Gingerbread Adventures

Every year my family likes to put together a unique gingerbread structure. This year my mother thought of doing an igloo. We had all the family around to help and I think it turned out cute. Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of time for lots of bells and whistles like we normally do, but it turned out lovely anyway.

Meg did a great job on the penguins!

My Birthday!

Well, I had one of the best birthdays ever! There were a few points which I will make to show that it really couldn't have been any better.

First, I took the day off from work so I got to sleep in just a smidgen. I didn't have to worry about what I was teaching, or which child was doing what. I simply got to get up and slowly get ready for the day.

Next, I cleaned and organized most of my guest room. Over the last few weeks somehow it became a junk room and it was a cleansing experience putting most things back in order.

Well, I really cleaned it out so the massage therapist could put her table in that room. My sister-in-law was so kind as to arrange for one as my birthday present. I just have to say that I felt wonderful after that and could have been completely happy with my day at that point, but the great thing is that there was more!

In the late afternoon I curled up on my couch with a good book and some light piano music in the background and read for a couple of hours! Jeff gave me "Catching Fire" on Sunday with the rest of his families presents so I had it out and ready to go. I read as the sun went down and until Jeff got home.

When he walked in he asked me where my phone was at in the house. I picked it up to show him it was in my lap and just then I got a text saying for me to check the (ugly, and I wish it would go away) pig, which is a cookie jar that sits on our front porch. I went to open the door and got a wonderful surprise when I saw our good friends Heather and Kayli. They brought me some cookies and a card. I felt so special that they would drive all the way up to Orem to make me feel special. We talked for a while and had some good laughs.

When they left Jeff and I went out on our date for the evening. He took me to my favorite place to eat, Jason't Deli. I just love the fresh deli sandwich and creamy broccoli cheese soup. After dinner we went to the movies and saw New Moon. It was a fun movie and we both enjoyed the story.

It was pretty late when we came out of the movie so we just went home. I walked into the kitchen and on the table was an amazing apple pie from Kneader's and some cute birthday balloons. Thanks goes out to Zack and Delta for bringing them for Jeff. We ate some pie and I opened my presents and cards. Jeff got me a beautiful necklace, that I picked out.

Overall, I just felt special and loved. I want to thank everyone for all the phone calls, e-mails, and messages that let me know how much I am loved. It felt good to know that people cared about making my birthday special. I love you all too!

Another Pair

I am so excited to write that I have added another pair of shoes to my collection. Now these shoes were not picked on a whim in a store as I walked by. These were chosen with great care and research.

I had decided a few months ago that I needed some new running shoes. My old ones were getting ratty and uncomfortable so I didn't like going to the gym as much (unfortunately that is not the only reason I don't like going to the gym, but that would be a whole different post). I went online to find the best way to pick a good running shoe for me. Well, most of the sites I visited said I should just go to a running shoe store and ask a sales person to let me try on a whole bunch.

Well, after a long time and a lot of shoe comparison I found a style that I liked and it felt good. The bad news was that the sticker price was a lot more then I was willing to pay for a pair of running shoes (maybe if I actually ran I might have thought more about it).

Here is the good news. I am smart. I figured I would just take the brand and style names of the shoe I wanted and see if I could get a better deal online. Well, low and behold, I did. I found the same shoes (in a different color) for over half of the price of the shoes in the store and at a price I could swallow. I even got free shipping with a promotional code!

Now I have cute, comfortable, and affordable running shoes that make it a little bit easier to get back to the gym.

Halloween

Well, I meant to post right after Halloween, but I had Parent/Teacher conferences this week. That usually takes more time then I think it will, but I am glad they are over and I get today off!

On Halloween Jeff and I kept it simple. After the Haunted House incident I was not in the mood for anything scary. We decided to stay home to make and decorate sugar cookies. They weren't fancy and the "black" frosting was more of a swamp green, but we had fun anyway.

After they were made we decided to share them with our friends, Tammy and Cameron. We were going to just drop the cookies off and say a quick hello, but they invited us in to play Phase 10. It was a rousing game (I lost terribly) and we talked the night away. We had a lovely night full of treats and friends. Just they way I like it

.

A celebration to remember!

The trip we have all been waiting for finally happend! Jeff wisked me away on a secret anniversery weekend to celebrate our first year of marrige together. He has had his sneeky face on for quite a while and , as you might imagine, I was ready to find out what we were going to be doing.

