We bought a couch!

And saying that in just the right way will remind you of the darling little girl in 'We Bought a Zoo' when she says it at the store. It is hilarious and I say it frequently, much to Daniel's entertainment or dismay (I'm not really sure which).

Anyway. Here is our super comfy couch that we have stuffed in our back room for safe keeping until we move. :)

 

And, here is our newly started pile of things we won't be using in May and so are going to start moving out to my parent's house. The goal is to not have to get a U-haul, which means that each time Daniel goes out to work, he will be taking things with him. This is our first collection of things we are sending. It's exciting! 

What I look forward to in Vernal

We are moving in four and a half weeks. Four and a half weeks! That's it! I can hardly believe that it is so close. It is really nice to know what is coming, it is also hard to patient with waiting for it to get here. Since I know what our next step is going to be, I just want it to get here and do it.

So, to help me keep my patience, here are a few things that I am looking forward to about moving to Vernal:

-- being close to my parents & siblings

-- having the best park in the world to go play on

-- completing a Disney movie marathon this summer

-- (hopefully) buying a piano

-- (hopefully) living in a place that is not a basement so I can have real windows

-- teaching my baby sister how to ride a bike

-- going swimming lots and lots

-- not having to pay college tuition any more. YAY!

-- Dan the Man having a 'real' job that he is excited for

-- having new adventures in an old place with my Best Friend

When you move, what are the first things you do in a new place?

BYU Grad

 

Walking in :)

 

Smiling up at us

 

Smiling up at us still - he found us pretty quick

 

the long walk

 

dean of his school

 

some alumni that is important though I can't remember why now

There you are. We have proof that Daniel has graduated and is officially finished. So so so proud of him.

Great job, baby. You are amazing.

xoxoxoxo

P.S. Yes Daniel's cap & gown are a slightly different sheen than everyone else's (there were a couple others that were also different). This is because, as my dad said, I'm cheap and didn't want to pay $30 for him to get a new one when my Snow College ones were the same color. A little more shiny, perhaps, but the same color. So.... He wore those and looked awesome. ;)

This guy

has finally done it!

He took the final final.
He passed the last class.
He will walk down the line of honor and awesome.

I'm so proud of him. :)

xoxoxoxo

23 days

That is all the time I have left to influence my second graders. 23 whole days. Including today - when I took a half-day off of work and Friday when I won't be there at all because Husband is graduating from BYU (which I wouldn't miss for the world because I am SO PROUD of him).

23 days.

The year has flown by. I can hardly believe that in 23 days I will have been teaching for a whole year. 180 days. Nine and a half months with these kids. These wonderful, beautiful, brilliant, exciting, loveable children that have changed my life.

23 days.

It breaks my heart in a small way because I know that the chances are slim that I will ever see these kids again. I want to be their teacher forever and make sure they are protected and watched out for and taken care of in every way. I want to be the one to see them figure out those hard problems or understand something they had never thought about before. I want to watch them turn into stubborn and hard-working teenagers and see the career paths they choose for themselves and watch how they shape the world. I am so proud of them and all they have accomplished this year - I know the things they do in their future will only be amazing.

23 days.

I pray daily now that what I say and do for these last few weeks that I have with my students (four and a half!) will be only positive and that each student will know how much I love them when they leave. I don't care if I'm remembered as their favorite teacher or best teacher. I just hope they know that I believed in them and I trusted them and I loved them. If they got that from me, then nothing else matters.

And I hope that I don't cry too hard on the last day of school. ;)

What do YOU want? (a ranty post)

I hate complainers. I hate complaining. Husband can tell you that when I recognize I'm complaining (or when he mentions it), I end up getting more upset that I've been whiny and forget about what I was upset about in the first place. At least usually. No one's perfect. ;)

So. Forgive me for complaining.

I feel as though we are so incredibly blessed to live in the country we live in. We get the freedom of speech, of religion, and of education. We can choose to go to a University and major in anything we want. No one forces us to be something or do something we don't want to do.

So why do we hate doing what we chose to do?

Yes, it can be harder & more time demanding than expected. Yes, it may not be all sparkles like we thought. But hey - you chose it! Make a better choice.

Yes. Choice. Choose to enjoy what you chose to do.

