Not dead...yet

I know it has been a ridiculously long time since you've heard from me...not to be alarmed...Not dead, just really busy. As most of you know I've been doing my student teaching (and will continue to be doing so through the first part of May). Since I've been doing this and trying to work in the evenings, finishing up my classes and final portfolio (so that I can graduate...again), trying to make sure that the Espanola Young Women's Program stays afloat, and trying to do all this with clean clothes and all that mundane life stuff like bathing and sleeping...blogging has kind of dropped to the bottom of the priority list. On a less important note, I've never been more grateful for the miracle of DVR. I figured some of you may be interested in how the student teaching is going...and I think the title of today's blog pretty much says it all. I've been in the first grade for over a week now and have been enjoying it immensely (for the most part). The kiddies make me laugh everyday and wear me out with their naughtiness. It is amazing to see them learn something new everyday (even though most of them avoid it like the plague). Here's just a few things I learned this week (or at least remembered):
- little boys love marbles and rubber bands
- little girls love playing puppies and lip gloss
- even if you get in a fight, you usually forget and are friends again by recess
- sometimes kids really do think they can be invisible...especially if they are in trouble
- they love to give you hugs
- 1st graders can do amazing tricks on the swings (even if they already have a cast on their arm from a previously unsuccessful attempt)
- they can pretty much be bribed to do anything for a treat or a sticker
- are the quietest when you read a story to them on the carpet

These are just a few of the things that I've loved so far about 1st grade. And hey, at least we have recess to look forward to everyday!! Who wouldn't love that?!?!?

It's a love story...

Today is my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary! I thought I would dedicate today’s blog to them. My parents met on New Year’s Eve on a blind date. (I’ve heard the story many many times from my mom…which is part of the reason why I’m such a hopeless romantic). The story begins when my mom was living in Gallup at the time and working at Montgomery Wards with my now Aunt Gail. Gail talked my mom into going on a blind date with her brother to a New Year’s Eve party. She had told her that his name was Gerald and when they came to pick my mom up, my dad introduced himself to my grandpa as Gerry. My mom was confused and didn’t know what she was supposed to call him and was too embarrassed to ask. Well the rest of the night the hostess of the party was flirting with my dad and my mom was totally mad about it. Apparently the night went well because a little over three months later they were in Vegas gettin’ hitched! Yep, my parents were married in Las Vegas (at Circus Circus to be exact). They were later sealed in the Mesa Arizona temple in October 3 years later (I was around for that one!...I was a honeymoon baby). So 30 years and 4 kids later…I’ll share with you some of my favorite things about my parents:

- Even after all this time, they still hold hands in the car
- They always kiss each other hello and goodbye
- They always celebrate their anniversary on New Year’s Eve…my dad makes steak and crab and they have a candlelight dinner for two (that was usually when we were staying at friends or at a babysitter…a few years we were stuck in the bedroom watching T.V. while they were being all romantical)
- My mom gets giddy when my dad calls (kind of like a teenager) and my dad will just call during the day to say “hi”
- My mom says she still gets butterflies when she sees my dad
- I’ve never seen my parents yell at or say an unkind word to each other
- They are generous almost to a fault, they work hard and are very giving…especially to their children (thank goodness…otherwise I would be homeless right now!)
- They love each other, they love us, and they love the gospel

I hope that you have many more happy and blessed years. Thanks for being the example of what I hope to have someday!

“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother”
- David O. McKay

Where's my Hazmat suit?

So, lately I’ve kind of had a lot on my plate. I practically feel like a stranger in my own home…and then I remember that no one else is going to clean up the mess I’ve made…and then I feel right at home all over again. Last night I was watching a little T.V. and I realized that some of these things are pretty ridiculous. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been quarantined for anything. I realized while watching a preview of an upcoming show (which of course had the entire cast in suits and some of them quarantined for some weird encounter…which seems to happen on every show) that I have never been quarantined for anything!!! Is this a common occurrence? Because if it is, I’m feeling a little jipped! Now, don’t get me wrong…I’m not looking for a chemical spill or biochemical attack…but I would have liked to hop in that lab shower in science class (be honest, you wanted to too). Quarantines and amnesia seem to be the “go to” television staples. I could totally write a T.V. script…picture it (any of your favorite shows will do)…the supporting character and a disposable character (you know, one with maybe one speaking line…who will eventually be killed off for dramatic effect)…get into a predicament and have to be quarantined and the hero gets amnesia and has to figure out what happened in order to save the supporting character (unfortunately they are too late to save disposable character). I know, you’ve probably already seen that one. There have been some fun and interesting things going on in my world so I shouldn’t be too disappointed that I have never been able to wear a hazmat suit. The other day we were driving by a bunch of cops on the side of the road and I said, “They probably found a dead body” (which of course is my standard response to any group of law enforcement…or any abandoned car…or when at a loss for something to say). Well, it turns out they really did find a dead body (it was in the paper…I did NOT do a first hand investigation)! Very weird.
Well, I must warn all you blog readers that I may be MIA for the next few weeks...because I’m starting my student teaching!!! I am super excited and more than just a little nervous. It should be interesting. I haven’t heard what grade I will be in so keep your fingers crossed (mine are…which makes it really tough to type). I did find out that that I will be graduating Summa cum Laude…assuming that I can get everything else done in my program! So wish me luck!

