Free to drink beer and rent cars...

It's my birthday! The infamous day where one turns 21 is here. Waking up this morning a gate had been lifted. The gate to the fields of alcohol and Hertz. Unfortunately alcohol is not in the game plan and I already have a car with no vacations in sight where I would need to be a patron to rental car facilities. However, if someone would like to take me on a vacation, I would be happy to rent the car with my drivers license that no longer needs to say "Not 21 until 6/4/2009."

Crying in the Merrill Hall Office

I finally got my pictures from New Zealand developed. Not all of them--that would have cost over $100. But a good amount. I'm sitting here in the Merrill Office and I'm writing on the back the dates/names/places I remember so I don't forget. And then I realize. I've been home over a month. I look at a picture of Darnie and I at Rotorua getting ready to go down the luge and I can't stop them...the tears are streaming. In the middle of my office shift I'm crying. I got to talk to Darnie last night but it is not the same. I miss her. I miss Nga. I miss my barefoot students and butter chicken and laying out in the sun on a Sunday afternoon. New Zealand is my second home. I will never be the same after being there. I became a better person, a stronger person. So I will wipe my tears and vow that I will be back. Soon.

Weekend Fun

I finally got some time off from work and I was able to go home this weekend. It was so nice to spend time with my family! We had a pretty chill night on Friday and went to bed early. The only downfall of going home is that I have no bed. All my furniture is in my new apartment and my room has been converted into an exercise room--complete with a tv on the wall. Wonder if anyone is going to use it. ;-) So I slept on an air mattress amid the treadmill and weight set. Saturday morning I washed my car and helped my dad wash his truck. My brother is such a sweetheart and even gave me the quarters to do it! Then my mom cut my hair--it hadn't been trimmed since before NZ and really needed it. I got to open my birthday presents early! I got a new bed set, beautiful, decorations for my new place and bathroom decorations too! My parents took me for a late lunch for my birthday at the Thai House--which I love! While we were there it started raining so crazy my dad actually pulled the truck up on the curb to minimize the rain on my mom and I. It was a wonderful weekend! Morgan and I drove back to Logan Sunday morning so we could be at our ward. Morgan teaches nursery and I'm in sunbeams. We coordinate with the deaf branch which is amazing. We both have kids that use sign in our classes and I am so amazed at their abilities! Two of them have deaf parents, but they are hearing. I am in awe that they are bilingual at such a young age. The gift of tongues is beautiful.

Graduation Pics

So this week has been crazy. I graduated, my parents brought up my furniture and I started me summer job. I don't have internet at my new apartment yet, so I'm relying on the office computer. I can't upload pictures yet, but if you go to http://www.usu.edu/provost/commencement/ and click on the undergraduate scrapbook there is big cheesy picture of me on the second row down second in from the left. I'm walking in the rain with Janalyn across the Quad. Graduation was awesome! I was Magna Cum Laude and scholar for the college of Education which is such an honor. I was able to sit on the stand for the College of Education graduation ceremony-it was so cool!

Graduation

I graduate tomorrow. Finally my dream is realized and now I need to set a new goal. Masters Degree? I think so. It's a very surreal feeling being an adult. My parents are on their way to Logan to move in my bedroom set so I don't have to sleep on the floor in my new apartment. I'm waiting on a job offer for summer. I'm getting ready to teach in August. All sorts of new things are happening and I absolutely love it. Change is scary but good. At least that is what I keep telling myself.

Back in the States

Woohoo I'm back on American soil! 24 hours of travelling is exhausting and the time change is freaking me out, but I'm excited to be home. My mom, brother, aunt and 2 cousins met me at the airport which was such a treat! Mom made me chimichangas for dinner since I've been craving Mexican food. I'm going up to Logan tonight since I have so much to do before graduation. My parents got me an apartment for the next year and Morgan will be living with me this summer-YAY! But that means moving again...not so much fun. But this apartment has 2 bedrooms and apparently it's super cute and I can't wait to see it! Oh, and my phone now works-I just got off the phone with Janalyn and it was so wonderful to hear her voice! It's amazing how hard it is to live without a cell. :)

Pics of my last few weeks...

I went to Darnie's parents' farm and adopted this lamb. I named her Lola.

Darnie and I shaped USU out of volcanic rock in a volcanic crater in Auckland! Cool huh?

The view from the boat when we went fishing in the ocean. BEAUTIFUL!

Darnie and I met some tourists that we took to the beach for us to dig for pipis. Ian is from the States and Darren is from the UK. It was a fun night. :)