We left at about 4pm on Friday and started driving south. This eliminated a few places and narrowed it down to about two options. We talked and laughed about what we had been doing a year ago while Jeff kept a tight lid on where we were going.

Finally, I was getting pretty hungry, so I asked if we were going to be eating soon or should I have some more snacks. He said it wouldn't be much longer which made me think. We started driving though Ceder City and was almost though the town when Jeff pulled off on the last exit. In my head I was thinking, "Hum, I have never been to Ceder City this will be new." I was excited and ready to begin the trip, and I was starving. Jeff had found an old Ma and Pop type steak house where all the locals were coming in and the workers asked where we were from. It was such a friendly place and the food was GOOD.

After dinner we were off to the place we would be staying. Jeff turned back the way we had come and then before I knew it we were back on the freeway. "What!?" "I never said we were staying in Ceder City," Jeff smirks to me. This is when I shout my guess, "We are going to Saint George! We are going to Tuacahnn!" Jeff told me that I was right and that we would be seeing one of my favorite plays, Aida.

Saturday was a bit of an adventure. First, I had told Jeff to find something that he wanted to do on the trip, so he chose to see a "boy movie". Well, it took us driving around for quite a while to finally find the movie theater, but we did find an AMAZING Mongolian BBQ by accident. That was some good food!

On Saturday night we drove out to Tuacahnn to eat at the buffet before the show started. We even had a little time to take pictures before going into the theater. Jeff was so wonderful to get tickets that were third row center! If you haven't been to Tuacahnn, the back of the stage is the mountain and it looks beautiful. As the show begins the backdrop is parcially covered, but as the song changes moods and the "war" begins the front pieces melt away and the people come out of the mountain and horses charge on stage! It was so crazy to see all of the special effects (fireworks, a camel, chickens, sheep, etc.). My favorite was the waterfall that slowly filled another pool and then created another waterfall. This happend about three times and each time it go closer and closer to the stage. I thought it would just run off somewhere off stage, but soon it actually created a river ON STAGE! It looked amazing and I think my jaw dropped.

The next morning it was time to check out and go home. Sunday was our actual anniversery so we thought it would be a good idea to stop by the Saint George Temple on our way out of town to remind us of the special promises we made only a year ago.

On the drive home there was more laughing about the events of last year (how I had to get up so much earlier then Jeff did!) and our favorite memories. We stopped in a park to each lunch, but then finished off the drive home.

It was a wonderful weekend, but the best part was remembering how great the whole year has been. I look forward to an eternity of time with my love.

CrAzY!

Wow, has it really been that long since I last blogged. Oops! Well, I have had my hands full for a little while with my job and all the new changes that have happend in the school district this year. Well, I just wanted to give all my MILLIONS of readers a heads up for a great new post that is comming this weekend. It happens to be a special weekend.

Getting a Green Thumb?

Well, I have caught a bug. The green thumb bug that it is. I went home last week and saw so many beautiful gardens and landscapes which got me VERY excited about trying to get my own yard looking, well, like a yard and not just a brown waste land (ok, so I am being a little dramatic). Jeff and I have talked about getting a watering system and other plans of planting a garden, but we haven't really done anything about it (except for trying to controll the weeds).

Well, this week I have started, on my new found energy, to try and work in my yard. I even went to the Home Depot by myself and bought some Round Up and some new (cute) gloves. I still don't have any idea what I am doing, but I figure with asking a lot of questions and some trial and error, Jeff and I just might be able to figure it out!

Letting Go.

So I got my hair cut on Monday. I asked that only about 3 1/2 inches be cut and then put in some light layers. Well, my 3 1/2 in. is the same as some people's 6 inches. I was fine with the cut dispite the shock at how much was taken off. I have always hung on to my long hair as sort of a security blanket in my life and I think I needed someone to just cut it without letting me know. I feel good about letting go of the long locks and I think the cut looks really great and my hair feels really healthy! Please support me in the letting go process.

It is a little hard to see the hair style, but you get the idea.

My parents are in town!

My parents are back in town to visit. My brother and sister-in-law just had their third child (Ella Jane Wright) the day before Jeff and I went to Hawaii (so sorry I didn't write about her birth), so my parents are out being Grandparents. My brother is also in the play Singing in the Rain at the Hale Center Theater, Orem, so they are also being supportive parents.