Who let the dogs out?

So, spring has sprung…and then went into hiding. I don’t know about where you are, but it is freezing in this part of the world. I was trying to will the spring to stick around, I even busted out a pair of Capri’s in a fit of optimism which only lead to me being a popsicle all day (of course the next day I bundled myself up and burned up all day…I just can’t win). Today it is blizzarding outside (and not the good Dairy Queen kind…can you imagine?!?! that would be wicked awesome). Because I live in New Mexico, it’s not just a blizzard, it’s also ridiculously windy. You know what they say…March comes in like a lion and out like a lion (okay maybe its out like a lamb…but it seems more like a lion too). Our fruit trees have even blossomed and are now probably freezing as we speak…or write…or whatever. Oh well, they’ve never actually produced fruit (except the cherry tree)…because this is New Mexico and they freeze every year. In other weird yard news, we have a wild pack of dogs that are roaming around our “neighborhood” (I use the term neighborhood loosely, because we have neighbors but no paved roads/sidewalks/trash service…and there is vast wilderness to backside of our property…and a golf course). We often have a wide variety of wild animals roaming in and out of our yard…rabbits, road runners, and a freakish number of cats. Well, this dog pack isn’t your ordinary pack of wild dogs….its a pack of little house dogs! There are several little Chihuahua’s and a little mutt that run together. I assume that they belong to someone (at least I’m pretty sure that they don’t grow in the wild here) but these crazy little dogs must think that they are bigger than they are. They kind of act like a crazy teen gang that terrorizes the neighbors (not that I’ve actually encountered such gangs…but I’ve seen the movie The Outsiders and other 80’s movies, so I’m pretty much an expert). These little tiny dogs will not move out of the way and will try to stare you down. My sis has even had a couple of run-ins with these little punk dogs (okay so they won’t move and then try to run down the car as it drives down the driveway). It’s the weirdest thing.
One more thing to make you smile today….this is a video of my friend Kate’s little girl Jazmine dancing. It’s hilarious!!!

LDS Temples

More than meets the eye

I have recently come to the conclusion that my cell phone is in fact a Decepticon. I know what most of you may be thinking now…didn’t they destroy the all spark in the last Transformers movie?....well, my response to that is…HELLO! it’s Hollywood, that’s what they wanted you to think! Yes, I am one of those loons who is fairly certain that transformers are real. I’ve actually had several in depth conversations about this with many a 3 year old boy…okay, so maybe the depth of these conversations is screaming ‘Bye Optimus Prime’ as a semi rolls by. At least I’ve found many a cohort in my madness…even if it consists of a group of young children. My cell phone wigs out on a fairly consistent basis and last night I came to the conclusion, with the help of my very astute sidekick Bettie, that it is actually a Decepticon. I mean, what other feasible explanation could there possibly be. I don’t think that it has actually made an attempt on my life…but then again I do believe that Silver Bullet is an Autobot and may be protecting me from the deadly cell phone. Yes, I am also one of those people who waves at every brightly painted yellow car as it passes…just in case it is Bumblebee (so if you happen to drive one of these said yellow cars and a stranger waves at you…they are probably waving at your car…so stop flipping me the bird!) Also, I am on the hunt for a transformers magnetic car sticker….I think that Silver Bullet lost his in a death match with someone else’s cell phone. So if you come across one let me know.
Now, before you start thinking that I’m delusional…I must warn you that I just happen to be very observant and if you keep a look out, you will probably see the signs of the transformer invasion too.
In other blog-worthy news…Race to Witch Mountain opens this weekend!! I don’t know about you but I am looking forward to enjoying 99 minutes of Dwayne Johnson’s hunky-ness. Unfortunately I probably won’t get to watch it until next week due to the stupid state licensing exams I will be taking all weekend. Apparently the state of New Mexico doesn’t want me teaching your kiddies until they are sure that I’m “competent” (I’m pretty sure if they saw this post they would be rescinding my license pretty quickly). These tests are a pretty big deal (which you can tell since I’m missing a date with my future baby daddy for it….yes, I’m once again referring to Dwayne Johnson). So wish me luck…for the test part not the baby daddy part, although a little luck in that department wouldn’t hurt. Have a great weekend!

Question

Is it just me or is Taylor Swift trying to take over the world?