The most wonderful time of the year

I'm not sure exactly how to sum up our Christmas break so far. Words fail me at describing this relaxing and blissful time. And, I don't even have my cord to upload any pictures, but they will come soon, I promise!

This has definitely been a different Christmas- my first away from home. And, there have been a few moments of sadness and homesickness. It's weird to not have dozens of kids running around and to see palm trees with Christmas lights. But, the Martinez's are so good to me, and so fun to be with. I'm lucky to be part of their family now.

We've had so much fun being with family- looking at Christmas lights, playing games, watching movies, working on puzzles, going to a Christmas concert. We had a wonderful Christmas full of presents (I was very spoiled.) We made a fabulous journey into the city to see the beautiful lights, and of course there have been trips to the beach. Bryan and I had a great day yesterday- he took me to Carmel and Monterey for my birthday. It was so beautiful, and so fun to spend time together.

Bryan always makes fun of me because I start feeling sad about leaving before we even go some place! So, although I dread heading back to cold and snowy Utah and work on Monday, I am 100% enjoying this time and I'm so grateful we could take this vacation to celebrate the love of the season with family.

Oh fun!

I realize that this is post #2 for the day (okay, for the hour) but I saw this on Shauna and Ashley's blogs and it looked too fun! I've done the things that are bold

Started your own blog
Slept under the stars
Played in a band
Visited Hawaii
Watched a meteor shower
Given more than you can afford to charity
Been to Disneyland
Climbed a mountain
Held a praying mantis
Sang a solo
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Taught yourself an art from scratch
Adopted a child
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Grown your own vegetables
Seen the Mona Lisa in France
Slept on an overnight train
Had a pillow fight
Hitchhiked
Taken a sick day when you're not ill
Built a snow fort
Held a lamb
Gone skinny dipping
Run a marathon
Ridden in a gondola in Venice
Seen a total eclipse
Watched a sunrise or sunset
Hit a home run
Been on a cruise
Seen Niagara Falls in person
Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
Seen an Amish community
Taught yourself a new language
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing
Seen Michelangelo's David
Sung karaoke
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance
Had your portrait painted
Gone deep sea fishing
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Taken a martial arts class
Visited Russia
Served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout Cookies
Gone whale watching
Got flowers for no reason
Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi concentration camp
Bounced a check
Flown in a helicopter
Saved a favorite childhood toy
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Eaten caviar
Pieced a quilt
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
Broken a bone (does my baby toe count?)
Been on a speeding motorcycle
Seen the Grand Canyon in person
Published a book
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem
Had your picture in the newspaper
Read the entire Bible
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared an animal for eating
Had chicken pox
Saved someone's life
Sat on a jury
Met someone famous
Joined a book club
Lost a loved one
Had a baby
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake
Been involved in a lawsuit
Owned a cell phone
Been stung by a bee

Looks like I have a lot to do, but it's fun to take a little walk back in time.

In the meadow we can build a snowman

Oh, glorious Christmas Break. You couldn't have come soon enough. My normally kind and patient husband has been a beast of sorts as he has suffered through this nightmarish week (He's back to his normal self now, thank goodness.) My classroom has been in complete chaos. I arrived at school shaking and white-knuckled every morning because of that icky white stuff all over the roads. I stood outside in freezing temperatures for 15 minutes a day monitoring 150 rambunctious eight through ten year olds. My head is still pounding from leading the crazy fourth graders as we rocked out to Bruce Springsteen for our Christmas Sing Along. I have wrapped at least 10,000 gifts (it seemed...and I actually liked that part.)

In the morning we're off to the land of burritos and sunshine. I'm ready for a good dose of family, Christmas cheer, sleeping, reading, and eating. Just one more obstacle to my utopia- Nevada. And, a snowy Nevada at that. We're hoping for a good driving day tomorrow.

So, in case I get too busy relaxing, have a very Merry Christmas!!!!

No Tiffany,

I'm not pregnant. Unfortunately. Trust me, if I was pregnant you would have all heard my screams of excitement all across the country. #1 - I would have a baby, and #2 - I would get to stop working!!!! (ps- I do love teaching, I just am craving the stay-at-home mom/wife lifestyle, call me crazy if you want...)

To explain my previous very misleading post, cute Bryan is doing the 12 hints of Christmas for me. I get one hint a day to figure out my present. I left my computer open on our blog and Bryan decided to make his premier post my hint for the day. Unfortunately, I know Bryan all too well and figured my present out after clue 3 (Bryan is now protesting that he made the clues really easy because he wanted me to figure it out quick.) My present is Elf, one of my very very favorite Christmas movies. (Dad is a hint because my dad basically thinks this is the greatest movie ever made.)