I feel so terrible for the students of teachers who every single day talk in the faculty room or hallways about how they "wish today was a snow day" how they "wish the weekend was longer" and "can't wait for the school year to be over". Well. Guess what. There is another school year coming in August. How about enjoying the students and the year that you have while it is still here to enjoy? Surely you owe the students that much, right? I mean, you could just quit if you wanted. There are dozens of people graduating in education and fighting tooth & nail for jobs. So if you don't want it, give it to someone who does.

And then maybe we can all be happy and enjoy life together.


This year has been so much harder than I expected it to be. There are hours of prep and planning that go into every day. It is draining emotionally and physically. It is frustrating.

BUT I LOVE IT.

I love the feeling of staying just 20 minutes later than everyone else so that I am completely ready for the next day. I love the feeling of knowing that I know what is coming up so I can better teach my students and get myself ready. I love how much better my class behaves when I am ready for them and I know what I'm teaching them. To me, it is worth it to stay a little later sometimes to have the end effect of me not being as stressed. My students can tell the difference. So can I.

I love not being stressed about school at home (usually). I love that I don't take my work home. Work and home are very separated. I love that I can spend time with my Husband and with my friends because I have prioritized and not wasted my time at school doing things I can do at home instead. I am a happier person and a better teacher because I have (finally) learned how to prioritize and not procrastinate. I know what is important to me, and I make it happen. Work is the most important thing at work - including all of the nitty gritty stuff that makes things happen. And home is the most important thing at home - which is how it should be in my opinion.

Anyway. I'm going to close this ridiculously long & ranty post with a quote that I love:

What will YOU choose to do with your life?

Only you can decide. So decide to be happy.

Because I love my Husband...

On Saturday we did a bajillion things.

- washed all the dishes
- balanced our check book
- grocery shopping
- drove to Lehi
- mini-golfed on two different courses
- drove back to Provo
- got some Cold Stone ice cream to share
- watched a movie at the dollar theatre
- ate a tasty dinner
- went to the temple
- talked a lot about life

And it all showed me that I am more in love with my dearest than I ever have been and I am so grateful for his awesomeness. He gives me strength and courage and hope. And an arm to lean on when I'm exhausted, too. ;)


How was your weekend?

Field Trip(s)

Yesterday, the second grade students at our school went on an all-day field trip. They loved it, too, and came back and were very mellow because they were so exhausted. It was great for me. Ha. We started out at a greenhouse where the humidity made two girls sick (not that they threw up or anything, but complained of headaches and sore stomachs and not being able to breathe). We stopped at a park for lunch and then went to a local farm where we joined about a dozen other second grade classes to learn about the farm and things that go on there. It was a great day. Long and exhausting, but fun.

Tomorrow, Husband and I are planning on going on a field trip to the flower gardens at Thanksgiving Point. I haven't been there since 2010 and I am sooooo excited to go back. It was one of my favorite places to go when I was a kid, not that we went often, but we always had a marvelous time. This time, however, I won't be rolling down the huge hill. Unfortunately. But that's also ok. The gardens are full of beautiful flowers and architecture and hidden places to explore and discover. It will be glorious, I'm sure. Assuming that it will be nice weather, anyway.

What are your plans for the weekend? Whatever they are - I hope it's fun!! :)

Thank you

Husband mentioned that he has enjoyed this week because he has gotten the opportunity to say thank you to several of his professors and TAs for the semester and helping him and teaching him. Well. It sounded like a lot of fun, and I need to say some thank yous, too.

Thank you, mom & dad, for raising me right. For teaching me how to live a good life filled with fun and with spirituality. For loving me enough to let me learn and explore on my own and always taking me back when I came to visit. Thank you for always supporting me and helping me.

Thank you, Husband's mom & dad, for raising him right. For teaching him how to be respectful and kind. For teaching him how to cook and how to be a righteous priesthood holder. For wonderful examples of love and trust and how important family is. And for accepting me as a part of him.

Thank you, my teachers at all stages of life, for instilling in me a love of learning. For helping me to know that I can do anything I want to do. For teaching me persistence and diligence. For teaching me patience with myself and others and for helping me to grow my talents. For giving me opportunities to grow as a person and to have chances to experience the world in ways I never thought I could.

Thank you, my siblings, for being such goof-balls. For playing with me when we were little - and as we are getting older. For indulging me in my craziness. For loving me and teaching me important lessons. For watching Disney movies with me and helping me out when I'm sick. You guys are my favorites.

Thank you, Husband's siblings, for being such good examples to my dearest Husband. For being supportive of him and friends with him and teaching him important things. And most especially for making me feel so comfortable and right at home when we are with you.

