I am so not on top of things. I am very very lucky I remembered my mom's birthday this month...yikes! I feel like December is so crazy, and my students are out of control this month! They know Santa is coming...that can only lead to insanity. I hope you had a wonderful birthday Sarah! Yay for another year older and wiser!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, JO!
I don't know if I have a cute picture to post, but I wanted to give a shout-out to our favorite Southern California WM. And by the way, she had a birthday recently, so happy birthday, Jo. Here's to knowing you for 8.5 years (if I did that math correctly). Can you even believe that? Time flies in the "bubble." Happy birthday! We love you.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Way to go Jo!
I can't even imagine how much time and effort you must have put into the Prop 8 campaign, but I just wanted to say thanks. I'm happy and relieved that it passed. As for other decisions made about our country yesterday, well, I'm feeling less than stellar about some of those.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Theories
I've developed some new theories about my unemployment. I've never had a hard time getting a job that I wanted (up until now), so going on four months of unemployment has been a new and humbling experience for me. Here are my theories about why it's lasted so long.
1. The economy (obviously) - this is a big one... I apply for positions and they get cancelled, new jobs aren't posted, etc.
2. I am a young-ish, married BYU graduate living in Utah. This is my most recent idea about why I've been unable to get a job. I had my thoughts about it while I was still at BYU and interviewed with a few companies in Utah (not sure if you remember), but the ring on the finger is like the nail in the coffin. Since I've been unemployed, I've submitted applications for 36 positions, interviewed for more than 10 of those, and had second (or third) interviews for several. This destroys my theory about being a bad interviewer, because if I were really awful, I don't think they'd be calling me back. So, my strongest theory at this point is that I can't get hired because I'm a girl, I'm married (one step closer to baby) and they think I'm going to get pregnant any day now which means I'll last 9 months to a year at most, when they'll have to go through the hiring process all over again. It's times like this I wish I had gone into nursing or teaching - two fantastic, respectable professions that seem a little less subjected to this sexist rule.
3. God is trying to teach me a very important lesson that I haven't learned yet and will only see the meaning of in years to come.
4. I needed the time to get my own business rolling.
5. I'm supposed to be working on family history, volunteering, humanitarian aid projects, and serving the elderly in my now abundant free time. (this goes along with the lessons God is trying to teach me)
6. I'm supposed to have a baby. Now. (not sold on this one, just a theory)
Thoughts?
1. The economy (obviously) - this is a big one... I apply for positions and they get cancelled, new jobs aren't posted, etc.
2. I am a young-ish, married BYU graduate living in Utah. This is my most recent idea about why I've been unable to get a job. I had my thoughts about it while I was still at BYU and interviewed with a few companies in Utah (not sure if you remember), but the ring on the finger is like the nail in the coffin. Since I've been unemployed, I've submitted applications for 36 positions, interviewed for more than 10 of those, and had second (or third) interviews for several. This destroys my theory about being a bad interviewer, because if I were really awful, I don't think they'd be calling me back. So, my strongest theory at this point is that I can't get hired because I'm a girl, I'm married (one step closer to baby) and they think I'm going to get pregnant any day now which means I'll last 9 months to a year at most, when they'll have to go through the hiring process all over again. It's times like this I wish I had gone into nursing or teaching - two fantastic, respectable professions that seem a little less subjected to this sexist rule.
3. God is trying to teach me a very important lesson that I haven't learned yet and will only see the meaning of in years to come.
4. I needed the time to get my own business rolling.
5. I'm supposed to be working on family history, volunteering, humanitarian aid projects, and serving the elderly in my now abundant free time. (this goes along with the lessons God is trying to teach me)
6. I'm supposed to have a baby. Now. (not sold on this one, just a theory)
Thoughts?
Thursday, October 09, 2008
updates
Hey girls. I've felt so out of touch lately... with everything! You, the world, etc. Anyway, the thing that my life has been revolving around lately is the launch of my new business and the accompanying website. :) I don't quite know what my expectations are for Sugarhouse Ink, but for right now I'm only hoping that perhaps a steady stream of Christmas card orders will help pay for the crown I found out I have to get. Boo for expensive dentist visits. Although, I'm sure someday Whitney will learn to love and appreciate crowns, root canals and the like. For now, not so much my favorite thing.
Spencer is gone for the weekend so I'm just hanging out at home alone. Oh, and what's with me not having a job yet? Seriously, I never expected the unemployment to last this long... but I'm thankful that it has; it's given me a chance to work on lots of my own projects and learn so many things I wouldn't have if I had been working.
So anyway, that's that. It's really late and I'm super tired. Have a good night and wish me luck at the dentist...
Spencer is gone for the weekend so I'm just hanging out at home alone. Oh, and what's with me not having a job yet? Seriously, I never expected the unemployment to last this long... but I'm thankful that it has; it's given me a chance to work on lots of my own projects and learn so many things I wouldn't have if I had been working.
So anyway, that's that. It's really late and I'm super tired. Have a good night and wish me luck at the dentist...
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Summer's Over
Dearest Mothers-
With the start of a new school year, I've decided to pause and finally blog about the summertime--blessed time of year that it is. I'm already a stress-case with school, so this will be as good a time as any. I'll try and go through as quickly as possible some of the highlights of the past one to two months.
1. We went to Europe! In addition to relatively clean hostels, here are the good points: we caught all of our trains, we ate fondue in Switzerland, we hiked the Alps, we saw beautiful architecture, I finally visited Auschwitz (more of a somber than good point but worth the trip considering I've read about it since I was 10--much more harrowing than I was anticipating), we met a family N. taught that is still active AND normal, we took a cog train up and down mountains, we explored the huge castles of King Ludwig, we ate dairy products for every meal, we peregrinated through charming European towns (Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Krakow, Berlin, Thun, Bern, etc.), we studied GRE words (as evidenced in the previous statement), we snacked on ice cream every chance we could, we swooned over cows with bells against the backdrop of waterfalls and verdant fields in Switzerland, we sailed around idyllic lakes with mountain-perched homes, etc. I came to the conclusion that we are moving to Switzerland when the millions come rolling in. That small country is the most pastoral place I have ever seen. Here are the bad points of the trip: we had to share a "sleeping car" (the seats pulled down into small couchettes) with two large Polish men, we forgot it was our anniversary until someone happened to ask how long we had been married, we couldn't stay with Rachael in Switzerland (lovely place but full of the most anal people I have ever met), it rained on one of our days in the Alps, everything was more expensive than we had planned, and we only had enough money for a tiny souvenir: a carved wooden Christmas ornament. See some of the pictures below.
2. N. took the GRE and is starting grad school applications. It feels weird: after so many years of living in Utah, I'm actually feeling sorrowful at the prospect of leaving. I remember coming out to BYU with the full intent of leaving within four years. Oh how things change.
3. We had a family reunion in Idaho and then Yellowstone, and I couldn't believe I had never been there before. We loved the geysers and sparkling colors created in the hot pots. And we even saw a grizzly bear. Very exciting. After the enjoyable time in Yellowstone, I compared the money we spent there with the money we spent in Europe. My conclusion? Our next Europe trip will be in ten years, and for the next decade we will dedicate all vacations to exploring the jewels and unheralded haunts of America. Then N. has promised to take me to Italy. Hopefully the PhD will be done by then...
4. I became an Olympic junkie. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. We watched more tv in the past two weeks than we have in a year of marriage, but how can you not? I cried when Nastia Liukin won gold, I cried when Shawn Johnson's parents broke down in the stands, I cried when they told a story of Kristy Coventry (swimmer from Zimbabwe) who returned with a gold four years ago and her country had a period of peace to celebrate her accomplishments, and I cried at the story of the Sudanese Lost Boy who was now a runner for the United States. And N. and I watched every Michael Phelps race, biting our nails and screaming out encouragements. He's my new hero. Even some of his races made me misty-eyed.
The glory of the human spirit that is prevalent in the Olympics always makes me emotional. It's as if everything upsetting and wrong is put on hold as we glory in the feats that are possible when body and will power are brought into complete agreement. Love it.
5. And then school started. Sigh. Back to the grindstone.
Love you all.
With the start of a new school year, I've decided to pause and finally blog about the summertime--blessed time of year that it is. I'm already a stress-case with school, so this will be as good a time as any. I'll try and go through as quickly as possible some of the highlights of the past one to two months.
