Hi folks. Wow! I can hardly believe that it's been a month since I've been on. I've actually been thinking a lot about updating this during the month of August, but honestly have never found the time. I'm amazed at how life can just carry you away :-)
Needless to say here's a quick summation of the last few days, at least:
Rafted the Green River with family and Aunt Janet's family
Got sick
Packed and moved to a new place
New roommate: Amanda
New bedroom layout
Shopping with mom - found bed spread!
Teacher training began
Sick during teacher training/ESL classes
Planned first week of school
Aimee came into my classroom to set it up!
Barr family visited from CA
Talked to friends
Wrote to Christopher in Taiwan
Planned some parties
Breanne Jensen Woodrow's wedding
Found out Wendee Rosborough is expecting!
Got better
Ran
Obtained my DVD from my dance recital in May ... woot
Mentally preparing myself to meet my 9th graders tomorrow and the rest of them Wednesday
Loving the sun
Wishing summer would stay
At new apartment internet wouldn't work
Witnessed some awesome summer storms
Internet finally working through some random magic - literally
Getting excited for NOW!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
another SEVEN PEAKS day in the life of me...
Okay, the only reason I'm putting this post up here is because of what a 4 year old said to me today. Emily (my roommate) and I went to 7-Peaks today. She was able to score us some free tickets - gotta love that.
Okay, so here we are in the lazy river. It is FULL. There are two kids in a 2-man tub in front of us. The first time I noticed them was because he was almost drowning; had fallen in the hole, was jumping up and down desperately grabbing for something and catching nothing. All my instincts were coming out and I was getting ready to pull him up the hole in the tub and save his little life - not necessary - he's a boy - very resourceful.
Okay, on to the point. About a half curve later he goes down again (this time taking the precaution of holding onto the handles - yes he can be taught) and comes back up grinning "I can touch." To which his darling sister replies, "No you can't. I can barely touch." Well he's going to prove her wrong. Again, goes down, holding the handles, comes back up and proudly proclaims, "Yep, I can drown."
hahahhahahahhahahahahahah - I LOVE KIDS.
Okay, so here we are in the lazy river. It is FULL. There are two kids in a 2-man tub in front of us. The first time I noticed them was because he was almost drowning; had fallen in the hole, was jumping up and down desperately grabbing for something and catching nothing. All my instincts were coming out and I was getting ready to pull him up the hole in the tub and save his little life - not necessary - he's a boy - very resourceful.
Okay, on to the point. About a half curve later he goes down again (this time taking the precaution of holding onto the handles - yes he can be taught) and comes back up grinning "I can touch." To which his darling sister replies, "No you can't. I can barely touch." Well he's going to prove her wrong. Again, goes down, holding the handles, comes back up and proudly proclaims, "Yep, I can drown."
hahahhahahahhahahahahahah - I LOVE KIDS.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
a GOOD BOOK day in the life of me...
Okay, my darling friend Jill recommended this book to me,
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.
I'm not going to lie. I checked it out from the library two weeks ago and just really didn't devote much time to it: studying for test, dates, white water rafting, Lake Powell, etc. Can you blame me? Well last night I realized that I was only 74 pages in and it was due at the library on the 5th. Ugh. Okay, it was time to dig in and just READ. (thankfully I can do that) 153 pages and many a-ha moments later, I was done. Seriously, this man is not a "get rich quick schemer." He just spoke of honest principles and how to make your money work for me. He didn't try and tell me which mutual fund to invest in, just the types that have the best history. He didn't try and tell me how much money I should make a year to be wealthy, he told me to work with the money that I have and use my income to my advantage; to have my money work for me, instead of me working for it!
Wow! I feel so much smarter already :-)
He talks about baby steps. I'm going to list them, but for you to fully understand them - READ THE BOOK
1: Save $1000 in cash
2: Debt Snowball
3: Finish the emergency fund
4: Invest 15% of your income
5: College fund
6: Pay off home mortgage
7: Build wealth
I love the practical side of this book almost as much as I love the spiritual side of this book. He's Christian and admits it many times in the book. He talks a lot about how God commands that we have no other gods before Him. Money is not to be a god. It's to be a tool that we can use to better our life and the lives of those around us.
HUGE SHOUT OUT TO DAVE RAMSEY!! (and Jill for having me read the book)
Sunday, August 1, 2010
a PRAYERFUL day in the life of me...
As many of you know yesterday I took a national test called the PRAXIS. This is a test that all teachers are required to take. There is a version of the PRAXIS to fit each area of teaching. I have taken the History and the Elementary Education Content Knowledge tests and passed both of them successfully :-) Yesterday was the day that I took the Middle School English and Language Arts test. This will make me "highly qualified" and therefore certified to teach my English classes next year (okay really in 3 weeks). According to the federal regulations if one doesn't pass the PRAXIS exam in his/her content area one is NOT allowed to teach (NCLB). - translation = I would lose my job.
AHHHHHHHHH! Can anyone say stress?!
Anyway I dedicated quite a bit of my summer to studying for this test (I studied on a houseboat on Lake Powell because I was so determined to pass). This past week of my life has been an immensely stressful one for me.
It included:
hours of studying
two breakdowns - lots and Lots and LOTS of tears
a blessing from my father
reassuring talks from my mother, siblings, friends, etc
contemplation about what I really am supposed to be doing with my life
contemplation of what God wants me to be doing
contemplation on my role as a teacher
etc
I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father and His willingness to answer PRAYERS! After my dad gave me a Father's Blessing, I immediately became calm. I love how the power of the priesthood has IMMEDIATE results. Well that happened on Thursday night. Saturday morning I woke up to my roommate making me breakfast (5:30am!!!). 6:45am was walking up to BYU campus, 10:40am was walking home. A tender mercy happened in the testing center room. I looked up and found a big picture of Christ smiling down on me. It was so wonderful to actually feel all the people in my life PRAYING FOR ME right then. Wow! I am so grateful for the power of prayer.
I won't know the results for 4 weeks, but that is okay. What I do know is that God answers prayers and I was not alone in that testing center for one minute during that test.
AHHHHHHHHH! Can anyone say stress?!
Anyway I dedicated quite a bit of my summer to studying for this test (I studied on a houseboat on Lake Powell because I was so determined to pass). This past week of my life has been an immensely stressful one for me.
It included:
hours of studying
two breakdowns - lots and Lots and LOTS of tears
a blessing from my father
reassuring talks from my mother, siblings, friends, etc
contemplation about what I really am supposed to be doing with my life
contemplation of what God wants me to be doing
contemplation on my role as a teacher
etc
I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father and His willingness to answer PRAYERS! After my dad gave me a Father's Blessing, I immediately became calm. I love how the power of the priesthood has IMMEDIATE results. Well that happened on Thursday night. Saturday morning I woke up to my roommate making me breakfast (5:30am!!!). 6:45am was walking up to BYU campus, 10:40am was walking home. A tender mercy happened in the testing center room. I looked up and found a big picture of Christ smiling down on me. It was so wonderful to actually feel all the people in my life PRAYING FOR ME right then. Wow! I am so grateful for the power of prayer.
I won't know the results for 4 weeks, but that is okay. What I do know is that God answers prayers and I was not alone in that testing center for one minute during that test.
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