And last but certainly not least: Thank you, Husband, for ... everything. Your love, your cooking, your patience, your laughter, your tenderness, your spirituality, your trust, and your wholehearted acceptance of me in every way.

Love, Me.

What to do about dinner?

So... I've had this conundrum keep popping up in my brain for a while now and I'm still not sure how to proceed.

While I was in school, I was never very good at making dinner for myself. Usually my dinner was mac & cheese or ramen or hot dogs. Nothing exciting and I didn't branch out. If my roommates and I were all eating together, then I loved making dinner and eating a lot of yummy stuff and having a grand old time. But if it was for just me? Nope. Too lazy and not enough time.

I'm worried that the same thing will be happening when Daniel leaves in May. Granted, it is only for a couple of weeks and we will still be together on the weekend, but those blasted workdays when I get so tired so fast and home so late are going to be HARD for cooking.

What I'm getting to is that I need some advice. I have contemplated cooking a meal for myself say on a Monday night and then eating it on Tuesday while I make dinner for Wednesday. But that's pretty much leftovers all the time which isn't terrible, but... Also. I have noticed that I use the excuse of I don't know what I'll want for dinner tomorrow to not prep things the night or day before.

Or maybe there are quicker and easier things to make than what I typically would do? That are still full up of delicious and healthy things since that is something I'm working on.

What would you do or do you have any tips or tricks or suggestions? I need some help. :)

Thanks in advance!! And pardon my terrible grammar and sentence structure that is all over the place.

Under the Weather

Or maybe it is because of the weather that I have been feeling so blue.

At the same time, I love the rain and clouds. I love the quietness and cleanliness that raindrops bring to the earth. It's pretty special to me. All the earth is peaceful is still and everyone feels safe and warm and is bundled with their favorite blanket. I know that I am, anyway, so long as Husband isn't running around exclaiming how badly he "wants to play!" ;) But that's fun, too.

Life for us is continuing on. We both feel at a little of a standstill at this moment because we are waiting - just waiting for the next thing to happen. Husband is waiting for graduation (took his first last final today. Hooray!). I am waiting for May to be over. We are both waiting for our move to be over and official and our new adventures begun. Sometimes it is very hard to wait for things like that. Especially when we know it is coming and it is so close we can taste it.

All-in-all, I just feel peaceful and calm. A little achy and blue, too, but I'm alright with that. I am happy. We are happy. And we are nestling under the weather together, waiting for it to clear and spring to really start in our little corner of the world. It's coming and will be a grand spring indeed.

Inspiring

this inspired me to...

be a little better
be a little stronger
be a little more patient (with myself & others)
be a little more spiritual
be a little more trusting
be a little more happy

it is beautiful. 

Love Letter

Photo by Larissa the Amazing

Dear Husband,

Thank you for always being optimistic.

Thank you for sharing your testimony.

Thank you for being patient.

Thank you for cooking incredible dinners.

Thank you for your kindness & support.

Thank you for all the love you give me.

Thank you for trusting me.

Thank you for standing by me.

Thank you for being you.

I love you.

Me.

Make a Friend

One of the things that is really hard for me is being out-going. I am perfectly happy with just sitting at home and reading a book or watching a movie. I think that it is lots and lots of fun to interact with other people, but I don't always feel to need to initiate that interaction myself.

I was reading Ashley's blog and she talked about a time where she and her husband didn't sit together on a plane. She was planning on just plugging in her headphones and reading a book to pass the time, but ended up having a wonderful conversation with the two ladies sitting next to her and making new friends.

It made me wonder - would I be able to do that? Or would I just politely smile and turn my head so I wouldn't have to? I have students who do that. If they are invited to do something, they will join in with fervor. But if they aren't invited, they just sit on the sidelines and watch and are perfectly content. In a spiritual context, this is not the best option. We know that we need to be actively involved and be full participants in the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that we can receive the full blessings that are waiting for us.

Ashley included this video, which I'll include because I found it inspiring and motivation to do something that is hard for me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)

Hard Choices

You know those times when it seems as those there are so many big decisions floating around you that it almost seems smothering like too many balloons at a birthday party? And each decision is so big and so important that it is hard to try to focus on the most important things and which decision should be made first?

I feel as though that has been our life lately.

First, we had to make decisions about Husband's job and if we were moving.
Second, we had to make decisions about the job that I applied for.

