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. :)

One More Week

I'm coming home in one more week and I'm having mixed feelings about it. I'm sad that I'm leaving this beautiful country and I'm really going to miss Darnie and everyone I've met, but I'm super excited to see my family. I miss them so much! But I've had an awesome holiday. Right now I'm actually watching some sheep brawl at the farm. It's pretty entertaining. I've gone boogie boarding down some sand dunes. Milked a cow, fed pigs, herded cattle, drank cows milk, dug for pippies, went fishing in the ocean, met some fellow tourists shopped and had a NZ style Easter egg hunt. Oh, and I met an Elder at Stake COnference from Tooele! He comes home in 2 weeks, so I'm going to look him up when he gets back. And I've adopted a lamb named Lola. It's been a crazy week and I'll write more later, but now I have to chase some sheep back into the paddock.

My last day of school...

It was my last day at school yesterday and I was so sad! The kids and I wore our pajamas to celebrate and had a shared lunch. We cleaned out the kids trays, did an Easter activity and finished up a bunch of work. The school had an assembly for the American teachers and they gave me a Chiefs Hat from the local rugby team. They are so kind. My cooperating teacher gave me a Green-Stone Ring and some Kiwi stickers. One of my students gave me a stuffed Kiwi bird that makes chirping noises and another gave me a chocolate Easter bunny. It was a really good day. :)

Last week Darnie and I went to Whangamata and went surfing! We stayed in a super flash beach house and had so much fun!

On Tuesday night Darnie, Jalayne and I went to Raglan for fish & chips on the beach. It was so beautiful I almost cried. Wednesday night was the school disco where we all dressed up in "B" costumes. Darnie was a butterfly and I was a bandit. It was great to see the kids all dressed up and having fun together. Today Darnie and I are heading up North for holiday. We are going to stay with her parents for a few days, go fishing and celebrate Easter, and then we are going to head up to the cape via 90 mile beach. I'm excited to go to the very tip of NZ!

I cannot believe I come home in a couple weeks--but it is exciting that I already have a job and everything is working out. My parents are going to the Robins Award Ceremony for me and are going to start looking for an apartment for me. It's so great to have parents like mine that are so helpful.