not fair, guys. It's just not fair.

But the party was fantastic.

 

Oh. And by the way - he made that hat. The guy wearing it. True story. (Inside I went: wha?!?!?!?!?!?!?!)

Last Year

This week marks a very important week in my life.

This week - last year - I met Daniel's parents for the very first time.

I was honestly more scared for that one moment than I probably should have been, but how many people meet their in-laws right before they get engaged? Seriously!

But then, God works in mysterious ways and it turned out to be an incredible blessing - one that Daniel & I will forever be grateful for. It was really that good.

And Daniel's parents are incredible - so my fears were dispelled really quick.

Six days after I met Daniel's parents, we got engaged. I saw them again two days later at a concert,

then said 'good bye' for a couple months until we took our trip to Texas.

That's when these pictures were taken.

I will never be able to fully express my gratitude for the two and a half weeks we spent in Texas.

It was eye-opening, life-changing, and testimony-enhancing. It was fantastic and the greatest blessing.

Here's to remembering.

Photo Booth

At the bridal fair we went to on Saturday, they let us use a photo booth for free. It was pretty awesome and we are pretty dorky. But that's ok, right?

Sad Cereal

Well... to be honest... I wouldn't want to be eaten, either. Not even by someone as handsome as husband.

Bridal Fair & Arboretum

Since I only worked for an hour on Saturday, husband and I got to go up to Thanksgiving Point in Lehi and see my mom and sister. There was a big bridal fair going on and my sister (being a 'model' for Allyse's Bridal) was there to model wedding dresses for all the brides-to-be. It was actually lots of fun - people were congratulating us as we walked around and asking if we wanted fliers and free coupons and services. It was great. We each got a free crepe - delicious, and husband & I got free pictures taken at a photo booth. Woot! It was quite marvelous.

 

 

 

After sister finished her show, husband and I wandered around the awesome gift shop and little arboretum. It was gorgeous and warm and green. Oh so very lovely. Plus husband who never fails to be an awesome model himself. ;)