Well, being the only child with a spare room they are staying with us for a couple of days and I LOVE it! Not only do I get spoiled and I get to spend time with them, my parents are so HANDY! I always have a few projects that I want to get done while they are here. My dad and I have a great time bonding at Lowe's or Home Depot and my mom and I often look though the fabric at Joanne's. Here are some of the things we have gotten done this week:

Installed a ceiling fan in my bedroom so Jeff can survive the rest of summer.

Before

Recovered my kitchen chairs. They were stained (before I moved in) and I couldn't get them clean (or at least to look like they were clean)

After

And, as always, we are still slowly repairing the hole in the wall. The plaster needs to be thicker then we thought so it takes a couple of layers so they will dry.

I am still working on re caulking the downstairs sink and a few other things here and there. My parents are wonderful to have around and I like learning how to take care of a house. Soon I will be able to install and repaire all sorts of stuff on my own. Thanks Mom and Dad!

My love of Hawaii

Here are just a few things that I love about Hawaii.

First, I love to float in the ocean. It is so relaxing to just let the waves rock me back and forth and listen to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Jeff would get mad that I could just float in the water for hours and not get tired when he would have to tread water just to keep his head above water. I seem to have some sort of talent that most people don't have because my family last year felt the same way.

READING! I love to just sit around and read a good book. Well, I guess this isn't just something I like to do in Hawaii, but it did take a lot of my time. I finished one book and am almost done with the second book I took with me.

The beautiful scenery. I love that at just about any point on the trip I could have pulled out the camera and taken a lovely picture of the landscape. The colors, trees, flowers and plants are so beautiful . This picture was just taken as I was sitting at one of the shows at the PCC.

Shaved ice with sweetend condensed milk. Flavors: Banana, Pinapple, and Coconut. I don't think I need to say anything more.

Hawaii makes me happy. I love the people and the land. I am so glad I was able to share it with Jeff this time and I hope we make it back sometime, and maybe try another island.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Daddy's day dad. You are the best dad I could have ever asked for. I love all the memories and the lessons taught. I thank you for helping me become the person I am today. Also, thanks for all the help with the house, I didn't know that was part of the deal!

School is out for SUMMER!

This was given to me by one of my students on the last day of school and she had all of the kids sign it (on the back). This was one of many cute gifts I recieved.

Well, another school year has come and gone. I have felt that this year I was able to be a better teacher then I ever have been before because I had the time to track my students progress more then I have in the past. I also has an amazing group of kids. They were smart, creative, and always knew how to make me laugh. I think this is the first year I have been truly sad to see my class move on to third grade.

On a different note, I took full advantage of the beginning of my Summer holiday by meeting my sister Megan for lunch and a pedicure. I love getting pedicures because I get to relax and have cute toe nails when I am done. This time I even went with a design. It is a little hard to see all the details in the picture. Anyway, I have lots of plans for this "break" in my life and most of the plans have something to do with cleaning, organizing, or repairing the house and yard so wish me luck. Should be fun!

Sorry if feet gross you out.

Just some pics.

The oven arrived! I love cooking with my new oven and stove. I had forgotten what it was like to bake with an oven that kept an even temperature the whole time.

Speaking of baking, I never posted the pictures I took of myself making Easter bread. I think it turned out great. I had it for breakfast almost every day until it was gone.

BABYSITTING! Addie and Ian came over to play a few weeks ago so Sarah and Kenny could find some room to breath. We went outside in the backyard and they played in the grass while I BBQ some chicken for dinner. Well, Ian put a little soccer ball in his shirt and then said that he looked like mommy (My sister-in-law is pregnant). It was so funny I ran for the camera. Addie, of course, had to get in on the action too. We had a great night full of snuggles and laughs.

Saturday is a Special Day!

Yesterday was such a great day! It all started with Jeff taking me to FINALLY get a new oven range. (Please see Jeff’s last Moniversary post for the story on that one) We went to a couple of different places but finally settled on a GE oven range with four burners and a warming burner. It has lots of fun things it can do and the oven is so BIG! I can’t wait to get it and use it this coming Tuesday.

Well, not only am I excited about being able to cook upstairs again, I went online to check if my Praxis PLT test scores were up. Now, there is another part to this process which will make my excitement for checking my scores mean a lot more in the story….