But we still have so many decisions to make! Where to live, how much money to put in savings (which has suddenly become extra important to me), when to move, what to do until we move, if our little car will survive taking Husband back and forth to Vernal in May, how much of my second grade stuff I should take with me, etc etc etc.

With all of these decisions hanging around us and sometimes making me feel overwhelmed and a little suffocated, I am so grateful for the opportunity we had this weekend to listen to General Conference. It calmed my heart and my nerves. It gave me peace and reassurance that everything will be ok. It reminded me to pray more so that when it comes to decision-making time, I will know what to do. And I was reminded that even though we have been making a lot of hard choices lately, each decision that we have prayed about and made I have felt so good about. Even moving to Vernal. ;)

The Lord has never led me astray and I needed that reminder this weekend. Hard choices are supposed to be hard. They challenge us to remember what our ultimate goals are, to look at the big picture, and to turn to God for help & guidance because we can't make it through without Him. And with Him, we can always feel peace and comfort knowing that even though we don't understand some of the choices we had to make, we know that we are on the right path and going to make it to our eternal happiness.

Pictures from the Weekend

 

 

We had a great weekend full of travelling and different adventures. Also eating out a lot. Which is fun and bad all at the same time. The good kind of bad fun, if you know what I mean. Or maybe not. Moving on.

Logan with Larissa was a blast. It was nice to just relax and hang out and not have to stress about anything (well, I didn't have to stress - she did a little bit because she was auditioning). I also caught up on lots of sleep which was also nice. And watched real tv for the first time in a long time. Weird. Husband joined us on Friday after I visited with my ex-roomies and then Larissa took some pictures for us. We have been married for more than a year and a half and need some new pictures of us besides our engagements and wedding pictures. Larissa graciously volunteered, and I think she did an AMAZING job. You can check out some of the pictures she took here.

We drove home to Provo Friday night, then Saturday morning went back up to Salt Lake City and spent all day with Daniel's family there. It was great to see everyone since we are moving we probably won't see them for a while. I loved catching up and seeing Husband's sister & her family from Idaho as well as everyone else who lives close by. It was a great night.

Sunday we spent the day with my Grandma Brown, crashing on her couch and watching General Conference and playing her piano. It was a wonderful way to spend Sunday.

What did you do this weekend?

General Conference

This weekend, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are gathering in churches and around their television, computer, or radio at home and participating in General Conference.

So far there has been one session and I LOVED it. I love getting revelation direct for God's prophets on the earth. I invite each of you to listen. Pick a talk to listen to today or tomorrow or next week. If you've watched it already, pick a talk to re-watch. I promise you will be blessed and inspired. :)

Happy weekend!

Job Interview

On Wednesday, I had a job interview with the Uintah School District. Actually, wait, this will be much more interesting if I tell you the whole story. Ok.

On Monday morning, I submitted my application to the school district for a teaching position. Monday at about 2:15, I got an email saying that my application had been received and it was being submitted for review. I figured, great! That will take a couple days. I'll just forget about it until then. Except that 20 minutes later, I got a phone call asking me to drive out to Vernal for an interview on Wednesday. I told the very nice lady on the phone that I had to talk to my husband and that I would get back to her.

So I talked to my husband and had a small break down (as I think I mentioned before). I also talked to my mom and got her opinion/advice. Then we decided that I would go out to Vernal because it was perfect timing over spring break and I probably wouldn't get a job offer same day - it would take a couple weeks. Viola! Decided.

Wednesday morning, I drove to Vernal and had some extra time, so my brother and I drove around Vernal house-hunting. We found some good ones and some not-so-good ones. Then we went back to the house, I got ready for the interview and headed off on my merry way. When I got to the interview, I realized that I knew personally two of the ladies there and knew the son of one of the gentlemen that was there. It was very relaxing for me. There was a Q&A portion first, which I think went well? I never can tell with those... And then there was a mock classroom.

Can I be honest? I hate mock classrooms. It is SO HARD. Especially when there are 7 adults in there pretending to be little children. Bah humbug. I was given a lesson plan to teach from and about ten minutes to get myself and my plan ready. Then with all the 'children' in there, I pre-conferenced with a lady (told her my plan) and then taught the lesson. Overall I thought it went well. I felt very very grateful for my acting skills because I just thought to heck with it and just treated them all like 7 year olds. Kind of embarrassing, to be honest, but I think it went ok? Anyway. After the lesson, I post-conferenced (told them what I thought went well and what I would have changed) and then they told me I was free to go.

Oh yeah... "And expect a phone call later today."

