2nd Anniversary Adventures

SOOOO! I have yet again fallen behind. Go figure. Justin and I had our two year anniversary last Monday (August 15th). We went golfing and ate at Cafe Rio. YUMMY! It was my first time golfing and it was a blast!!!! I can't wait to go again! We got massages from my sister a couple days later and then Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we took off for a fun road trip as our summer vacation getaway. It was so much fun! We started off in Vegas and stayed the night at Mandalay Bay. We ate at the Treasure Island buffet and went swimming. Then we headed to Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. Oh my B-E-A-UTIFUL!!!!!! I was in awe when I looked at the Grand Canyon. I have never seen someting so massive that when you look at it, it almost looks fake due to it's vastness. We stayed in Flagstaff that evening then headed out for the Four Corners monument. That was fun too. Standing in four different places in two different time zone all at the same time. Wow! haha! We then headed up through Colorado and into Moab, Utah. We stayed there for the evening and then hiked in Arches National Park before heading home. It was a wonderful adventure!

We started school the day after we got home. We are bogged down this semester to say the least. We're both still working full time and going to school full time. We leave about 7:30 in the morning and get home around 8:30 or 9:00 almost every night. Then it's homework until we can't take it anymore (Justin usually lasts until about midnight). Dinner usually gets thrown in there somewhere. I'm taking some different classes. I have two psych classes, two ESL classes, and my fiction writing class. Justin is taking Physics and drafting courses.

Sad to say that soccer is out of the question this semester :( I'm very upset by it. However, it's not all entirely due to school, Clearfield decided to not have an outdoor league this season and are re-doing the fields. I'm bummed, but I guess if they had to cancel any season, this would be a great semester to not have to worry about saying no to soccer! I do miss working out though. I haven't even been running! I just need to get motivated. It's hard though when I'm so tired and exhausted when I get home and it's too dark/scary in my neighborhood in the mornings anymore...oh well. Maybe one day!

That's about the gist of our lives at the present moment. Until next time--Ciao!

Summer Camping

Well! Despite being stuck in school all summer, Justin and I have managed to go camping a couple weekends so far. We went up to Red Spur the first time with his family. We stayed a couple nights then headed back home for the Layton 5K fun run. Up there we saw a badger. First time I've ever seen one in the wild! It was kinda scary. Justin also killed a rock chuck with his brand new BB gun...but then his gun broke and now we have to send it back. haha. It was good times up there in Red Spur. Last weekend we went up to Plymouth with my family and stayed one night. We got hit by two freak funnel clouds! It was awesome...well, it would have been if we weren't stuck in the pounding hail trying to hold the awnings on our trailers down to keep them from breaking off. It was CRAZY! We were completely soaked and had been pelted enough times that there were welts. We managed to salvage the awnings and get inside before too much damage occurred. It was the first "tornado" I've ever been in. Hopefully the last.

We're still in school right now. UGH! So sick of it!!! haha. Too bad we don't get much of a break before fall semester starts up. We ARE going to try to take a road trip for a few days the weekend before it starts though. Fingers crossed that we can make it!

Soccer is still in session...at least our Friday night league. This Friday is our last game though. Hopefully it won't be nearly as hot as it has been. They have been SCORCHING hot games considering we're used to playing in the snow and whatnot.

Anyway, that's the update up to this point. Until next time--Ciao!!

Slightly behind

Hello again! I'm such a slacker! I have been too busy with the fast-pace of summer semester to get on here much. I do need to update a little bit about my ESL class. I became friends with those elementary teachers. They were always...well...pretty crazy! Kept class interesting to say the least. It's over now. Two A's! Wahoo! I start my next block on Monday. New class, new teacher, but it's still ESL. Hopefully it won't be too terribly bad. I need something simple. I'm pretty burned out.

Justin and I are still on our two soccer teams. So between school, soccer, and church we're NEVER home. haha! We won our game last night. It was a hard fought win. Pretty satisfying! It was certainly hot though. We're so used to playing in either snow or rain that when it was actually sunny we all about died! I'm glad that spring...or I guess...summer, has decided to show up (for a minute anyway).

I have been informed that I need to post pictures on here...I will certainly look into figuring out how do that! I'm really not very teh savvy and it may take a little while to do so. Be patient with me.

Until next time--Ciao!

