ME

I stole this from my good friend Alyssa Craig

Ten Things I wish I could say to 10 Different People (but don't say their name):

1. You are a great person, but I can only take you in small doses.
2. If any one is going to the celestial kingdom, it is you.
3. Sometimes your intensity scares me and I don't ever know how to respond to you.
4. I miss you (a lot) but I am scared for the day you come home.
5. I am really glad you became my friend because no one really gets me like you do.
6. If you don't want my opinion, don't ask for it.
7. I really wish I knew you better...there has to be a flaw there somewhere, but all I see is perfection.
8. Please don't feel sorry for me. Pity does not become you well.
9. I know you are just teasing, but it kind of hurts when you make fun of my age.
10. Thank you for understanding my obsession with Utah State...especially basketball.

Nine Things About Myself:

1. I am loud- I talk loud, I laugh loud.
2. I try and pretend to be outgoing, but really, talking to people I don't know really freaks me out.
3. I am somewhat obsessive about my jewelry. I always wear my watch, my CTR ring, my class ring, and earrings.
4. I don't like it to be quiet...I almost always have music or the TV on, even if I am not paying attention.
5. Generally, I don't find awkward silences awkward and I won't talk just to fill a silence.
6. I don't like things on my feet (socks, shoes) or people touching my feet.
7. I have a HUGE sweet-tooth.
8. I love to cook, but I HATE doing dishes.
9. I take way to many pictures of everything.


Eight Ways to Win My Heart:

1. Be comfortable in the outdoors- hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, etc
2. Carry on a conversation- talk and listen
3. Stand up for what he believes
4. Sense of humor, able to make me laugh
5. Athleticism...at least enough to be comfortable watching the game with me
6. This may sound bad but, be at least 6' 1" I find it really awkward when I am the taller one.
7. Being ok with my super awkward, clumsy moments- laugh at them with me
8. Getting along with my family, especially my siblings, and my friends

Seven Things That Cross my Mind a Lot:

1. Oh, crap!
2. I can't believe I just said that!
3. I can not stay in Provo forever (or I have to get out of here!)
4. hahahaha!! (I laugh inside a lot during the day...I am not supposed to laugh at my students, but they make it too easy :)
5. How do I fit everything in today?
6. Clever and witty things that I never think of at the right time.
7. Things I need to get at the store, but never remember to write on my grocery list

Six Things I Do Before I Fall Asleep:

1. Make a list of what I need to do tomorrow
2. Take out contacts
3. Wash my face/take off make-up
4. Brush my teeth
5. Put on chapstick
6. Pray.


Five People Who Mean A Lot:

1. Mom and Dad (I am cheating and lumping them together)
2. Katie
3. Marcus
4. Jessi
5. Molly

Four Things I'm Wearing:

1. gym shorts
2. spandex shorts
3. t-shirt
4. socks

Three Songs I Listen to Often:

1. Just a Kiss- Lady Antebellum (A new song, but I have completely fallen in love with it)
2. Chances- Five for Fighting
3. Singing in the Rain/Umbrella- Glee cast ( am not a big glee fan, but I love this mix)

Two Things I Want to do Before I Die:

1. Visit all 50 states
2. Learn to water ski ( I have tried multiple times, but it always seems to end badly)

One Confession

Even though I always complain about my social life, I have days where I just don't want to talk to anyone, see anyone, be with anyone, I call them my anti-social days. I just don't feel like have to be around people. I am much more content to read or watch a movie by myself.

That was A LOT harder than I thought it was going to be...

Failing Social Life

I was told this past week that I need to blog more...so, as a summer goal, I will try :)

Just a warning: This may become more of a ranting post- Beware!

This is something that has been eating at me for a while, and tonight just caps it all off. I have always heard rumors, stereotypes, if you will, about Provo, UT. The great social life. The overactive dating scene. The great LDS culture. I have lived here for almost a year (11 and a half months) and I have seen none of this. I don't just mean very little, I mean NONE.

Social life: I have always thought of myself as a very social person...maybe my job in Logan spoiled me. I would like to think I have friends in Provo, but I am starting to wonder. Night after night, Holly and I plan activities, movie nights, car pools to Real games, etc. Very, very rarely does anyone other than the two of us show up! I am starting to think there is something wrong with me. I shower, I brush my teeth, I exercise...is there something repulsive about me that makes everyone turn and run in the other direction?

Dating life: If I had one I wouldn't have included it in this list, right? Now, you might say I could take it into my own hands, but the sad thing is, there is no one to ask! Once again, is there something repulsive about me that makes guys turn and run in the other direction?

Great LDS culture: People here think I am divorced because I am a single, LDS, college graduate. I am criticized and belittled for being a strong USU graduate that opposes BYU. Good example, huh?