Inside I started to squirm and said, "Great! See you later!" and almost literally ran out the door. I made it back to my parents house and had a small breakdown - just a couple tears and a lot of stress. I decided either they loved me and knew they wanted me or hated me and knew they didn't. After talking to my parents for a while, I left to drive back home. (Oh, by the way, this all happened between 7:30 when I left Provo and I made it back at 4:15. Yeah.)

I still have my dance class that I have to go to for a couple more weeks, so while I was in class I got the call. I was offered a position teaching 1st grade at Maeser Elementary. Woot! Very exciting. I went to first grade at Maesar and loved it. My teacher was the greatest. So.... yeah. They liked me! And I got the job! Hoorah.

And... The end. :)

Travelling

It's so weird, but after talking to Daniel, we are doing a lot of travelling this week/month/season.

Yesterday I went to Vernal for a job interview (which I'll post about later).
Today I go to Logan. Friday Daniel joins me there and we come back to Provo.
Saturday we spend the day in Salt Lake.

And then throughout the rest of the month and into May, we will be doing even more travelling. Well, Daniel specifically as he drives to Vernal to work and then home on the weekend to see me until I can move to Vernal officially after the school year is over.

I love travelling. I think that it is a blast. I love the peace and serenity that comes from being alone in a car with just yourself, your Best Friend, and God. It's a wonderful experience.

But it does tend to make one tired. So we will be praying for safe travels and good sleeping at night. ;)

Any tips for frequent travels? How do you keep your energy up and stay close to your loved ones even when separated?

Spring Break...so far

1. April Fool's Day

On the first day of Spring Break I went down to the school. I hadn't planned anything for the weeks after spring break and I thought it would probably be a good idea to change that. So I went down for about 3 hours and got the whole next week planned and prepped. I still had more to do, but I really wanted to visit with my friend Morgan and so I left feeling good about what I had accomplished. Morgan and I ate lunch at Cafe Rio (yum!) and then I ran some errands. I was excited to relax when I got home, but alas that did not happen because I got a phone call from the Uintah School District asking me to come out for an interview on Wednesday. I was very unprepared and ended up having a melt-down about it. Husband came home and talked me through it and I called my mom to talk about it. We decided I would go, and then we just relaxed for the rest of the night. It turned out to be pretty good overall, in my opinion.

2. April Tell-Everyone-You-Were-Just-Kidding Day

On the second day of Spring Break, I lazed around. It was great. I watched movies, ate some snacks, finally finished all the sewing on my mending chair, opened the blinds to watch the rain come down, and ate more snacks. It was a great day - complete with me making dinner for Husband (which rarely happens anymore because he makes delicious dinners much faster than I do). Woot!

3. April...3rd?

The third day of Spring Break finds me driving three hours to Vernal to have lunch with my brother and then go to an interview with the Uintah School District. I am hoping the interview goes well, although I am also praying that they do not offer me the job on the spot. I would be very flattered, but I may also have a melt-down, which would not be a good idea. Then I will drive the three hours back to Provo, trying to make it in time for my dance class and to see Husband. That's the plan.

So. This spring break thing... is a break? ;)

Getting more real every day

I can't believe that all of this is really happening. We are really moving to Vernal. I am really looking for a job out there. We are really graduating from school in 4 weeks. Daniel really has an amazing job. Life really is working out for us - for our good, too!

I just feel so grateful today for everything that has happened and is happening and will happen. We've been through a lot and fought hard to get to this point, but OH BOY it has been worth it. I am so happy and so excited for life and everything that is coming our way. Life is so so so good.

In fact, it is so good that I will leave you with an amazing PianoGuys video. Oh yeah. ;)

What we did for Easter

Note the exhaustion so clearly evident on my face. I had just woken up from a nap about an hour before this picture was taken and I was still a little groggy. On the plus side, taking the nap was completely  unexpected and very awesome for that reason, so I guess I can't complain too much.

Every year for Easter, my grandparents have a great big Easter Egg Hunt for all the cousins. It is a blast. There are usually four or five hunts and everyone is divided into age groups. This year there weren't as many groups because there weren't as many  people there, but that was ok because it just meant a better haul for the rest of us. ;)

So, the pictures below are pictures of my adorable cousins and siblings running for their lives to get some awesome Easter Eggs, the adults who sat and watched for the first two rounds, and then Husband going around without his shoes on. Why? I'm still not sure.

Happy Easter. :)