1. We went to Europe! In addition to relatively clean hostels, here are the good points: we caught all of our trains, we ate fondue in Switzerland, we hiked the Alps, we saw beautiful architecture, I finally visited Auschwitz (more of a somber than good point but worth the trip considering I've read about it since I was 10--much more harrowing than I was anticipating), we met a family N. taught that is still active AND normal, we took a cog train up and down mountains, we explored the huge castles of King Ludwig, we ate dairy products for every meal, we peregrinated through charming European towns (Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Krakow, Berlin, Thun, Bern, etc.), we studied GRE words (as evidenced in the previous statement), we snacked on ice cream every chance we could, we swooned over cows with bells against the backdrop of waterfalls and verdant fields in Switzerland, we sailed around idyllic lakes with mountain-perched homes, etc. I came to the conclusion that we are moving to Switzerland when the millions come rolling in. That small country is the most pastoral place I have ever seen. Here are the bad points of the trip: we had to share a "sleeping car" (the seats pulled down into small couchettes) with two large Polish men, we forgot it was our anniversary until someone happened to ask how long we had been married, we couldn't stay with Rachael in Switzerland (lovely place but full of the most anal people I have ever met), it rained on one of our days in the Alps, everything was more expensive than we had planned, and we only had enough money for a tiny souvenir: a carved wooden Christmas ornament. See some of the pictures below.
2. N. took the GRE and is starting grad school applications. It feels weird: after so many years of living in Utah, I'm actually feeling sorrowful at the prospect of leaving. I remember coming out to BYU with the full intent of leaving within four years. Oh how things change.
3. We had a family reunion in Idaho and then Yellowstone, and I couldn't believe I had never been there before. We loved the geysers and sparkling colors created in the hot pots. And we even saw a grizzly bear. Very exciting. After the enjoyable time in Yellowstone, I compared the money we spent there with the money we spent in Europe. My conclusion? Our next Europe trip will be in ten years, and for the next decade we will dedicate all vacations to exploring the jewels and unheralded haunts of America. Then N. has promised to take me to Italy. Hopefully the PhD will be done by then...
4. I became an Olympic junkie. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. We watched more tv in the past two weeks than we have in a year of marriage, but how can you not? I cried when Nastia Liukin won gold, I cried when Shawn Johnson's parents broke down in the stands, I cried when they told a story of Kristy Coventry (swimmer from Zimbabwe) who returned with a gold four years ago and her country had a period of peace to celebrate her accomplishments, and I cried at the story of the Sudanese Lost Boy who was now a runner for the United States. And N. and I watched every Michael Phelps race, biting our nails and screaming out encouragements. He's my new hero. Even some of his races made me misty-eyed.
The glory of the human spirit that is prevalent in the Olympics always makes me emotional. It's as if everything upsetting and wrong is put on hold as we glory in the feats that are possible when body and will power are brought into complete agreement. Love it.
5. And then school started. Sigh. Back to the grindstone.
Love you all.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Busy as a Bee...well, maybe busier!
Wow. So, basically I am just taking a few seconds out to let you all know that I have not died and that I am sorry that I haven't been in touch lately! Unfortunately, that probably is not going to change too much until October or November. Work has been getting pretty overwhelming as I have been working on this, which is less than a month away. Not only that, but I am now in charge of coordinating the efforts for this in my ward (in addition to my 2 other callings and one other "vounteer" assignment. Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
treasures
I was looking through some old files trying to come up with a writing sample for something, and look what I found....
Sisterhood of the Seductive Sweater
Rules:
1) The sweater cannot be worn around the shoulders
2) No holding animals while wearing the sweater
3) No drooling while wearing the sweater (if you nap and think you might drool, take the sweater off first)
4) The sweater must never be lent or loaned to anyone outside of the Sisterhood of the Seductive Sweater
5) While wearing the sweater you must never purposely ignore anyone of the opposite sex
6) Never wash the sweater
7) The sweater can NEVER be worn with socks and sandals (NOTHING should ever be worn with socks and sandals… If the thought even crosses your mind, you should be excommunicated from the Sisterhood of the Seductive Sweater)
8) If you ever lose the sweater, your life will be forfeited
9) No sweating in the sweater (if you think you might sweat, take the sweater off – but never wrap it around your shoulders… see rule #1)
10) When you are done wearing the sweater, record all life-changing events and/or unique experiences that happened while wearing the sweater (these can be fact or fiction) including the following details
a. The place you spent the most amount of time while wearing the sweater
b. The cutest boy you saw while wearing the sweater and your attempts to seduce him
c. Any comments or compliments received about the sweater
11) Never, ever deny the power of the sweater
12) When your sweater-wearing-turn is over, pass the sweater, along with the journal on to the next member of the Sisterhood so their adventure can begin and they can unlock the power of the sweater
Sisterhood of the Seductive Sweater
Rules:
1) The sweater cannot be worn around the shoulders
2) No holding animals while wearing the sweater
3) No drooling while wearing the sweater (if you nap and think you might drool, take the sweater off first)
4) The sweater must never be lent or loaned to anyone outside of the Sisterhood of the Seductive Sweater
5) While wearing the sweater you must never purposely ignore anyone of the opposite sex
6) Never wash the sweater
7) The sweater can NEVER be worn with socks and sandals (NOTHING should ever be worn with socks and sandals… If the thought even crosses your mind, you should be excommunicated from the Sisterhood of the Seductive Sweater)
8) If you ever lose the sweater, your life will be forfeited
9) No sweating in the sweater (if you think you might sweat, take the sweater off – but never wrap it around your shoulders… see rule #1)
10) When you are done wearing the sweater, record all life-changing events and/or unique experiences that happened while wearing the sweater (these can be fact or fiction) including the following details
a. The place you spent the most amount of time while wearing the sweater
b. The cutest boy you saw while wearing the sweater and your attempts to seduce him
c. Any comments or compliments received about the sweater
11) Never, ever deny the power of the sweater
12) When your sweater-wearing-turn is over, pass the sweater, along with the journal on to the next member of the Sisterhood so their adventure can begin and they can unlock the power of the sweater
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wedding!
Whitney! We're all dying to hear about and see photos of your big day! I'm sure it was fantastic... I can't wait to hear allllll about it! Congratulations girl!photo via flickr vintage weddings pool
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
When the economy is bad...
...take a vacation. I'll explain in a minute.
I feel like I killed the blog with my last highly philosophical and too diatribe-ish entry, so I'm going to make an effort to rejuvenate things. Then again perhaps the blog's death isn't my fault: some people are busy with weddings/newly married life and others are busy with new jobs. I'm busy with the following: nothing. School ended on Friday and about time I might add! After corralling my ninth graders into one room for 1.5 hours, keeping them entertained until their refunds came, and being called a charming, though overused, expletive by a departing 14 year-old, I was ready to leave. I arrived home around 2:30 (after cleaning, sorting, organizing), sat on the coach, and read. However, my husband is still in school right now, meaning staying home alone would be fairly boring. I have to complete six planning days during the summer anyway, so I decided to get them done early. I've been at work by eight since school got out. I have a conference in two weeks, and then the entire summer is ahead of me.
So June is wiped out, but July is looming large. Why? Because we decided to put our Uncle Sam fund to good use. Rather than bolster the sputtering American economy, though, we're going to dump that refund check into the already-strong Euro. That's right: we're flying to Europe. We're going to stay with my brother and family in Germany, head up to Poland, and then swing down to see Rachet in Zurich with some side trips in between. Yes, I know the dollar is weak, but we're young, childless, and insured. Plus, we own stellar backpacks, we don't mind being smelly with each other for two full weeks, and we don't start grad school payments until next year. When is that combination going to happen again? Needless to say, we're looking forward to the trip.
Whitney, how are wedding plans? Are you excited?
Thursday, May 01, 2008
The "Jo" Side of Me
I'm experiencing a Jo-assaince: a renewal of interest in all things international. Now, don't assume that I've never considered the outside world before--my views have never been purely Amero-centric. However, in the past several weeks, I've found myself gravitating towards movies and books which have international origins. My guess is that my brain is going through withdrawals of the constant updates I received about the world from my friend. My body's sensed the lack and is hungry for all things international. I listen to NPR daily, waiting for sound bites of Iraq and Africa. I watched a beautiful/depressing Indian film titled Water about widows trapped in a caste system, and I wept at the end. I finished one of the only written accounts of an honor crime survivor, Burned Alive, and found myself reading passages aloud to my husband, ranting over the inequalities towards women that plague several areas of the world. And I just completed a mentally stimulating yet emotionally exhausting read: Persepolis. You all need to read it. I have a new pet topic for conversation as a result of this read, but I won't bore you with that. (I'll give you a hint, though--negative perceptions of all people in the Middle East without any actual understanding or knowledge of that area.) Now I'm trying to find the movie. Anyone know where I can get it?