Clear Divisions

Wow! That is really all I can say about how clearly defined the line is between elementary education and secondary education. Last night I had my ESL class and I sat down at a table with a couple of girls that seemed nice. One asked me my name and started carrying on a conversation...that is until she found out that I'm going into secondary ed and not elementary ed. She said, "so you don't know anyone in this class then, do you?" When I said no she ended the conversation and made it a point to not look at or associate with me the rest of the class. The other girls at the table did the same. When we were broken into groups of three, I didn't even hesitate to leave that table. The line was clear and I was not accepted. Simply because I am not going into elementary ed. Wow! We're all going to be teachers for heaven's sake...does it REALLY matter what grade? I had no idea the line was so defined until that conversation. I have now been informed. It's a shame they're making it that way. I thought they were nice. Oh well! Their loss :)

Other than that, school is evil. I don't mind going in the summer I don't think, but I really don't like these education courses so far. That worries me a little bit. I will say that last night's class was MUCH better than Tuesday nights...at least material wise. My teacher brought in the psychology application to education and that made me feel a little more at home. haha! I miss my psych and English classes. I wish I could have been able to get into a job with those without having to take education courses, but alas, there aren't many opportunities to become employed with those majors :)

It's Mother's Day weekend. Justin and I are going to MAKE something for our moms this year...YIKES! We're not exactly the creative types. We'll see how it turns out. I have two baby showers to go to as well and then a dinner Saturday night. I was going to have a race too, but the date was changed, so that opened my morning up a little more...well, except I filled it with going to my sister-in-law's soccer games! haha! Never a dull moment in this little gal's life!

Until next time--Ciao!

Almost made it!

Well, I have officially been accepted into the Education Program at Weber State University. I still ahve to get my background check and my finger prints taken, but I can't really do that until right before I start student teaching. The disappointing part of being accepted is I didn't even get a letter in the mail. I took my grades in from last semester last night before class and the girl went and made a copy of the acceptance letter...I didn't even get a REAL printed letterhead letter! Oh well, I guess. I made it in. Now I just gotta get back into the spirit of being in school. The farther I get into my education classes, the less I like them. haha. Go figure. I may be getting my masters sooner than I had expected! (just don't tell Justin...haha!)

Outdoor soccer starts tonight! Whoot whoot! I'm so excited/nervous. I'm going to be so messed up from indoor...some rules are just too different! But it will be fun. AND it's ACTUALLY a nice day for once!

Oh, we got the kitchen cleaned up a few days after the leak occurred. The problem seemed to be a simple fix, but the disaster left behind, not so much. Our floor is STILL like an ice rink, despite all the mopping we have done.

Justin and I have been trying to figure out some fun Mother's Day gifts...since that's on Sunday! It totally snuck up on us this year! If anyone has any ideas, let me know!

Until next time--Ciao!

The Case of the Broken Disposal

Hello, again! What an adventurous few days it has been!!! Last night our garbage disposal decided it wanted to clog up. Great fun...especially since our dishwasher was going too. Word to the wise--DON'T RUN YOUR DISHWASHER WHEN YOUR SINK/DISPOSAL IS CLOGGED, ONLY BAD NEWS WILL FOLLOW. Ou kitchen is flooded and every single towel in the house is being used to mop it up at the present moment. haha! Well, half of the towels are in the dryer trying to relieve some of the excess moisture they have acrued. This event is only getting worse too. We used a whole bottle of drain-o on the disposal (in two shifts, once in the early evening and once before we hit the sack) only to lose the $4.00 it cost to buy the stuff in the first place. It did nothing to help alleviate any of the present water stress. We woke up this morning to find the towels completely saturated. We changed them out like a bandage on a wound and left for work. Now the waiting begins...will our house be under water by the time we get home tonight? Will our carpet need to be replaced? Will our sink ever recover from this horrible tragedy? Only time can tell...

On a brighter note...I GOT ALL A'S!!!! Whoot whoot! I got three A's and one A-, so not a 4.0 entirely, but all A's nevertheless! It raised my GPA which is FANTASTIC because I'd really like to graduate with high honors. School starts again on Monday. Probably a good thing though since I allow myself to pack my nights and weekends WAY too full when I'm not in school. haha! Last night I had a book club meeting with a few friends from my Papa Murphy's working days. It was fun. We had dessert at Chili's. The book we read for it was A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears. If you look at my Favorite Reads on here you'll see that I found it humorous and a fun, light-hearted read. The book for next time is I Am Number Four. I'm excited about it. I will be downloading it tonight to the Kindle :)

I will keep you posted on the disposal fiasco!
Until next time--Ciao!

Easter

Well, what a busy weekend it has been! Full of fun, friends and family. Justin and I were packed from the moment we left work on Friday until the moment we went to bed Sunday night.

