My Wonderful Christmas

Christmas this year was so amazing! I was completely surprised by all of the wonderful gifts I received and so happy to give the gifts I chose for other people.

Our extended family (all 19 of us) do a gift exchange, but it's not a normal gift exchange. All gifts must be homemade! At first, we started out with a $5 material limit, but since have raised it to $10. This year, I had my grandma. I made her a stickypad calendar that had a holiday for each day. Each month also had a gift that corresponded to a day during that month. For example--I wrapped up bubble wrap for January 26- Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. On the day my grandma gets a gift, she has to call me. She loves holidays so this was a perfect present for her. It took A LOT of time, but it was worth it. If you want a copy of the big calendar with all the holidays on it, leave me a comment with your email and I'll send it to you.

My uncle had me, and he made me a classroom set of phonics phones! These are 'phones' made out of PVC pipe that help students when they are learning to read. I know this took a lot of time to make and I am so excited to use them in my classroom!

On Christmas Eve my family (plus my grandparents) made homemade pizzas and played games. We then opened our family gifts. I got posters, borders and other things for my classroom from my sister and a gift card from my brother. I gave my sister a 5 lb. can of hot cocoa for the cocoa motion Santa was bringing her. My sister and I bought my brother the first season of Friday Night Lights. I bought my mom a carmel-apple figure-thing and a new canopener. All us kids got my dad shotgun bullets. We then opened our traditional outfit and pajamas.

We all went to bed and eagerly awaited Santa! My family makes this a big deal, even though we're all older. I got SO MANY PRESENTS! I was amazed! Santa starts shopping in March, so he spreads the expenses out over the whole year. This is what I got from Santa, Barnaby the Elf, Buddy the Elf, Dasher, Prancer and Vixen gave me. (My mom is hilarious!)

I got a stuffed lamb, a sandwich maker, a label maker, dominoes, a huge pack of fruit snacks, a US States game, 5th grade reading level books, candy, a jewelry organizer, stamps, pepper spray (in a pink case no less,) Sleeping Beauty on DVD, The Election Collection of School House Rock, a globe, a miniature Jesus figurine, and a snowglobe--with $300 inside for SURFING LESSONS!

Sun Valley

Blake and I went to Sun Valley for a weekend vacation and spent time at his Grandpa's house with his aunt. It was so much fun! We went skating at the Lodge (see above videos).

We also went shopping, and baked sugar cookies with his aunt.

McKenzie Rae

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

79 More Days!

I had a meeting for New Zealand today and I am SO excited to leave! Here are two videos on YouTube that show some of the things I'm going to be doing, and you bet, I'm doing it all! I leave February 27 from SLC International and go fly to LA and then leave for Auckland. Crazy enough, we cross the time line, thing, and I lose February 28! It disappears! Then I have 7 weeks in paradise! With 12 days of vacation! But don't worry, I'll be posting regular updates of my adventures! 79 more days!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-vo_LrSCVc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh-0knDpn5g

Tagged by Monica

The questions are as follows:
1. Where is your cell phone? On my lap.
2. Where is your significant other? Nonexistant at the present. I like being single! :)
3. Your hair color? Brunette/blonde
4. Your mother? Shopping
5. Your father? At work
6. Your favorite thing? Reading
7. Your dream last night? Nightmare!
8. Your dream/goal? Graduating (almost there!)
9. The room you're in? Living room/kitchen. It's a small apartment
10. Your hobby? Reading and embroidery
11. Your fear? Failure
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Married with a baby! :)
13. Where were you last night? Home with my sister
14. What you're not? School--YAY!
15. One of your wish-list items? A job in Logan
16. Where you grew up? Stansbury Park
17. The last thing you did? Called the registrar's office
18. What are you wearing? Gym shorts and a t-shirt
19. Your TV? CSI New York
20. Your pet? None for me. My family's pets are probably destroying something at home.
21. Your computer? Laptop
22. Your mood? Lazy
23. Missing someone? My mommy
24. Your car? Soon to be sold! I'm getting a Jeep Liberty! Whoo hoo!
25. Something you're not wearing? Bra
26. Favorite store? Steve & Barry's
28. Love someone? My family
29. Your favorite color? Green and Pink
30. When is the last time you laughed? This morning. MTV is funny!
31. Last time you cried? Yesterday

I tag: Janalyn, Jaci, Katie

New Zealand

Custom Countdowns & MySpace Layouts

Rebellious without being obvious.

So, after a day at lunch with Janalyn and Stephanie for Janalyn's birthday, I didn't have much to do with my day. I read a book, did some laundry, and cleaned the house. I hear laughing in the other room from my roommates and lo and behold--they bought purple hair dye.