Luckily, my oracle of the globe will be here in two weeks. I'm so excited! I bought new sheets and everything. Don't worry, Sarah. I will not ruin your wedding day with a tirade on my latest world discovery.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Three Weeks
So, in approximately three weeks and two hours I will be a married white mother! Except, with no children. So, this is fantastic because -- THREE WEEKS! And also slightly worrisome because -- THREE WEEKS! The worry factor comes in when I realize I still haven't picked up my dress, figured out my hair, found a veil, determined if we're doing cookie favors or a candy buffet, scheduled my bridals, figured out my makeup, made the DVD slideshow thing, burned the music CDs for the reception, finished Spencer's wedding gift, started moving my stuff to his condo, or finished writing thank you notes from the first showers. That's where the "holy cow!!!" feeling starts to pile on and I get a little buried in it. But then I remember that I'll be in Hawaii in a month... and I can start to relax again. :)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Remember
Do you ever go through the archives of your life just to see what you were up to one, two, five, ten years ago? It's one of my favorite things to do. It's always an awakening that I need to be better about keeping up on today so I can have something to look back on one, or two, or ten years from now.
I was glancing back through our blog to our first entries. They were almost two years ago exactly. Remember? Remember driving to Salt Lake to watch the Joseph Smith movie and hitting The Belgian Waffle and Omelette Inn on the way back? Remember talking to Seth about random music in the car? Remember the Employee of the month wall? Remember how the next morning (only a few short hours later) we gorged ourselves on Magleby's Fresh? Remember how those were our last few hours together as The Four White Mothers as roommates?
It's crazy to think of that as the jumping off point. The place where we each began to follow our own uncertain course to where we are today. Who knew that since that time Jo would have had life-changing experiences in Africa, Jenny would have decided to stay in Hampsted after all (and it's a good thing!), Whitney would have had inner-city teaching experience, and I would be working less than a mile from The Belgian Waffle and Omelette Inn? My, how life surprises us.
I was glancing back through our blog to our first entries. They were almost two years ago exactly. Remember? Remember driving to Salt Lake to watch the Joseph Smith movie and hitting The Belgian Waffle and Omelette Inn on the way back? Remember talking to Seth about random music in the car? Remember the Employee of the month wall? Remember how the next morning (only a few short hours later) we gorged ourselves on Magleby's Fresh? Remember how those were our last few hours together as The Four White Mothers as roommates?
It's crazy to think of that as the jumping off point. The place where we each began to follow our own uncertain course to where we are today. Who knew that since that time Jo would have had life-changing experiences in Africa, Jenny would have decided to stay in Hampsted after all (and it's a good thing!), Whitney would have had inner-city teaching experience, and I would be working less than a mile from The Belgian Waffle and Omelette Inn? My, how life surprises us.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Four Funerals and a Wedding
So I guess since everyone posted their current status I might as well join in all the fun. Things have pretty much been out of control this semester. I love that when I was in school I thought life was crazy but really I had no idea. Jobs = stress. That's all there is too it. Most my nights have been restless this entire semester because I have just been stressing over everything. I just think how behind Stevie is in reading, or why Jordan won't turn in any assignments. For some reason Brianna has no friends, Mark's mom decided to come to my class simply to swear at me and attempt to make me cry, and for some reason my class can never have substitutes. For some reason my kids can't seem to grasp how to find the area of a circle or circumference, and I don't have time to reteach all of it. AHHHHH! So nuts. The next area of stress is going to be social studies because I have to figure out my next unit on WWII. Bleh. I want it to be summer I think. But besides all the joys and bliss from worry all the time, Jeff and I have been experiencing probably some of the most stressful things in our lives right now. So...here it is.
1. In February I found out that my Papa in NC died in a car accident. It was quite tragic. I had a really hard time with it actually, and I found out at Jeff's apartment so everyone else knew as well. It's one of those things that you always watch on t.v. but never really know how you will react until it actually happens to you. And then it happens exactly like they portray it. Sobbing. Uncontrollable sobbing. At least it did for me. And it was just embarrassing to have it happen in front of other people since they don't know what just happened. Anyways, I was unable to attend the funeral, which I think I will always regret. I had just always hoped that my Papa would live to see my wedding. He wasn't in bad health or anything. We'd had a scare last year, but nothing major since then. When I was in NC for Christmas, I just kept thinking how much I wanted my Papa to meet Jeff, and it was hard knowing I wouldn't get to see that. But the thing that I just can't escape, and still haunts me if I let it, is the look in my Papa's eyes when I said goodbye in December. He knew. He hugged me so tight, looked at me, and told me he loved me. He started getting pretty emotional, and I didn't want to think about him dying anytime soon, so I just made some joke and walked away. I wish I'd really really said goodbye to him there. But I know that it was better this way. He never wanted to grow old and have to have other people care for you, so it all worked out I guess. Quick and well it wasn't painless, but fairly quick.
2. In March, I got engaged, and I was finally able start telling people. That's when all the official wedding planning began...it's all so insane.
3. This month was full of more unexpected news. The first week or so of April we found out my cousin Jenny died. She was pregnant with her fifth child. Her amniotic fluid got into her blood stream and caused her to go into cardiac arrest. Her son wasn't due until June, but they had to immediately get him out. He was on life support, and she went into a coma. This all happens when the placenta detaches from the uterus, so there was also excessive bleeding. They had to give her an emergency hysterectomy to stop the bleeding. There was a chance of survival with Jenny having brain damage; however, she died the next morning along with the baby. She and her family were supposed to be getting sealed together in the temple on April 12th. The most tragic part of the story was their family was unable to afford insurance at the time. Her husband is left behind with four children under the age of nine and hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. The funeral was paid for by a generous member in their ward, and the family has received lots of support, which is all good news. My mom flew out for the funeral, so we all went to the viewing together. Mother and son were buried together.
4. The next week Jeff found out his grandma passed away. He is in the middle of tests and finals stress, but had to fly home for the funeral. It was difficult for his father to lose his last parent.
5. Jeff returned last Friday, and I picked him up. I'd stopped by my sisters on my way to get him, and she told me how my grandma and grandpa were now in a nursing home. My aunt and uncle care for them but they were going to their daughter's (Jenny) sealing the next day. Due to the sealing, they had to put grandma and grandpa in a home temporarily. Natalie told me that our mom wanted us both to go visit them in American Fork. I nodded and said we'd have to go sometime. The next morning my mom called me to inform me that my grandpa had died early that morning. It was kind of hard to hear. It was exactly two months to the day since I'd found out my Papa had died. So crazy. Before this year, I had never lost any grandparents, so to lose two in two months seemed kind of unbearable. It was also for the best though. My grandpa had been suffering for a while and had been wanting to die and move on. My mom will fly in on Monday night, so she can attend the funeral.
6. Jeff was at an O Chem review when I called and told him on Saturday morning. When he got off the phone, he turned to his friend Aaron and told him the news. Aaron said, "I thought her grandpa already died?" Jeff responded that it was my other grandpa that had previously died. Aaron quickly stated, "Man, if this is what happens when Whitney gets married, I hate to see what happens when she gets pregnant." It made me laugh pretty hard when he told me.
7. Jeff and I got jobs as RA's at the Branbury. Evan and Bridget moved and we took their jobs. We will be getting free rent and the job is really easy. We are both way excited.
8. I will be finishing up teaching 6th grade, which is a huge relief. I will also not have to worry about all my crazy students. I am specifically thinking of one extremely delinquent kid. Two weeks ago he ran away from school. Like jumped the fence at recess to get away from the principal. He also got the cops called on him last week too for his behavior at school. These fun incidents will soon be over. Thank goodness!
9. In August, I will begin teaching 2nd grade in Mapleton. YAY!
10. I found the perfect wedding dress and bought it last week! No alterations necessary! So exciting!
11. My sister is planning my bridal shower for May 10th and I am way excited about that too!
12. I am going to get a passport for our honeymoon! I am soo excited. I've never had one, so it's so wonderful that I need to get one. We are going to the Western Caribbean to Belize and Roatan Island and three other places there...so now I just have to find a new swim suit!