Friday we went to Mikado's for a sushi dinner. Now, I must explain that before I met Justin I would never have even TOUCHED sushi, let alone eaten it. Not only did I eat it, I actually ENJOYED it! I might think about eating there more often. The sushi I enjoyed the most was called Shelly. It wasn't wrapped in seaweed so that was even better. The flavor was delicious. It had cilantro in it, and I LOVE the taste of cilantro. I tried a few other kinds too that Brian had ordered for us, but that one was by far my favorite. The down side to going out to dinner was that we missed soccer practice, but discovering a new love of sushi was ALMOST worth it :) haha!

Saturday morning we went to breakfast at Cracker Barrel. We went with my in-laws, Brian's mom and brother (Dela and Mark), and the Neils. It was decent. I didn't order what I normally get, so I was a little disappointed, but I love their hashbrown casserole, so that made it all ok. After that we had to go grocery shopping and get a little bit of laundry done as well as made a couple of treats for the triple date we were planning to go on that night. We went to Boondocks with our friends Brittany and Brandon, and Jami and Sam. We played some mini golf and in the arcade. I'm horrible at mini golf, by the way. HORRIBLE. But it was fun. We then went back to Brittany and Brandon's to watch Harry Potter 7 part 1. It was really good! I enjoyed it!

Sunday we made brownies for dessert for one party, took our potato salad to my parents for the other party, then went to church. We left after Justin's lesson to get up to Tremonton for the Eggli Easter party. There we ate some food, colored an egg, raced the egg and then threw the egg. I can't draw, so instead of a picture or design, I decided to write a short poem on my egg. It said something like "These eggs we roll, this fun Easter day and then we'll throw them far, far away!" Justin drew camoflauge all over his egg. It was pretty sweet! We left there and headed to my family party at my parents. They had already eaten and had the egg hunt by then and were getting cleaned up. However, everyone stuck around for awhile, so we did get to spend some time with everyone. We had to stop back by my in-laws after that in order for me to help Katie with her homework. When we got home, it was time to relax!!!!! haha! We pretty much went straight to bed. It had been a long and adventurous weekend!

Oh, I'm sure you probably guessed by now, I didn't get to do the Easter egg hunt I had planned with the Primary kids because I wasn't in church long enough to lead the music. Since the other leader is having a baby soon, I'm off for two months so she can have two months off after her baby comes. CRAZY! I'll miss being there though. I love those little kidlets!

Today it's back to the daily grind. Grades still aren't in yet, but hopefully soon! Justin talked his boss into letting him switch his schedule to the 9-80 schedule, which means he'll get every other Friday off...lucky guy! He plans to go golfing a lot, which is good. He needs to enjoy his summer while he can. I start school in a week. :s Yikes! But until then, I'm enjoying my free time of reading and being with Just as much as possible.

PS I forgot my camera all weekend too...so no fun pictures :( TOTALLY BUMMED!

Until next time--Ciao!

Whew!

Well, I finished school up for the semester yesterday! Crazy! Too bad Justin still has four finals to take...poor guy. However! One of my teachers e-mailed me a response to an assignment that I turned in via e-mail and I got a 70% on it. I was ticked! I had worked so hard on it. When I looked back, I had sent her the wrong assignment! I couldn't believe it! So, I guess 70% on the completely wrong assignment is pretty good. haha! It still makes me mad, because I did the assignment and spent lots of time on it and all that jazz, but I don't even get credit for it. Poopy! I have two weeks off from school and then summer semester starts up. YIKES!!! I'm only going part time though, so that will be nice.

Primary today was pretty fun. I had to teach a new song to the kids and they seemed to learn it and understand it much better than the one I tried to teach last week. haha! Either way, next week is a new week and I'm excited to go Easter egg hunting for songs!

Until next time--Ciao!

Wrapping things up!

Last night I played soccer and got roughed up enough to get a penalty kick (ok, so my tumble fall was great, but I only got a PK because the other team had met their limit on fouls...) I scored! Wahoo! I tried to keep my celebrating to a minimum though. I got a couple pretty sweet battle wounds from it though.

This morning I had an oral presentation in my Technical Writing class. Christine and I have been working on this project all semester. We got our report finished a couple of weeks ago and did our presentation this morning. We're done with that class! Wahoo! The presentation went well too. The class was laughing, which is good, considering a leaky roof is actually pretty boring...haha! Overall, pretty pleased with how that turned out.