If I didn't know with such strong certainty that I am supposed to be here it would be really easy to just pack up and leave.

Now that that is out of my system, I did have a fantastic trip to Logan this week. Just driving into the valley (through a canyon that "poops" me out) it gives me just that extra push I need. I love that valley. I love the people. I love the college. It was absolutely beautiful. There is still a LOT of water everywhere. I have never seen water in the lake bottom this time of year and there is still snow waiting to come down! They have 600 West closed because the river is overflowing. Second dam picnic area is covered in water...but everything is so green! I love it!

I got to have lunch with my bestest best friend. She may be married (for almost a year! I can't believe it) but she didn't turn into one of those "stupid married people." She probably knew I would kill her if she did. I am happy that she refers to Andrew by name and not "my husband." I am happy she still wants to be my bestest best friend even though I live in "zoobieville" now. I am happy I have a reason to have lunch with her still.

I got to go to the student center and see my aunt and cousin at SOAR. I remember the day I went to SOAR. I was nervous, excited, terrified, and absolutely in awe all at the same time. I am so excited for her and for my brother who are both starting out on the best adventure in life. Moving out on your own, meeting new people, finding yourself.

I got to see all my A-team family still left and a few extras. These people are like my USU family. As Lisa always says, "Once an A-teamer always an A-teamer." I wasn't sure what it would be like to walk back in but it was like every other SOAR day. I did feel out of place however, because I wasn't wearing my blue and khaki. I was also very impressed with the current A-team. They seemed like a great group of people and they assisted very aggressively. I had dinner with some of these A-team girls and felt like nothing had changed. Just a girls night out.

I am not ashamed to admit that I did cry a little driving home. I was very tempted to stay, but I knew if I did, I would never leave.

End of the Year

Well, I have made it to the end of the school year! I have one more week left of my first year of teaching and what a crazy year it was! We have had some crazy moments and some great moments as well. We have finished our end of year testing which was an interesting experience in and of itself. Never have I felt more stressed about something I had no control over as I did for those three weeks of the school year. The kids did very well and I am very proud of all of them for working hard and doing there best.

Through all of the craziness that makes up the last month of school, I have come to realize that my crazy job teaching part 6th grade and part 4th grade was a blessing for the entire school. During the first week of testing, one of the fourth grade teachers lost her husband after a long fight with liver disease. She was gone for a week and a half and it was great to be able to take her class and help out. Then, just this morning, one of the sixth grade teachers lost her father to heart failure and I am now sitting in with the sixth graders. I am all over the place but it is nice to be able to reduce their stress level in these hard times.

Now on to the good news..although it took a while to become good news. After months of stessing and worrying, I have now been offered a full-time regular position teaching the fourth grade here in Provo at the same school. Originally, I was offered a crazy 2nd/5th/6th split job and I was considering moving to a new district. However, with much help from the staff at the school and many prayers, I was offered the fourth grade job. I am really excited about it and really happy to be able to stay (at the school not in Provo)

New Year

I know that it has been a new year for almost three weeks now, but oh well. I haven't blogged in a while merely for the fact that I had nothing interesting to say. Life has been pretty boring lately.

I went home to Tooele for Christmas break (which was not nearly long enough I might add.) It was a good break and Christmas was great this year. It was nice to see my family for longer than a weekend.

School has been going really well. I finally got my "New" eMINTS classroom. I now have 18 personal desktop mac's (which is supposed to equal out to one computer for every two kids, but with my special circumstances, it ends up being one for every student exactly). Using them is like learning to teach all over again. I really have no idea what I am doing, but it is slowly getting easier to incorporate them into my lessons every day. I wouldn't say that I love having them, but they are nice tools some of the time. I still have to attend a 3.5 hour class on most Thursday nights to learn how to use them, which gets long in a hurry. My kids are still as cute as ever, even when they try and set me up with their dads or other teachers at the school. They are more interested in my love life than I am! :)

On the note of school, I had a chat with my principal this week about the upcoming school year. I have decided that if they cannot offer me a full-time, regular classroom situation position, then I will apply elsewhere. I really don't enjoy living in Provo that much and if I have to move schools, I might as well get out of Happy Valley. The dream place would be Logan or Cache Valley school districts (and through the grapevine I have heard they are hoping to hire a lot of new teachers this year.) Either way, I feel like I am starting all over again and am right back were I was a year ago. I love Provost Elementary, but I can't do this teach a group of kids here and there thing. I'm only half way through the year and I am tired of it. I want a class that I can bond with and that will be mine. I want everyone I work with to treat me like an equal...not a second rate aide that happens to have a teaching degree (and not everyone here thinks that, but the select few make it clear they don't think I am capable).

Sorry this has taken the form of a Christmas newsletter. I did not intend for that to happen. Hopefully it won't be so long before my next post :)

Feels like going home!