I have discussed, at length, the rebelliousness of college students with my good friend Blake, and have come to the conclusion that freshman and senior college students are the most rebellious. Freshman are eager to test the new-found waters of independence, whereas the seniors are looking for one last blast before graduation. My roommates fall under the freshman category, I under the senior.

So, with only a moment's hesitation, I joined my roommates in the bathroom, parted my hair and set to work. After 30 minutes, I had a streak of purple running through my hair. My roommates were all just as excited to see how their's turned out. Ashley's was fine, Julia's was almost nonexistant, and Caitlin's...well, she has more rainbowed hair. Bleached roots that go pink then purple at the ends. Oh dear....

So today, we decided to try again. This time I took the reins, I re-dyed Caitlin's rainbow and touched up Ashley's section. I also decided to try to get mine a little darker and added another section on the other side of my hair. All in all, I feel quite awesome. As Blake said it, I'm rebellious without being obvious, and I'm okay with that.

p.s. I'll post pictures as soon as I can find my camera cord...it's MIA

Paint Dance!

My roommates and I went to the paint dance yesterday and we had so much fun!

New Zealand Update & Other Stuff.

So, I am officially going to New Zealand for student teaching. WHOO HOO! I leave February 27 and I cannot wait! I've got my passport, my immunizations and have paid my airfare. Now it's really just a waiting game!

But while I'm waiting, I know I'll have fun doing my Level III. I'm going to be at North Park Elementary in the 1st grade. This will be new for me, since I usually don't work with the young ones, but I'm excited for the challenge!

8 Things Tagged By Janalyn

The # 8 Tagged by Janalyn

8 Things I am Passionate About:

1) Teaching 2) Music 3) Special Education 4) My testimony 5) Family 6) My di-cut machine 7) Peanut butter 8) shopping with my mommy

8 Words or Phrases I Say Often:

1) Cool beans 2) Freakin' heck 3) what the heck 4) I try... 5)I Love you!! 6) You wish. 7) I think I'm going to die 8) Whatever

8 Things I want to do before I Die:

1) Have a family 2) visit all the Disneylands in the world 3) buy a green Jetta 4) Teach 5) Serve a mission (hopefully with someone else, but if not that's okay) 6) Go to New Zealand (get to check this one off in February 7) bunjee jump 8) Graduate :)

8 Things I Have Learned From my Past:

1) It's not your fault. 2) be concerned about your future, you'll be in it the rest of your life. 3) It takes too much energy to be angry 4) Never give up 5) Be thankful for the little things. 6) Take time for you. 7) you can never say "I love you" too often 8) Don't worry about it.

8 Places I Would Love to Go or See:

1) New Zealand 2) Russia 3) Europe 4) Israel 5) Egypt 6) Italy 7) Switzerland 8) Alaska

8 Things I Currently Need or Want:

1) Something really good to happen. Right now. I'm sick of waiting. 2) ELED department to fix their act up! 3)Clean apartment. Please, roommates! 4) Time 5) A teaching job after graduation 6) Vacation 7) A new car. 8) People to join my stake choir!

8 people I tag:

Everyone has already been tagged! I tag Alli!

So, I should probably update this...

School is a few weeks in now and I'm getting everything under my belt. The ELED program is busy, but not too hard. I'm waiting on the study abroad office to let me knowif I'm goign to New Zealand and I'm so anxious to hear if I got accepted!

Oakridge is good and my roommates are fun. All three of them are freshman and they're super excited to be at school. It keeps me excited too!

Summer!

So here is the update I know you have all been waiting for... Just kidding! :) I'm still working at the State Office of Education and I absolutely love it! It's been so much fun. My family and I went on a vacation to South Dakota and saw Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and lots of other fun stuff! I'm getting everything ready to go back to Logan in the fall. I think I'm going to live in Oakridge, but we'll see.

I'm planning on going to New Zealand in the spring and I cannot wait! I'm going to student teach there the second block. I couldn't be more excited!

I got a couple of callings in my ward--I'm Ward Historian and teaching the Sunbeam class. My little sunbeams wear me out, but they have such special spirits!

My mom and I are going to Park City this week and we plan to shop, shop, shop! We're also going to ride the zipline and the alpine slide. Hopefully I'll get some pictures to post soon! Hope all is well with everything!

Studying for Finals

I don't think I could have ever made it through the Special Ed program at USU without Janalyn and Stephanie! They were my life lines and best friends throughout the whole journey! Our last study party was at Casper's Ice Cream Parlor and we had a blast. Together, we can get through Barb's, Ben's, and Bob's with only minor battle wounds.

Bubbles

I beat Wade at Bubbles. 233,100 points! WHOO HOO! I'm so stoked! YAY FOR THE BUBBLES CHAMPION!

I've succumbed to the force of my peers and have started a blog! I'm so excited to put all the cool features on. Feel free to give me ideas to make my page cute!