The semester is wrapping up. I have another presentation tomorrow night with my group (I'm a little bit more nervous for that one, because there's four of us and one hasn't really been coming to class lately), a couple tests and then I'm done until May! Wahoo! It seemed to be a pretty steady semester this time. It didn't drag on and it wasn't too rushed either. Hopefully summer will be like that too.

Sorry I've been slow about posting things. School hasn't been extremely rushed, but it has kept me on my toes, so I haven't had a whole lot of extra time to get poetry and stories up. I promise I will though!

Well, until next time--Ciao!

APRIL FOOL'S!!!!

Wow! Such a monumental day for my little family on this day! April first is Justin's birthday, our engagement anniversary (2 years now...wahoo!) and his mom's anniversary of getting a job at Chevron (I think it was 26 years ago now...). CRAZINESS!!!! What's the next thing to happen on this awesome day!??!?!

I should probably tell you the tale of our sweet and awesome engagement. Justin recreated our first date of going to Taggart's for dinner. Then he took me to my favorite shake shop in Morgan (Steph's). We drove around looking for a place to eat them, and wound up in the Jubilee parking lot. So romantic, I know :) But it was perfect for us and our crazy, hair-brained selves! We were eating our shakes and talking and then he pulled out a ring pop and asked me to marry him. I had to ask a bazillion times if it was an April Fool's joke. He assured me it wasn't. I, of course, said yes with tears streaming down my face and wore that ring pop religiously for a week until the ring he'd had made was finished. Then he re-proposed at the Bountiful temple one night. Got down on his knee and said, "I know you already said yes, but are you sure you want to marry me?" I started crying again, of course, and said "YES!" The ring is GORGEOUS! I love it! He custom made it all by himself. The rest is history :)

For Just's birthday I made him breakfast in bed, we had soccer practice that evening, then we got some Cafe Rio (our favorite!) and watched Finding Nemo. How could it get any better than that?!

I bet you're thinking, 'What is this? No jokes?' That's right. No jokes. I did try to tell Just we're pregnant, but he sure didn't believe me. haha! I've never been able to pull pranks or tell little fibs. People can read me like a book! So, I gave up trying long ago. Besides, it's Justin's birthday. How cruel would it be to pull a prank on him on his BIRTHDAY? Maybe one day I'll think of something...

Got lots to do today, so until next time--Ciao!

WAHOO!!!

Tonight was a good night. I scored my very first goal in soccer...ever. That's right, ever. Sad to say, but it's true. I'm a loser like that. I normally play defense and don't know how to handle the ball at all, but I was given the perfect rebound pass. Pretty much impossible to screw up. It was fun. And I've enjoyed making a big deal out of it. I should be humble now and give credit to Sam, the guy who assisted the goal. It was an indoor game, still have yet to score outdoor. That will be when all the REAL celebrations begin :) haha. Justin hurt his ankle though. He had ripped some tendons in it during outdoor and now he messed it up again. I hope it heals quickly.

Three more weeks of school. Crazy! I have lots of tests and projects to keep me busy, that's for sure. The end is in sight!!!! Only one week break and then it's back to school for me! I'll be going part-time this summer. Ugh! I need to finish school, though. It's starting to get old...and expensive. At least the courses I'm taking are only six weeks long. That will be a nice break...at least from school. haha!

Well, I'd better go hit the books. Until next time--Ciao!

A slap of reality

Well, Vegas is officially over. We're back in the swing of things. We got home Tuesday evening just in time to go to our soccer game at 8:00pm. We lost...of course...but that's ok. It's always good to get a little exercise time in. We still haven't had a chance to unpack or get our house put back together. It still looks like a tornado hit and didn't leave behind any facsimile of possible human existence. This morning we woke up and Justin's mom let us know some bad news: Harley (one of Justin's family dogs) died last night :( It makes me want to cry. I've never really had a pet that I've been real close with, but with Harley I just loved her to pieces! She was such a great dog and was like me in so many ways--the most prominent one was her neediness. She would cuddle up next to me and I'd get warm while petting her. It was a win-win situation for both of us. Harley was a golden lab. Gorgeous dog. She didn't like thunder or fireworks and chewed through several collars and fences to escape the sound. She was diagnosed with cancer in her ear this past week and waited until we got home to leave us. At least she went on her own terms. There is a poem I wrote dedicated to her. Enjoy it!