13. I got my haircut and did something way risky...I got bangs. But I like them I think. Jeff loves the new look, so I guess it all worked out.
14. We printed our invitations and they look so great! Well, I love them at least....
15. There is a lot more I want to tell, but I don't want to write anymore and I am sure you are sick of reading (if you read all the way to here...ha ha ha).
So...I love you all. I am grateful that when tragic and stressful things happen, we are also blessed with happy things that can take our minds off it all! Life is good. I am happy, and I hope you are all doing well too!
1. In February I found out that my Papa in NC died in a car accident. It was quite tragic. I had a really hard time with it actually, and I found out at Jeff's apartment so everyone else knew as well. It's one of those things that you always watch on t.v. but never really know how you will react until it actually happens to you. And then it happens exactly like they portray it. Sobbing. Uncontrollable sobbing. At least it did for me. And it was just embarrassing to have it happen in front of other people since they don't know what just happened. Anyways, I was unable to attend the funeral, which I think I will always regret. I had just always hoped that my Papa would live to see my wedding. He wasn't in bad health or anything. We'd had a scare last year, but nothing major since then. When I was in NC for Christmas, I just kept thinking how much I wanted my Papa to meet Jeff, and it was hard knowing I wouldn't get to see that. But the thing that I just can't escape, and still haunts me if I let it, is the look in my Papa's eyes when I said goodbye in December. He knew. He hugged me so tight, looked at me, and told me he loved me. He started getting pretty emotional, and I didn't want to think about him dying anytime soon, so I just made some joke and walked away. I wish I'd really really said goodbye to him there. But I know that it was better this way. He never wanted to grow old and have to have other people care for you, so it all worked out I guess. Quick and well it wasn't painless, but fairly quick.
2. In March, I got engaged, and I was finally able start telling people. That's when all the official wedding planning began...it's all so insane.
3. This month was full of more unexpected news. The first week or so of April we found out my cousin Jenny died. She was pregnant with her fifth child. Her amniotic fluid got into her blood stream and caused her to go into cardiac arrest. Her son wasn't due until June, but they had to immediately get him out. He was on life support, and she went into a coma. This all happens when the placenta detaches from the uterus, so there was also excessive bleeding. They had to give her an emergency hysterectomy to stop the bleeding. There was a chance of survival with Jenny having brain damage; however, she died the next morning along with the baby. She and her family were supposed to be getting sealed together in the temple on April 12th. The most tragic part of the story was their family was unable to afford insurance at the time. Her husband is left behind with four children under the age of nine and hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. The funeral was paid for by a generous member in their ward, and the family has received lots of support, which is all good news. My mom flew out for the funeral, so we all went to the viewing together. Mother and son were buried together.
4. The next week Jeff found out his grandma passed away. He is in the middle of tests and finals stress, but had to fly home for the funeral. It was difficult for his father to lose his last parent.
5. Jeff returned last Friday, and I picked him up. I'd stopped by my sisters on my way to get him, and she told me how my grandma and grandpa were now in a nursing home. My aunt and uncle care for them but they were going to their daughter's (Jenny) sealing the next day. Due to the sealing, they had to put grandma and grandpa in a home temporarily. Natalie told me that our mom wanted us both to go visit them in American Fork. I nodded and said we'd have to go sometime. The next morning my mom called me to inform me that my grandpa had died early that morning. It was kind of hard to hear. It was exactly two months to the day since I'd found out my Papa had died. So crazy. Before this year, I had never lost any grandparents, so to lose two in two months seemed kind of unbearable. It was also for the best though. My grandpa had been suffering for a while and had been wanting to die and move on. My mom will fly in on Monday night, so she can attend the funeral.
6. Jeff was at an O Chem review when I called and told him on Saturday morning. When he got off the phone, he turned to his friend Aaron and told him the news. Aaron said, "I thought her grandpa already died?" Jeff responded that it was my other grandpa that had previously died. Aaron quickly stated, "Man, if this is what happens when Whitney gets married, I hate to see what happens when she gets pregnant." It made me laugh pretty hard when he told me.
7. Jeff and I got jobs as RA's at the Branbury. Evan and Bridget moved and we took their jobs. We will be getting free rent and the job is really easy. We are both way excited.
8. I will be finishing up teaching 6th grade, which is a huge relief. I will also not have to worry about all my crazy students. I am specifically thinking of one extremely delinquent kid. Two weeks ago he ran away from school. Like jumped the fence at recess to get away from the principal. He also got the cops called on him last week too for his behavior at school. These fun incidents will soon be over. Thank goodness!
9. In August, I will begin teaching 2nd grade in Mapleton. YAY!
10. I found the perfect wedding dress and bought it last week! No alterations necessary! So exciting!
11. My sister is planning my bridal shower for May 10th and I am way excited about that too!
12. I am going to get a passport for our honeymoon! I am soo excited. I've never had one, so it's so wonderful that I need to get one. We are going to the Western Caribbean to Belize and Roatan Island and three other places there...so now I just have to find a new swim suit!
13. I got my haircut and did something way risky...I got bangs. But I like them I think. Jeff loves the new look, so I guess it all worked out.
14. We printed our invitations and they look so great! Well, I love them at least....
15. There is a lot more I want to tell, but I don't want to write anymore and I am sure you are sick of reading (if you read all the way to here...ha ha ha).
So...I love you all. I am grateful that when tragic and stressful things happen, we are also blessed with happy things that can take our minds off it all! Life is good. I am happy, and I hope you are all doing well too!
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Ladies' Night
Okay, so I have been thinking about this (because, really, what else do I have to do right now except taxes and waiting for the AHA to contact me?), and I have come up with some basic plans for Wednesday, May 14th in the evening.
I was thinking I would bring up some items from here that we could all enjoy that might not be so readily available in Utah.
And then I was thinking that we really need to watch this, especially since we forbade Sarah and Whitney from watching it without us and Jenny has a nice projector that would be perfect!
What do you think? Whitney, can you make it? At least for dinner if nothing else? I hope so!
Monday, April 07, 2008
My Turn...
Okay, so I started writing a comment to Jenny's post and it was getting so long that I figured I should just write an actual post myself! Here goes:
1. Jen - I read somewhere that headaches that last more than a day (or for multiple days) are generally considered migraines. I'm so sorry! Usually when I get one of my headaches (they are actually worse now when I get them), I feel nauseated and at the same time I just want to rip my head open because I feel like my brain is swelling and needs more space. Isn't that a lovely picture? I have figured out that if I take an Exedrin Migraine and go lie down in a dark room, the pain usually subsides enough after about 30 minutes to an hour that I can function normally. Good luck with that!
2. I had my long interview for the job with the AHA last week. It went pretty well, and now we are moving on to the process of checking my references. If all goes well with my references, rumor is that I will get a formal offer from HR pretty quickly. Seeing as how the whole process is taking an extremely long time, I'm not so sure what pretty quickly means anymore!
3. I recently moved rooms in my parents' house. Jenny is probably the only one who will know what I am talking about, but I painted the room by the top of the stairs (where you stayed when you were here) and have now moved in! Pros: More closet and storage space so that my stuff isn't spread all across multiple rooms upstairs. Cons: Noisier and closer to people barging in. Not to mention that the dog has now become really attached to me since I have been home a lot and scratches and whines at the door every time it is closed!
4. Um, I'm not sure there is a 4. Just a few random comments. Jen: Congratulations on using "bevy" in passing. I am sure the other person was suitably impressed and I wish I had been there! Also, as far as airlines go, you would probably be pretty safe (and it is cheaper) if you wanted to book your tickets with JetBlue and come into the Long Beach Airport. Although, it is a longer drive...it's really up to you. You might want to hold off for a while as well until I can figure out how things will be at work, etc. for scheduling. Sarah: Yay! I can't believe you are so soon to be married! Luckily, I am hoping that I will get this job in time so that everything works for paying for the trip up there. I am full of plans for girls' night! Whitney: You are invited to a girls' night with Sarah on Wednesday before her wedding. I thought it would be fun for the four of us to hang out. If things are crazy for you, maybe you could just make time to come to dinner? We'll see. I have a future post planned with all of my plans for that evening (and they will be great). Haha.
Love you all!
1. Jen - I read somewhere that headaches that last more than a day (or for multiple days) are generally considered migraines. I'm so sorry! Usually when I get one of my headaches (they are actually worse now when I get them), I feel nauseated and at the same time I just want to rip my head open because I feel like my brain is swelling and needs more space. Isn't that a lovely picture? I have figured out that if I take an Exedrin Migraine and go lie down in a dark room, the pain usually subsides enough after about 30 minutes to an hour that I can function normally. Good luck with that!