On March 14th I took the last test I will need to get my level 2 license to be a teacher (more pay, not as many people looking over my shoulder, etc.). When I went into the room I wasn’t all the way sure what to expect. I had tried to get some practice things online but they either didn’t work or they cost money, so I was in for a surprise. The test had 25 multiple choice questions, 4 case studies which each had three questions and those questions had two parts each. I was to answer the case studies using short answer essays. It doesn’t sound so bad right? Well, try doing it in TWO HOURS! That was it! I was writing so fast I thought my fingers were going to fall off. My brain was spinning trying to think and write at the same time, and forget having time to read through the case study. I panicked half way though when I realized there was no way I was going to be able to answer all the questions. My last essay I wrote said “draw more” (it was a response to how to help a child with visual/ spatial learning).

When I came out of the test I was FURIOUS! I couldn’t believe they would give a test where there was not enough time to think or process information to a teacher who it trying to prove that she can give GOOD assessments. They were testing how fast I could read and write. I will just say that there were a lot a tears and Jeff had to give me lots of hugs (and do a little math to find out the probability of me passing).

Well, it has been over four weeks and I saw my test scores and I PASSED! There were more tears, but these were happy tears that were full for relief. I can still be a teacher, the only job I would ever want to have. I love my students and would be sad if I couldn’t teach any more.
Saturdays are a great day!

Imelda strikes again!

Well, anyone who has been around me for a while might know that I am a little obsessed with shoes. My parents even used to call me Imelda when I was little. I don’t own as many as the woman who is famous for her extensive shoe collection, but I own a few pairs (Jeff would say tons, but I know that I could have more, so I am sticking with the FEW) and I love them all. I like all types, colors, shapes, comfy and impractical shoes. On Saturday, with my “fun money” , I was at the Sunflower Market (GREAT PLACE) and I saw a whole wall of Crocs. Kenny, my brother, had purchased some a few weeks ago and I thought that they were so comfortable (of course I tried his shoes on, I wanted to see if I liked them) and I wanted some for myself. I remembered when I saw the colorful wall and the shoes just called out to me (shoes do that sometimes). I quickly looked for my size and then debated on what color to get, green or blue. I decided I would wear them more often if I picked the blue. I have to admit, I checked out as fast as possible, power walked to my car and immediately put the new shoes on. I was right, they were so comfortable. They do look a little silly and normally I am a fan of the cute shoes, but the last time I bought shoes was in December (my snow boots) and that was rough for me. I think I use to average at least one pair a month. Well, have no fear I have found some shoes to keep me content. New shoes always make for a great day.

My Lover Boy!

So, once again Jeff has proved that he is the best husband in the world! For Valentine's Day he had a whole list of things to make it the best day ever.

1. On Friday he came home with a bunch of red roses. (all the guys at work made a special Friday trip to Costco for all their wives)


2. On Saturday he made me breakfast (now this is normal, but it is still SUPER nice every time he does it)


3. That night he took me on a date that took me back to all the best dates we had while we were dating. Such as...

Going to Los Hermanos for dinner

Taking me to the playhouse we went on the night he told me that he liked me (we both decided that the thought was what mattered and that we were both too tired to sit through a whole play)

A trip to Target (that was the same date as the play) to buy a new something, and I chose to get some new snuggly pajamas.

A movie at home to snuggle together (and fall asleep, oops).


4. Before we watched the movie Jeff hid a box of chocolate and a note in my blanket (this is from the date that I started to fall in love with Jeff). I have to admit that the note made me cry.


Jeff and I have had a lot of fun over the past year and I am excited to see what other surprises await us!

Oldies!

So I was thinking that it was about time I updated my blog. Well, then I said to myself, "Self, what shall I post on my blog for the world to read?" I thought and thought when I looked next to my computer, and low and behold an old CD of pictures was sitting there winking at me. So here are some fun pics from my old days (ok so it was only about 3 1/2 years ago).

So my roomates and I started taking pictures for a video we were going to put together of the Pink Bible. We never actually got around to making the video but we took a lot of pictures. I was suppose to be depicting that "Men want to see the fantasy, not reality."

This is my roomate Mandy. We were just having fun with the camera and thought that this pic turned out looking pretty cool.

Mandy and I took a trip to San Fran. and went to the Exploratorium. It was so much fun to walk around and play with all the stuff. If you haven't ever been and you are in San F. then you HAVE to go!

What is with me and the potty?

This is us being goofy outside of the Exploritorium.

And me when I was working for a kids summer program (man I was tan!).

I was in the play "Fiddler on the Roof" where I played the oldest daughter.

BEACH TRIP!

Ok, so this was a little more then 4 years ago, but it was just too cute not to put up. I loved our hot tub! Thanks to the older siblings who did all the work!

Well, thanks for walking down memory lane with me for a bit.