break up

yup... the title says it all. That was fast, easy, and sure hope Heavenly Father knows what He is doing.

9 weeks!

It's amazing what can happen in nine weeks! Three phrases have come into my mind often over the last month, but especially the last week: "All that I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen", "When I count my many blessings I count you twice", and "You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late". I started teaching 3rd grade and found it difficult, overwhelming, fun, exhausting, entertaining, pleasurable, and it is a grade I would like to teach when I graduate in December. Wow that's around the corner! Woo! I took over subjects one week at a time, sometimes two subjects during one week. Some subjects stumped me or gave me a challenge while others were like giving candy to a baby! Now that I'm on Fall break and thinking over what it was that I was able to do for the 22 3rd graders that I taught, I realize that I changed so many of those children's lives. I had the privilege of meeting all of their parents or at least saying "Hi" to all of them and others I held a conversation with. It was interesting to see who I had the most impact upon as I heard from their parents or from my mentor when she talked to me after the fact. As I said "good bye" to my 22 3rd graders last Friday, I fought the tears so I could tell them that I cared in words. The tears still came. I wrote all the children all of their own Thank You letters for shaping me into the teacher I am today. I also encouraged many of the children to never give up as I know many are fighting for their elementary education on their own with no support from their families/parents. Then I gave them all play-dough! It was something fun! Haha! Plus I like it!

Now, as I told my third graders, I got demoted to preschool, but I truly know that I am suppose to go to preschool to teach the children there who need me! Hooray! I love those kids!

Outside of school, I have been called to be the chorister for sacrament once every four weeks, but I only will be doing it when a certain organist is playing... Sister Ballard! I'm so excited! I love Sister Ballard is amazing and I love her so much! I don't know how else to express that!

The last part of my nine weeks, I got sick with laryngitis and serous otitis media. Basically it is fluid between the tympanic membrane and Eustachian tube. My Eustachian tube is not drain the fluid and thus I have radiating pain my in ear. It hurts so much. I can deal with not talking, but this pain hurts so much! YIKES!

However, I cannot complain much because I am happy! Why are you so happy? I'm glad you asked! (sorry, that's a phrase we us in school) There is someone I want everyone to meet and I cannot wait for that to happen! The only thing that is keeping that from happening is schedules. Our schedules are completely full as well as opposite. When I'm at school, he is at work. When I'm at work, he's at school. Then when the weekend comes, I'm either jammed pack with lesson plans, he with homework, or he's out of town and I'm sick! Something is always going on, but somehow we always have time to talk to each other through notes, text, phone calls, or he'll actually drive two hours just to find me for church. Yes, I feel extremely lucky to have my boyfriend. I know it's only been two months on the 14th of October, but if this is what it feels like to be loved and to love someone... then I may have found the one. He treats me like his princess and I want to give him my all. Our communication is stronger then it is with anyone else. I fell for him because of his personality not because of his looks, but his looks are gorgeous! Ha! I cannot wait for people to meet him! Tod said, "He's a keeper!" Now for everyone else to see him! Hmmm... which picture to start with. Maybe I'll just keep adding more! ;)

Oh happiest moment of my life, short lived one that will allow me to be happy for the rest of my life, I passed all my exams for certification! I can now teach birth to 8th grade! I can't teach birth, but I can teach that age group! It's official! Once I graduate I will be considered a professional! Oh yeah! All this schooling was for something! So excited!

Here is what you were waiting for! My gorgeous sweetheart! xoxo

Oh and for those of you who are like me and like to compare faces... here is my picture. You can start comparing. Maybe this week I will remember to bring the camera to get one of us together for everyone!

Here are some facts about him... I don't mind sharing haha! He's 6'1", blond hair, blue eyes, amazing personality, hard worker, I'm his princess, family, church, school, and work are extremely important to him! He is nothing that I expected at this time in my life, but for that I am grateful for and always will be... no matter what!

A picture my friend did for me! -musical notes over a lake! Beautiful!

Here is a picture of my bulletin board that I did... my first one!

school sucks the life out of you!

News Flash, I'm sick! Yes. What else could go wrong in the middle of the semester!?! I work with 1st graders and they are all hacking and wiping snot on their sleeves and then I get to come home to Tod who is also sick with bron something. Not even a day after him and interning for a week I started coughing, started feeling my body ache much more than usual and I started coughing, sneezing, letting my nose run off, sneezing (5 times every time), and to make the matter worse I cannot hear! WHAT THE HECK! I don't mind the coughing and what not, but now i just feel sorry for the deaf. It sucks! I just tuned my professor out today in class, fell asleep for part of it, had a sugar high for the policy class, and was surely blessed that I did not get in a car accident on the ride home. I am pretty sure I sent germs to individuals around me, but when professors make up rules about how you cannot miss a single day because that's your grade and you cant make up anything well then I am not missing anything and I will just be glad to share my things! Gross right? lol
My doc will be happy to see me tomorrow! I will make a bet right now that i probably have the same thing as tod, Eustachian Tube dysfunction, and will need to be seen by an ear doctor! Whoopy!