2. I had my long interview for the job with the AHA last week. It went pretty well, and now we are moving on to the process of checking my references. If all goes well with my references, rumor is that I will get a formal offer from HR pretty quickly. Seeing as how the whole process is taking an extremely long time, I'm not so sure what pretty quickly means anymore!
3. I recently moved rooms in my parents' house. Jenny is probably the only one who will know what I am talking about, but I painted the room by the top of the stairs (where you stayed when you were here) and have now moved in! Pros: More closet and storage space so that my stuff isn't spread all across multiple rooms upstairs. Cons: Noisier and closer to people barging in. Not to mention that the dog has now become really attached to me since I have been home a lot and scratches and whines at the door every time it is closed!
4. Um, I'm not sure there is a 4. Just a few random comments. Jen: Congratulations on using "bevy" in passing. I am sure the other person was suitably impressed and I wish I had been there! Also, as far as airlines go, you would probably be pretty safe (and it is cheaper) if you wanted to book your tickets with JetBlue and come into the Long Beach Airport. Although, it is a longer drive...it's really up to you. You might want to hold off for a while as well until I can figure out how things will be at work, etc. for scheduling. Sarah: Yay! I can't believe you are so soon to be married! Luckily, I am hoping that I will get this job in time so that everything works for paying for the trip up there. I am full of plans for girls' night! Whitney: You are invited to a girls' night with Sarah on Wednesday before her wedding. I thought it would be fun for the four of us to hang out. If things are crazy for you, maybe you could just make time to come to dinner? We'll see. I have a future post planned with all of my plans for that evening (and they will be great). Haha.
Love you all!
Friday, April 04, 2008
Is this a migraine?
Long ago, I had a roommate named Jo that said she didn't get migraines, or at least pretended like she didn't get them. Long story short, I had no idea what she was talking about. Well, I might know now. About a month ago, I stood up from the couch with a throbbing sensation in my head. I never get headaches, so the experience was a novelty. That is until I woke up the next day with the same pain. That is until I took almost a bottle of Tylenol and felt no dulling sensation. That is until it lasted a week. I thought it was a fluke...nature/God making me more sympathetic of those who get migraines. Well, I woke up this morning with the same headache. Hmmmm....
Besides that, I'll follow Sarah's lead and provide a brief update of life:
1. The wart still won't go away. I'm getting restless.
2. Spring Break is in a week. Both teachers and students are LONGING for the break. We're all starting to get antsy.
3. A visiting superintendent is coming to watch one of my classes in April. They needed to see students using the writing program online, and lucky me, my students are in the lab that day. Yuck. I hate getting observed.
4. I've convinced Nigel to fly to California to look at schools and to see Jo. Let's just hope gas prices go down before we buy tickets. Or maybe we should buy them right now before they get worse. However, after hearing about all the airline fiascoes, I'm a little nervous about flying.
5. Nigel and I babysat my nieces and nephew when Kate and Paul celebrated their 10th anniversary. We learned that parenting is exhausting. Gabby was up from 3:00 to 7:00 one night, and I realized that I'm a truly selfish person: all I wanted was to sleep. Other than that, though, I learned that I really love my husband. He took her at about 5:00 when I was starting to lose it. :)
6. I used the word "bevy" in passing conversation yesterday. That really is the highlight, come to think about it.
Besides that, I'll follow Sarah's lead and provide a brief update of life:
1. The wart still won't go away. I'm getting restless.
2. Spring Break is in a week. Both teachers and students are LONGING for the break. We're all starting to get antsy.
3. A visiting superintendent is coming to watch one of my classes in April. They needed to see students using the writing program online, and lucky me, my students are in the lab that day. Yuck. I hate getting observed.
4. I've convinced Nigel to fly to California to look at schools and to see Jo. Let's just hope gas prices go down before we buy tickets. Or maybe we should buy them right now before they get worse. However, after hearing about all the airline fiascoes, I'm a little nervous about flying.
5. Nigel and I babysat my nieces and nephew when Kate and Paul celebrated their 10th anniversary. We learned that parenting is exhausting. Gabby was up from 3:00 to 7:00 one night, and I realized that I'm a truly selfish person: all I wanted was to sleep. Other than that, though, I learned that I really love my husband. He took her at about 5:00 when I was starting to lose it. :)
6. I used the word "bevy" in passing conversation yesterday. That really is the highlight, come to think about it.
Happenings
A few updates from my life:
1. This morning I found out that Aloha Airlines declared bankruptcy. Not like all the other airlines that continue to operate... Real, 100%, full-fledged, we're done, bankruptcy. Look here for proof. So the only reason that this really effects me is because Spencer and I booked our tickets for our Honeymoon on Aloha Airlines. Yep. So far Plan B is forming quite nicely though, and Visa seems hopeful that Spencer can get his money back. But it did give me a mild heart attack. I may even write a few letters and shed some tears over the phone and see what I can get out of the situation. Sometimes those things can go a long way.
2. Last night I made hummus and it's super good. Surprisingly good. I like hummus, I just didn't realize I could make it that well. It looks like I'm on the road to Middle Eastern domesticity.
3. Things at work are kind of slow and whenever that happens beverages are the first thing to go. So I bought a case of water for myself. Weird.
4. I'm getting married exactly six weeks from today! Ahhhh!
5. Lately I have been getting up in the mornings with plenty of time to go running (which I really should do, because I'm running this in eleven weeks) and I just haven't. I've just stayed in bed and listened to the world wake up and watched my room get light and read or done nothing. And it's been kind of nice. But really, I should go running.
6. That's all.
Love to you all!
1. This morning I found out that Aloha Airlines declared bankruptcy. Not like all the other airlines that continue to operate... Real, 100%, full-fledged, we're done, bankruptcy. Look here for proof. So the only reason that this really effects me is because Spencer and I booked our tickets for our Honeymoon on Aloha Airlines. Yep. So far Plan B is forming quite nicely though, and Visa seems hopeful that Spencer can get his money back. But it did give me a mild heart attack. I may even write a few letters and shed some tears over the phone and see what I can get out of the situation. Sometimes those things can go a long way.
2. Last night I made hummus and it's super good. Surprisingly good. I like hummus, I just didn't realize I could make it that well. It looks like I'm on the road to Middle Eastern domesticity.
3. Things at work are kind of slow and whenever that happens beverages are the first thing to go. So I bought a case of water for myself. Weird.
4. I'm getting married exactly six weeks from today! Ahhhh!
5. Lately I have been getting up in the mornings with plenty of time to go running (which I really should do, because I'm running this in eleven weeks) and I just haven't. I've just stayed in bed and listened to the world wake up and watched my room get light and read or done nothing. And it's been kind of nice. But really, I should go running.
6. That's all.
Love to you all!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
A Sneak Preview...
On Saturday Scott (Jarvie) took engagement photos of Spencer and me. It was so fun! I have been super anxious to see the photos... and today I checked his website and beheld THIS!
It's the only one so far... but ah, I'm so excited to see the rest. Just thought I'd share.
PS Did you realize that Whitney's getting married on 06-07-08? Spencer and I thought about that date, but decided it was too far away ;)
It's the only one so far... but ah, I'm so excited to see the rest. Just thought I'd share.PS Did you realize that Whitney's getting married on 06-07-08? Spencer and I thought about that date, but decided it was too far away ;)
Friday, March 21, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Congratulations!
Congratulations Whitney and Jeff!(I hope it's ok that I stole this pic from your facebook - I love it!)
Friday, March 14, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Is it really 80 degrees?
So, it's pretty much been in the high 70s to low 80s here this week. As I was looking through a catalog, I came across these:
Do you think I'm crazy that I really like them - or do you agree? You can find them both here at Urban Outfitters.
Do you think I'm crazy that I really like them - or do you agree? You can find them both here at Urban Outfitters.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
It's Back!!!!
That's right. It's indestructible, unbeatable, unchangeable. The wart is back. How? How should I know! I've frozen the unsightly little parasite over 20 times (if you include every doctor visit), and I have yet to see even semi-permanent results. Without fail, six months pass, and the little guy decides to pop up again. However, I've determined its origins: student teaching. I've decided that after handling the papers of 12 year-olds for three and a half months, I was bound to touch someone who had a wart. Unfortunately, no one mentioned that in those intro-to-student-teaching classes where they instruct you about the hazards of working in the public education field: shootings, parental threats, no child left behind horrors, long nights of grading, classroom management, the flu, cold season, driving in the snow, and rooms that can't maintain a season-appropriate temperature were all covered. But this? Not once.