I fully expect tomorrow to be one of the best days ever! Merely for the fact that I get to go to my first Aggie Basketball game of the year. This may not sound like a big deal, but believe me, it is. One cannot fully comprehend the energy and excitement that courses through your body as you stand in those cramped, ugly orange and yellow chairs, awaiting the time those big doors slam open, the boys run out, Big Blue drops from the jumbo-tron, and the entire student body starts waving their arms, "herding and milking the cows". There is no where else on earth when so many people are united in saying "I believe that we will win!" Does it matter who we play? Does it matter how good they are? No. Chances are, if you enter that building to play, you WILL lose.

There are no words to do my feelings justice. I will be there, loud and proud. Living in Provo, I hear comments all the time about how demoralizing and unsportsmanlike we are. We do not attack anyone as a person. We simply get inside their heads and become the 6th man on that floor. There's a reason we wait for hours on end every game day. We take our job very seriously.

And, as excited as I am for this game against Weber tomorrow night, I am even more excited for the game this coming Wednesday. It is not in the Spectrum. It is in Provo. I don't care if we lose every other games this season. If we can win, in Provo, against BYU on their home court, it will be one of the most glorious moments in the history of USU basketball. Once again, I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN! And I can't wait to show them the scoreboard.

Utah State! Hey, Aggies all the way! Go Aggies! Go Aggies! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Sunday Bliss

Today has been a really good Sunday. I always love Fast and Testimony Sunday's. My day started out early with Welfare Meeting. This was a new experience for me and I really had no idea what I was doing. To help the matters, I was the only member of the Presidency there...not exactly ideal. Next week is our Ward Conference and to put things mildly, I didn't know nearly as much as I should have. However, this was just another one of those "Don't Panic, it's ok." situations. No matter how badly I screw up, the Lord is always there to compensate for the rest of it.

I also attended the CES broadcast tonight. I have two things to say about this. The first is on the actual broadcast itself. The second on the people attending the broadcast.

Elder Ballard had a fantastic message that I so needed to hear. I love the way the Lord always knows exactly what we need to hear and finds a way to tell us. I would also like to mention the 1000+ choir from the Logan Institute did an amazing job! They looked and sounded fantastic!! It was so exciting to see people I knew singing.

Now, considering the broadcast was held at the Marriot Center on the BYU campus you would think the people attending would know how to behave and act properly. Then again, this is Provo and the people here continue to amaze me. I was always taught that when an apostle or other general authority is in the building you stand when they enter and leave the room. You also wait for them to leave before you do so. When half the congregation stands and leaves before Elder Ballard stood up, I thought I was going to die! Really!?! Come on! Is having so much access to general authorities diminishing the respect you have for them? Do you not realize that he is an Apostle of the Lord and deserves the utmost respect we can give? I was SO embarrassed for those people.

I love Sunday's that leave you feeling refreshed and ready for the next week...and with my upcoming week, I'm going to need it. Parent teacher conferences here I come!

Fall Days

Can you say crazy?!? That is the word that describes life right now!

School is going really well. I love the kids I have and I love the other teachers I work with. There are obviously some students that are, lets say...more difficult, but most of them don't come from very good homes and school is the only semi-positive thing in their lives. Most of them are just adorable and so cute. I have quickly found that being a teacher makes for some long days, but I am also finding that they are totally worth it.
I have been slightly roped into a new technology program called eMINTS. By December, I will have a computer for every other student in my class (2 students per computer). I have training two times a month and those days are especially long. However, there are 3 other teachers from my school doing it with me, so it is good for getting to know them outside of school.

To make life as a first year teacher even crazier than normal, I have been called as the 1st Counselor in one of the Relief Society's in my ward. I wasn't so sure about it at first because I have never had a calling in any part of Relief Society before and I have NO idea what I am doing. However, the other girls in the presidency are great and we have fantastic ladies in our ward. It has been really good for social reasons as well. I am getting to know a lot of people.

I've lived in Provo now for almost 3 months and I can officially say, most people are crazy...everything you hear about Provo, well, it's true. Here are some things I have learned:

1. Don't go to the temple on a Saturday morning for baptisms- it takes you over 3 hours.

2. Wal-Mart is the official place for PDA. Really, I don't care if you are engaged, married, or pregnant and I especially don't want to see it while grocery shopping.

3. Leaving the "Just Married" decorations on your car for over two weeks=tacky!

4. Please don't assume that because I have graduated and am working I have served a mission and gone through the temple... and no, there is nothing wrong with me because of that.

5 (and most important). Yes, I live in Provo. N,o I do not like BYU. In fact, I will cheer against them any chance I get. I wear my Aggie apparel proudly and will happily admit to standing in line for hours to see USU beat BYU.