On a brighter note, Vegas was AMAZING! We all had a blast. We arrived Friday night, the 11th of March and checked in at the MGM Grand. We rode the roller coaster at New York New York, which was CLASSIC! We got a couple awesome pictures from that. We played around in the lazy river and went to one awesome show! If you ever make it to Vegas and want a great show to go to, I'd recommend a few: Donnie & Marie, Le Reve, and Cirque Du Soleil-Mystere! All three were wonderful (Cirque is the most fresh in my memory though). Justin got to play a part in Mystere. He was part of the pre-show act and was taken from his seat. It was great. We were all laughing at the comedy presented and awed by the talent of the performers. I had my first experience of gambling--I played the slots. Next time, I'll bring enough to play the tables, because that looked like a LOT more fun. haha! Or maybe I'll go back to my old ways of avoiding it at all costs. We ran into my best friend, Ashley and her boyfriend down there. We were staying at the same hotel. Random! But it was fun to meet up with them and have some lunch. We came home to rainy weather, but today should be decent and soccer practice will ensue. I'm just glad we didn't come home to school. That would have made this week even longer. Spring Break is here, but like all good things, it must come to an end.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!! I hope you're all wearing green so no one can pinch you!

Until next time, Ciao!

Vacation

Yes, Yes, YES!!!! It is finally Friday! Not only is it Friday, but it's the Friday before Spring Break. It is also the Friday that we leave for Vegas!!!! FANTASTIC!!!! I am so excited! We are staying in the MGM Grand for four nights. On Monday we're going to see Cirque du Soleil-Mystere. I can't wait to sit by the pool, soak in some rays, relax, and eat the BEST food EVER with my husband and in-laws. I think this weekend will be just what the doctor ordered!

Until next time--Ciao!

MY BIRTHDAY!

Today is my 25th birthday. I'm a quarter century old! CRAZY!!!! I don't feel very old though (one of the major bonuses of marrying someone younger than me...he always keeps me on my toes!) It has been a pretty good birthday so far, considering I've had school and work all day. Tonight Justin is taking me out to Cafe Rio for some yummy dinner! (not until 8:30 when I get off though...) This year I have NO IDEA what I am getting from ANYONE. Normally I can guess a few things from various people in the family, but this year everyone has me guessing!

I finished my book "19 Minutes" today and started "The Book Thief." If you have any further recommendations, PLEASE let me know. I love reading and it's always a blast to try out new authors and genres!

Oh! One of my favorite shows started back up today! I'm excited to watch it! It's called "The Event." I've recently gotten into some new shows and LOVE them! Justin and I are avid fans of "The Mentalist," "Criminal Minds," "House," "The Event," "Biggest Loser," "Survivor," and I absolutely love "Pretty Little Liars" (not so much Justin...hahaha) If anyone follows any of those shows, feel free to pop up a discussion on them. I LOVE them!

Until next time--Ciao!

Sad, sad day...

Today I found out when I can register for school, so I decided to look up the summer schedule for the classes I need.  There is no way I can work and go to school.  How does anyone expect me to get an education if I can't even pay for it?!?!  I don't understand what I'm supposed to do now.  So frustrated!  I work an 8-5 job and go to school full time.  Shouldn't there be a way to accommodate people that don't have their schooling and money handed to them on a silver platter?  I can't take classes from 11:00-8:00, it just doesn't work for a full time position...ANYWHERE!

I guess on the bright side, today is Friday!  Yeah for the weekend!  A week from today we leave for Vegas for a few fun-filled days and I can hardly wait!!!!  In three days I turn 25...weird...but I'm excited!  Granted, I do have work and school all day, but that's nothing new...so I'll just have to make the best of it!  Reading books, here I come!

Speaking of books, right now I'm reading "19 Minutes" by Jodi Picoult.  If you like a mix of mystery, criminal justice, and psychology her books are AMAZING!  (she does swear though, so if that turns you off of books, I wouldn't recommend reading hers...)  I read "House Rules" last week by her and LOVED it.  I'm almost done with this one.  It is about a school shooting and it goes into the minds of the defense attorney, detective, judge and shooter.  It's very interesting.

Until next time, Ciao!

Shout out!

I'm up and running!  A big shout out to my good friend Jenny Hirst for helping me get set up, my loving husband Justin for encouraging me to get  a blog up, and to my brother Scott for giving me the initial shove.  You're amazing!  I hope you all enjoy what I share.  Feel free to comment or give any suggestions.  I'm still a little slow at getting stuff up right now, but until next time--Ciao!

Introductions

Well, hello there.  I am starting this to help me with my writing.  I am not sure how it all works yet and feel kind of funny writing into the abyss, but if this is what it takes to "get my stuff out there" then this is what I must do!  It will take me awhile to get some stuff up, so please be patient...but it will come.  I promise.  Until then, I bid you Adieu!