Luckily, my husband was a lifeguard, which means he has a history of seeing and dealing with warts. His home remedy is the best I've come across--duct tape. With any luck, by the time Jo comes to Utah, she will actually be able to stay in my home rather than bunking up in a hotel where she is safe.
PS - I decided this blog didn't need a picture.
PPS - Whitney, don't touch their hands.
Luckily, my husband was a lifeguard, which means he has a history of seeing and dealing with warts. His home remedy is the best I've come across--duct tape. With any luck, by the time Jo comes to Utah, she will actually be able to stay in my home rather than bunking up in a hotel where she is safe.
PS - I decided this blog didn't need a picture.
PPS - Whitney, don't touch their hands.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Thinking of You
I saw these in the store today and thought of you!PS - Whitney, I think we have all agreed that it's time you checked in so we can (once again, haha) make sure you are still alive.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Friday, February 08, 2008
What NOT To Wear
So, since Sarah is having some difficulties finding the perfect wedding dress, I thought it might be helpful to show a few styles that can be crossed off the list:
Here is where you can find this beauty with the charming sleeves.
Here, if you can see around the veil, you can find this magnificent button-down and frill-top bodice.
Here is another piece of amazingness if you want to stick to the great sleeve theme.
Here is where you can find this beauty with the charming sleeves.
Here, if you can see around the veil, you can find this magnificent button-down and frill-top bodice. Here is another piece of amazingness if you want to stick to the great sleeve theme. And to end on a good note, I just wanted to show one that I really liked (barring modesty issues). I am really starting to go for that whole lace look, as long as it is kept fairly simple. (Sorry but I lost the link). Sarah, I hope that helped! =)
not too heavy, not too fluffy, not too disney, please
Planning a wedding is a combination of fun and frustrating and overwhelming. Part of me wants to do everything to make it just *perfect* and part of me just wants to throw my hands up and do it next month without any planning.
The challenge of the past two weeks has been the dress... Ah, the dress. It's one of the few elements, in my opinion, that needs to be just right. I've even surprised myself with how much I've known about exactly what I want in this area. But there's one small problem: it doesn't exist. All along, I've thought that it wouldn't be a problem because my sister's amazing wedding dress maker would help me create the perfect gown. Well, after two weeks of trying, I finally got in touch with her. I just got off the phone with her and she's not taking dress orders until July. :( Maybe I'll just order a dress from JCrew and add sleeves myself.
Boo.
The challenge of the past two weeks has been the dress... Ah, the dress. It's one of the few elements, in my opinion, that needs to be just right. I've even surprised myself with how much I've known about exactly what I want in this area. But there's one small problem: it doesn't exist. All along, I've thought that it wouldn't be a problem because my sister's amazing wedding dress maker would help me create the perfect gown. Well, after two weeks of trying, I finally got in touch with her. I just got off the phone with her and she's not taking dress orders until July. :( Maybe I'll just order a dress from JCrew and add sleeves myself.
Boo.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Business Plan
So, as I have been applying to various jobs this week and thinking about how much I want to be in Utah to help Sarah with wedding stuff and hang out with the 4WMs, I came up with a master plan. Actually it came to me as I was walking out of Target with my bottle of contact solution after picking up the most pathetic-ever paycheck from WS.
How amazing would it be, I pondered, to be able to work with your friends instead of having to make new friends at every place that you work? I also realized that if I could come up with an outstanding business proposition (besides our long-term goals with Oganawambula), there might be a way that we could all live near each other and work together - never to be separated again!
Here's the plan that I came up with using our various talents and interests: An education consulting business for NGOs.
Brilliant, right? Here's what we do - we plan effective and amazing education plans for NGOs that run schools and/or orphanages in other countries. In my mind I see us also expanding so that we could provide training, etc. for those educators as well. I think that so many NGOs go to developing countries with high education goals, but may not have the best plans. We would, in conjunction with any government guidelines, develop a curriculum that is extremely effective using the local society and culture as our guide. Here are the various duties:
Whitney and Jen - You would each basically be taking over the development of the actual curriculum with Whitney's focus being on earlier education and Jen working on intermediate education (Jen, I was thinking we would bring on Kate, Jeannine, and whoever else as consultants if you feel the need to discuss and prepare with people who have experience in other disciplines). This curriculum will be fairly detailed and we will focus on meeting and expanding individual government standards while using whatever local resources we can (good for the local economy) and focusing on the cultural needs of the area.
Sarah - Your focus would be on marketing us to our various clients and donors. You (along with me) will identify organizations and countries that may need our expertise and then you would work on the most effective ways to market our services to them, as well as to the various individuals and communities where this would be happening (to engender public good-will).
Me - Along with any of you 3, I will identify those places where we would be working, with an emphasis on researching and understanding local culture, customs, etc. I would get that information to Jen and Whitney to help in their development. I would seek out resources (local, if possible) that J and W see fit to use in their curriculum, including various textbooks, and perhaps local academics, etc. to help with any consulting that we would need.
We would all need to travel, of course, but we would fit traveling requirements to various needs (families, future children, etc.).
So - what do you think? I think it sounds amazing. Is anybody worried that all of this was going through my head while I was supposed to be paying attention to the road on my way home from Target? Haha.
Anyway, I will go back to my job applications now. Hopefully I can continue to bring the same enthusiasm to that area...
How amazing would it be, I pondered, to be able to work with your friends instead of having to make new friends at every place that you work? I also realized that if I could come up with an outstanding business proposition (besides our long-term goals with Oganawambula), there might be a way that we could all live near each other and work together - never to be separated again!
Here's the plan that I came up with using our various talents and interests: An education consulting business for NGOs.
Brilliant, right? Here's what we do - we plan effective and amazing education plans for NGOs that run schools and/or orphanages in other countries. In my mind I see us also expanding so that we could provide training, etc. for those educators as well. I think that so many NGOs go to developing countries with high education goals, but may not have the best plans. We would, in conjunction with any government guidelines, develop a curriculum that is extremely effective using the local society and culture as our guide. Here are the various duties:
Whitney and Jen - You would each basically be taking over the development of the actual curriculum with Whitney's focus being on earlier education and Jen working on intermediate education (Jen, I was thinking we would bring on Kate, Jeannine, and whoever else as consultants if you feel the need to discuss and prepare with people who have experience in other disciplines). This curriculum will be fairly detailed and we will focus on meeting and expanding individual government standards while using whatever local resources we can (good for the local economy) and focusing on the cultural needs of the area.
Sarah - Your focus would be on marketing us to our various clients and donors. You (along with me) will identify organizations and countries that may need our expertise and then you would work on the most effective ways to market our services to them, as well as to the various individuals and communities where this would be happening (to engender public good-will).
Me - Along with any of you 3, I will identify those places where we would be working, with an emphasis on researching and understanding local culture, customs, etc. I would get that information to Jen and Whitney to help in their development. I would seek out resources (local, if possible) that J and W see fit to use in their curriculum, including various textbooks, and perhaps local academics, etc. to help with any consulting that we would need.
We would all need to travel, of course, but we would fit traveling requirements to various needs (families, future children, etc.).
So - what do you think? I think it sounds amazing. Is anybody worried that all of this was going through my head while I was supposed to be paying attention to the road on my way home from Target? Haha.
Anyway, I will go back to my job applications now. Hopefully I can continue to bring the same enthusiasm to that area...
Monday, February 04, 2008
Just Saying Hello...in Cyberspace
I often have an urge to write a blog, but then I stop simply because I don't feel I have some extraordinary event to reveal. However, I decided today that blogs didn't have to be "intensely interesting"--I could simply tell you all about life. So I will title this list "Things from Recent Life."
1. If your husband wants you to watch a film that he claims is great and he loved it when he was a kid, be afraid. Usually these movies are not what he remembered them as. Actually, it goes both ways: we've both vowed never to watch a movie the other found "amazing" as a teenager.
2. There is nothing more thrilling than having a student say,"I adore this" in reference to Shakespeare. Did I hear that correctly? And then to have a guy say, "It's pretty cool actually." Be still my heart. But I suppose anyone would enjoy writing like "My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words / of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound." Ok, at least I do. So pretty.
