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!
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