On the up side, i have a few more weeks til spring break, which means only a few more weeks til summer! Tan baby tan!

Dating panel

I was asked tonight before the dating panel FHE what I wanted in a guy. Surrounded by guys I knew I had to be careful with what I said. I simply said that I could not perfect a guy without perfecting myself first and with doing so I will not make a list of what I want in a guy without have a list of what I want in myself for the man I marry someday. Of course that did not go smoothly and they insisted on at least two things that I wanted in a man. Without a break for thought, I blurted out, "Read The Family a Proclamation to the World, and I want a man who will be worthy to and will want to take me to the temple often... Often!" Let's just say that I was not asked for anything more or why, but I was shocked at my own response just as much as the men in front of the institute were. No one said a word until someone brought up the question of blind dates.
Over my few years of experience I can honestly say that those two things do answer what I want in a man. If he is able to take me to the temple constantly then he will be worth my time, money, effort, and love. If he is willing to follow the Proclamation to the world and be that son of God that he was foreordained to be then I am willing to struggle to with him to raise a family in righteousness unto the lord.
I did not think a question like this would ever come up, but it did and I am glad that I was able to answer it. Sure looks are part of the picture (haha), but in the end I wouldn't want to be in love with someone and not have them for eternity.

1 week down 15 to go!

One week of school is done- or the classes are anyways. Now I just have the dreading homework. I have to say that I never thought I would have laughed so much on the first week of school, but I did. I have an awesome Block of girls to learn with.
Some highlights:

• Talking with one teacher and agreeing to make a 3 hr class at an elementary school a hybrid class!
• Making amends with previous teachers!
• At the elementary school my professor said, "The P.E. teacher is really cute and young!" Us: "When you say young do you mean young for you or for us and do you mean cute as in hott or cute as in nice/ gentleman?" Prof: "Young for me, but you'll see." P.E. teacher walks through the class and we all watch with staring eyes... Us: "yeah, he's not young or cute" Haha... he is for her and that's all that matters! lol!
• Old teacher humor!
• JIHGFEDCBA blast Off! (replacing letters for the numeral system for adding and subtracting! really difficult when you don't know your alphabet backwards!)
  
• When asked what math tools we would like to have in our classrooms to teach with one girl calmly said, "Calculator!" HAHA (Teacher was looking for the answer of paper, counters, t-tables, etc!)
• Sudoku!
• Geost foor phoon, phaloe thoo dats! Translation: Just for fun, follow the dots.
• Taking 3rd grade math standards aims test all over again! (epic fail!)
• Finding out if I have math anxiety- No doubt! I'm fearful about math!

Best part is I now can tell you that teaching is not just telling, it's showing. I was told today that my job is not going to get easier- dang it! lol but that's the joy of it! Keep your hands and feet inside at all times cuz it's going to be a bumpy ride with lots of laughs!

Beauty shop... or something

One last post. Since I cannot figure this blogging thing out I just decided to make a new post. :)
My friend came over the other day to play beauty shop as she calls it. I was just having fun and letting her get me ready for a dinner with high school friends I haven't seen in 4 years. Wow i'm getting old! It's really been that long since I thought I was on top of the world! Oh wait, I'm there again, Senior! YEAH! Dang it... what to do after Dec... if you have any ideas please share! Masters, or teaching (birth to 8th grade is what i'm aiming for) Or Nanny? is there a degree for that? anyone?
anywho. I totally made fun of the photo snapping portion of the afternoon cuz it's awkward and I was told not to laugh or talk or move. It was so much fun! Or in another photo, I had no upper body strength. I sorta stopped P90X. Yeah... I'd rather eat ice cream and feed the ducks!

Thanksgiving through New years!

Here is the next update for let's say the next semester or until I can figure out another break from school and life in general. Besides, I'm not too great at this blogging business, but if you get a Facebook page, add me. You can see all the pictures in the world! Plus you can hear how my mom called me liver the other day!
Thanksgiving rocked (my aunts took pics of that and I will not steal any pictures from them unless they let me and I have yet to ask), Christmas was cool. I stayed up all Christmas eve just to find out that Santa does not exist. My child heart is upset. :(tear) I got home at 7 am- just in time to wake everyone up! Tod was up and helped me. My niece, Caely was so mad that I woke her up. Haha! It was time I showed her Christmas morning. However, wanted nothing to do with presents, just the Christmas decorations that she could dance too. My mom has good taste as well. I will be wearing the same outfit every week- I just don't know what day yet. My aunts and uncles on the Ellsworth side tried to set me up with a guy that randomly walked in the wrong house. Yeah... ain't happening people! I can't make it any clearer!



Here are a few pictures I took from New Years Eve. Yes, I did get a random kiss from a random guy. However, I did not let him get away without getting his name. No, I did not want his number. I've got my eyes on a real gentleman.




It was a fun night! We danced, played video games, gambled on Deal or No Deal (that's our Vegas-haha! and shot hoops. May I just add that I love my height! I may be short, but my brothers taught me well! I can surely drive when it comes to video games. Haha!