3. The older I get, the more I cry. The slightest thing sets me off. I cry at songs, pictures, movies, etc. In fact, I saw Rudy again and cried when he got accepted into Notre Dame. Literally cried. We sang "I Know My Reedemer Lives" in church, I saw President Hinckley's name at the bottom without a death date, and I couldn't get through the rest of the song. We saw Dan in Real Life this weekend, and I cried at the "card" his daughter made him and then when he told all his daughters how they reminded him of his late wife.
4. I made banana bread. I actually used all the brown bananas in the freezer and made banana bread. Why is this important? Well...it's mostly for Jo's sake: I had to prove to her that I eventually get around to doing something with the pile of bananas in the freezer. Also, in anticipation of Sarah's wedding, I realized Jo would be in my house, and I had to start get rid of the cache I've collected.
And those are the big events of the month. I know, I know...you wish your life were as thrilling.
1. If your husband wants you to watch a film that he claims is great and he loved it when he was a kid, be afraid. Usually these movies are not what he remembered them as. Actually, it goes both ways: we've both vowed never to watch a movie the other found "amazing" as a teenager.
2. There is nothing more thrilling than having a student say,"I adore this" in reference to Shakespeare. Did I hear that correctly? And then to have a guy say, "It's pretty cool actually." Be still my heart. But I suppose anyone would enjoy writing like "My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words / of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound." Ok, at least I do. So pretty.
3. The older I get, the more I cry. The slightest thing sets me off. I cry at songs, pictures, movies, etc. In fact, I saw Rudy again and cried when he got accepted into Notre Dame. Literally cried. We sang "I Know My Reedemer Lives" in church, I saw President Hinckley's name at the bottom without a death date, and I couldn't get through the rest of the song. We saw Dan in Real Life this weekend, and I cried at the "card" his daughter made him and then when he told all his daughters how they reminded him of his late wife.
4. I made banana bread. I actually used all the brown bananas in the freezer and made banana bread. Why is this important? Well...it's mostly for Jo's sake: I had to prove to her that I eventually get around to doing something with the pile of bananas in the freezer. Also, in anticipation of Sarah's wedding, I realized Jo would be in my house, and I had to start get rid of the cache I've collected.
And those are the big events of the month. I know, I know...you wish your life were as thrilling.
Monday, January 28, 2008
this made me think of you.
"In friendship… we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years difference in the dates of our birth, a few more miles between certain houses, a choice of one university instead of another… the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting — any one of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly, no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” can truly be saying to every group of Christian friends, “You have not chosen one another, but I have chosen you for one another.” The friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauty of others."
-C.S. Lewis
-C.S. Lewis
Saturday, January 19, 2008
I Greatly Esteem Him...
Yay - Congrats Sarah and Spencer! We are all so excited for you. Sarah, I hope you don't mind that I stole this pic from your blog, but it was too cute to pass up. Whitney, I hope you already called Sarah back so this isn't a huge surprise!Thursday, January 17, 2008
Front Room Conversation
At times during my recent renewal of the application process, I have often thought how great it would be if I had the 4WMs with me. Just the other day I was picturing sitting on the couch in the front room of Hampstead #7 in the evening. Here's how the scene went...
Jo: I really hate this application process. Don't I deserve better? I feel like my whole life is on this one little paper and it can't, in any way, encompass who I am or how I would succeed at a job.
Whitney: (sitting on the loveseat with her laptop also on her lap looking up grad schools instead of working on her lesson plan) I know, seriously! I hate feeling like I have to sell myself to someone else!
Jen: (sitting at the other end of my couch with her feet tucked up under a blanket while she falls asleep and tries to grade) If you grade these essays for me, I'll do your applications for you. Where do these kids learn their grammar anyway?
The door bursts open and in a flurry of cold air, Sarah runs into the room and slides across the floor on her way to the window to get a good look at someone in the courtyard with his significant other.
Sarah: Shoot! I can't see her face! You guys have all seen her and I haven't. Oh, Jo, did you get my email? I sent you links to 17 different jobs that I think you would totally be great for! Also, I have a friend who knows someone....
Anyway, do you get my point? I was just thinking of this scenario and smiling a little as I continue to miss my 4WMs.
Things here haven't changed much. My week pretty much consists of going walking, calling into work to see if they need me to come in (which they invariably don't), running errands, doing little chores, applying for jobs, and going to Institute. I head out to Arizona next week and then will drive back with one of my sisters. They are all coming out to go to a Garth Brooks (don't laugh) benefit concert for the fire victims next Saturday at the Staples Center. Chelsea wanted to have a girls outing (the 4 of us and my mom), but David caught wind of it and really wants to come as well. So, the five of us will leave the kids behind and head up to LA for one of 5 sold-out Garth Brooks concerts in 2 days. I hope he's not too tired to perform. After that, if I haven't heard anything from this recent spate of applications, I will probably head to Borders or Barnes and Noble to beg for a job that has more than 20 hours a week.
I love you all and get so excited to read your updates. Keep em' coming! Oh, and Jen, I really feel like I am in closer contact with Kate and your mom than you - we need to work on that. I will try to call you soon.
Jo: I really hate this application process. Don't I deserve better? I feel like my whole life is on this one little paper and it can't, in any way, encompass who I am or how I would succeed at a job.
Whitney: (sitting on the loveseat with her laptop also on her lap looking up grad schools instead of working on her lesson plan) I know, seriously! I hate feeling like I have to sell myself to someone else!
Jen: (sitting at the other end of my couch with her feet tucked up under a blanket while she falls asleep and tries to grade) If you grade these essays for me, I'll do your applications for you. Where do these kids learn their grammar anyway?
The door bursts open and in a flurry of cold air, Sarah runs into the room and slides across the floor on her way to the window to get a good look at someone in the courtyard with his significant other.
Sarah: Shoot! I can't see her face! You guys have all seen her and I haven't. Oh, Jo, did you get my email? I sent you links to 17 different jobs that I think you would totally be great for! Also, I have a friend who knows someone....
Anyway, do you get my point? I was just thinking of this scenario and smiling a little as I continue to miss my 4WMs.
Things here haven't changed much. My week pretty much consists of going walking, calling into work to see if they need me to come in (which they invariably don't), running errands, doing little chores, applying for jobs, and going to Institute. I head out to Arizona next week and then will drive back with one of my sisters. They are all coming out to go to a Garth Brooks (don't laugh) benefit concert for the fire victims next Saturday at the Staples Center. Chelsea wanted to have a girls outing (the 4 of us and my mom), but David caught wind of it and really wants to come as well. So, the five of us will leave the kids behind and head up to LA for one of 5 sold-out Garth Brooks concerts in 2 days. I hope he's not too tired to perform. After that, if I haven't heard anything from this recent spate of applications, I will probably head to Borders or Barnes and Noble to beg for a job that has more than 20 hours a week.
I love you all and get so excited to read your updates. Keep em' coming! Oh, and Jen, I really feel like I am in closer contact with Kate and your mom than you - we need to work on that. I will try to call you soon.
Friday, January 04, 2008
So a sixth grade teacher...
To dismiss all rumors that I have fallen off the face of the planet, I am writing to inform all the white mothers that I am alive. Well...barely. I am back in Utah and am a sixth grade teacher in Springville. I still can't believe it. I started on Wednesday, January 2nd. It is only 15 mins away, and I was blessed to randomly meet a girl in DC that knew an intern at my elementary school that would give me rides. Okay, it sounds kinda crazy and probably doesn't make sense, but my point is that I have a ride to work. I wasn't nervous about moving to Utah without a car, but then I actually moved here and realized that UTA is nothing like the DC public transportation. The metro runs like clockwork, and UTA...well, it doesn't. I had a horrid flight to Utah on Friday, and I didn't get to Provo until Saturday at 2am! I then met my principal at my school at 6:30am. Needless to say, I did not look very good. Acutally, I looked disgusting. Great first impression, huh? I only had three days to set up a classroom and have it up and running by Wednesday. It was truly baptism by fire. I have never experienced so much stress in my life. Poor Jeff had to attempt to console me over the phone as I continually burst into tears. The worst part about the whole thing was I didn't have my own transportation. I was forced to rely on my brother and sister-in-law, which feels horrible. I hate that feeling of being needy. Things only got worse as I realized that they had no time to help. I realized that I had absolutely no way of getting to the school to set up. Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! But I did get there finally and did all I could do. My first day was great, even though I had only slept three hours the night before (I hate how I get so anxious). I finished my first week today and have so much to do. I can't even believe it! And these kids...oh my goodness, they actually do what I say. It is a miracle! I can't even believe it. I mean you get the eye rolls, the sighs, and the looks of pure disgust, but the kids don't bang themselves into the walls! They don't talk back to everything I say to them, no one has told me not to touch them cause they "don't like White women," and I haven't called security on any student because...oh wait! They don't even have it! I have definitely entered another dimension. Is this teaching? Is this why people stay teaching because they have kids like this? I am going to say yes. The strange thing about it all is how the teacher's view me because I have taught in DC. These teachers that have taught for decades all came to my room to meet me (or gauk at me, I am not sure which) and hear me tell stories of DC. They stood there in amazement. It was strange listening to the other teachers talk about how they heard our principal rave about me before I had even gotten there. He was very cautious about hiring someone over the phone, so he talked to basically every mentor teacher, supervisor, liason, and professor I'd had contact with in the education department. When he called to offer me the job, he commended me for the "reputation" I had established. I didn't quite know what to say. And I guess he was just so excited he told the whole staff. I think it is strange for people to decide someone is great after never seeing them teach. But I chose the school over the others because he was so excited about me, it was so close, and I felt the most comfortable talking to him. Although, I am afraid for the sudden disappointment he will get after observing me "in action." He will randomly peak his head in my room to say hi while I'm teaching, but I just get so nervous when he does. Today it was even more strange because another principal that had offered me a job stopped by just to see me in person. When they both entered my classroom, I didn't know what to do with myself. I don't like feeling like an exhibition, especially when you don't feel like you are one that anyone would be interested in coming to see. It's all fine thought, but I miss my kids in DC. These kids are great kids, but I loved my kids in DC. I never loved a class that much. I loved them despite all the things they did or said, and I just miss them. These kids don't really need me. Not really. I keep telling my parents that I could just stay home and they'd be fine. I realized that I missed them even more after I was talking to Bridget and she burst out laughing after I said, "Well, what had happened was..." She said that I really had taught in DC cause I was talking like the kids. I don't think that's supposed to happen ha ha. I miss kids telling me that someone is "joning on them." I miss the random dancing outbursts of "Soulja boy" in the hallway. I miss Michael and Ronyae. I miss kids that hugged me and wouldn't let go. Oh goodness...it's okay though. This is fine for now. I am having fun, but there is just so much to do always! Always! Always! Jenny, it never ends does it? Bleh...who knew a career choice meant a life commitment. Bleh, bleh, bleh. I just have a question for you Jenny - how can you grade all those papers all the time? Yuck! I was talking to another teacher at the school and telling her how Natalie said I was a fool to go into elementary education, but I think elementary isn't the hardest. They are all hard. When I think about having to read all those essays, I realize that is definitely not something I could do. Way to read those papers Jenny! You go on and read those papers! Ha ha ha ha. That's what Autumn, my mentor teacher would always say. Ahh, Autumn. People keep asking me how it was, but I hate telling them. I don't do it justice because it's just so hard to explain all that happened everyday. I loved Amidon's song the kids would always sing. Sometimes I catch myself just singing, "Oh Amidon! We can make the world a better place, Oh thank you Amidon..." I think my favorite was the following motto they'd recite every morning: "I am somebody. I am somebody. I can do anything. I can do everything that I put my thoughts and actions towards because I am somebody." It was of course written by Mr. T, ha ha ha. Isn't that so great? So funny. I wish you could've heard how they said it. So great! But it's time to move on I guess to Utah. Not what I thought, but it will be a new adventure I suppose in its own way. I love and miss you all. Now that I am back though I am a lot closer to all the white mothers...
books and tapes and other stuff
I've recently become obsessed with audio books. Listening to them helps me feel intelligently productive during times that I would otherwise be bored and/or killing brain cells from the drudgery of daily tasks like my commute to work. I check them out from the library (which for some reason feels like a recent discovery -- I reserve all my movies, books and CDs there online and they tell me when to pick them up, so I feel like it's a slightly modified and free version of netflicks) and listen to them in the car, and - depending on the day/CD - at work. Right now I'm listening to Blink on my commute and This I Believe at work. The funny thing is I still call them "books on tape." Oh, and I think all of you should join goodreads.com so we can be friends on there and keep track of what each other are reading and what is good and what is not so good. Do it.
For Christmas, Spencer and I spent most of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my parents' house which was really nice and quiet and warm and delicious. Other than that, my "holidays" consisted of getting New Year's Day off to get my life moderately organized for 2008, seeing Juno twice, and eating way too much. I've discovered that as far as the holidays, you make do with what you've got. I had two days off for Christmas and one day off for New Year's so they felt like really nice little breaks. If I had more than that, I'd probably feel the same way. Or at least that's what I try to tell myself everyday.
Every week or so, I have something to remind me that I'm in grown up land now. Things like car payments, investments, etc. This week it's traveling for work. On Sunday I will fly to Vegas for one week before I come back for a day and then turn around to leave for San Francisco for another week. I'm not sure yet because my experience in this department is severely limited, but I'm pretty sure that traveling for work is not nearly as cool as traveling for any other purpose.
Whitney, are you in Utah? Jenny, thanks for the lovely Christmas party. :) Jo, it was so so good to see you in California. We need to do that more often. Love you all.
For Christmas, Spencer and I spent most of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my parents' house which was really nice and quiet and warm and delicious. Other than that, my "holidays" consisted of getting New Year's Day off to get my life moderately organized for 2008, seeing Juno twice, and eating way too much. I've discovered that as far as the holidays, you make do with what you've got. I had two days off for Christmas and one day off for New Year's so they felt like really nice little breaks. If I had more than that, I'd probably feel the same way. Or at least that's what I try to tell myself everyday.
Every week or so, I have something to remind me that I'm in grown up land now. Things like car payments, investments, etc. This week it's traveling for work. On Sunday I will fly to Vegas for one week before I come back for a day and then turn around to leave for San Francisco for another week. I'm not sure yet because my experience in this department is severely limited, but I'm pretty sure that traveling for work is not nearly as cool as traveling for any other purpose.
Whitney, are you in Utah? Jenny, thanks for the lovely Christmas party. :) Jo, it was so so good to see you in California. We need to do that more often. Love you all.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
January = Depression
I hate January. If memory serves me correctly, Jo and I have had this conversation at least half a dozen times, but I will repeat it again: it stinks. At least in December, the holidays are just around the corner, and we can pretend that the snow and cold are in reality romantic. Icy is anything but romantic, though, when January hits. I had to stave off several crying bouts as Nigel took out the tree and sawed the poor little thing. When we took down our Christmas lights, I mourned a bit. And then my students came trudging in this morning as if they were recovering from a 10-day hangover. Drawn eyes, exhaustion lines across their faces, looks of "teach me if you dare," and several other pleasantries made my return to school charming. It didn't help that I felt like I had just overcome a 10-day hangover myself. Nigel starts school on Monday, and then it's back to normal. He's actually sick in bed right now, and I'm trying to avoid the bug. So far, so good.
I suppose I should end such an unhappy email with something exciting: Nigel found me an edited version of Amelie for Christmas. If you are ever in the area and care to watch, let me know. I haven't heard from some of the other mothers in so long, I feel slightly disconnected. Whitney, are you done with school? Jo, has the craziness of work ended? (You were the subject of a conversation recently: while discussing blogs, Kate mentioned that she was listed as a friend on yours. She found that great fun. Mom then proceeded to ask Kate how you were and what you were up to. It seems they have both forgotten that I knew you first. We were fighting over knowing you! How fun.) Sarah, where did you go for Christmas? Did you get much time off of work?
Hope you all enjoyed your holidays.
I suppose I should end such an unhappy email with something exciting: Nigel found me an edited version of Amelie for Christmas. If you are ever in the area and care to watch, let me know. I haven't heard from some of the other mothers in so long, I feel slightly disconnected. Whitney, are you done with school? Jo, has the craziness of work ended? (You were the subject of a conversation recently: while discussing blogs, Kate mentioned that she was listed as a friend on yours. She found that great fun. Mom then proceeded to ask Kate how you were and what you were up to. It seems they have both forgotten that I knew you first. We were fighting over knowing you! How fun.) Sarah, where did you go for Christmas? Did you get much time off of work?
Hope you all enjoyed your holidays.
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