Anyway...

Our very favorite SNL skit is Michael Vick, Really? It gets us every time. Tonight I would like to propose Canyon Crest, Really?

Really, You thought it would be a good idea to have a faculty Christmas party at 7:30 am, even though school doesn't start until 8:45, Really?
Really, You thought no one would want to skip our delightful 3 1/2 hour training on Friday afternoon so we could have the party then, Really?
Really, You thought this would actually be a nice thing to do, Really?
Really, You thought we felt like we didn't spend enough time at school, Really?
Really, You think people will show up, Really?

Obviously I'm a little bitter. And, despite all my complaining and sarcasm, we all know that good little Rachel will be there to festivate at 7:30 tomorrow morning.

Your next hint is....
DAD!

A Eulogy

My dear iBook G4 reached its ultimate demise today. At approximately 3:45 pm it stopped breathing. We are waiting for the autopsy results, but it looks like the cause of death was old age.

My iBook was originally a gift from the kind-hearted Provo School District. It was an experienced computer that had lived through at least 15 other teachers before me. There was a crack in the plastic, the letters on the A,S,D,F,J,K,T,and C keys were missing, and it took at least 10 minutes to do anything. But, it had created many a quiz and worksheet. It was faithful at visiting the Powerschool website as well as the Canyon Crest calendar. How I will miss my little friend.

The first scare with my iBook occurred early this Spring when it crashed for the first time. My hero Mr. Swallow was able to resuscitate my iBook and even save all of my data. The good doctor is working hard this time, but the prognosis doesn't look good. I just don't know if little iBook can pull through this time.

At this point we are hoping for a Christmas Miracle- a brand spanking new MacBook (note the upgrade) and the ability to transfer all of my information (including tons of irreplaceable photos from the past 6 months.)

ps- Sorry about the random boxes in my last post. I really tried, but I couldn't figure out how to get rid of them. Obviously I'm not an electronics expert.

Saying Goodbye

Thanksgiving was excellent. I don't have time for the details, but trust me- it was excellent. Unfortunately though, it ended. And then came my least favorite part of living in Utah- saying goodbye.

I have self-diagnosed acute separation anxiety. Despite the fact that I am almost 23 years old, have a very supportive husband, and have lived on my own for 4 1/2 years I completely lose my composure when they leave. Basically I bawl my eyes out. Who wouldn't if they had to say goodbye to this:


Luckily I am friends with one of the most amazing girls in the world. Sweet Lisa Michelle has carried me through many departures from my family and was in full force on this one. On Tuesday she delivered this beautiful ray of sunshine to my school with the sweetest card.

You couldn't ask for a better friend. Thank You Lis!!!!!

Not for the faint of heart

Yes, I'm blogging during the game. Don't worry, I'm definitely watching, but it's just too much for me. My hear is pounding and I need to stay busy doing something or I'm going to go crazy. (ps- it's tied right now in the 2nd quarter.)

I thought now would be a good time to update you on our Thanksgiving festivities. My family is coming, hooray! My dad has been here since Thursday night. We've had a great time hanging out with him. My mom and the rest of the crew arrive in 3 hours- I can't wait!!

Here are some highlights of our itinerary: my fam coming to help in my classroom (sure to be a crazy adventure,) Twilight viewing party (girls only,) Chuck-a-Rama with the grandparents, Christmas lights, cousin sleepover, spending a night at my grandparents' cabin.

But the real day of importance- Thanksgiving- is going to be the ultimate in family fun and craziness. Here's the plan (warning- this may cause pounding of the heart, aching temples, slight stomach ache, and sweaty palms.)
Thanksgiving Dinner with the Anderson's at noon- lots of laughing and delicious food
After eating, a mad rush for everyone to get ready for:
Family Picture- 56 People crammed in a studio trying to wear matching clothes and smile at the same time. Virtually Impossible, but nonetheless we make the effort so very often.
Race to Thanksgiving Dinner part 2 with the Rice's- more delicious food and lots of fun (many more little cousins as well)
Trek to Park City for Thanksgiving Dessert at my mom's cousin's beautiful home. Many more laughs and, of course, delicious food.
I didn't add this in the schedule, but there will obviously be many stops to restrooms for us to binge in preparation for our next meal. Please wish us luck.

Even though I joke about our insane schedule, I'm so excited for a break from school and some time with my wonderful family. Happy Thanksgiving!

Rivalry Week

In my class I have 24 wild and crazy BYU fans and 1 pesky Utah fan (ps, she is adorable and I love her so much.) At the beginning of the year it quickly became apparent that we had a huge rift in our classroom family. The kids would gang up on Ute fan, and I had to lecture them about being kind even though we cheer for different teams. Eventually it became something fun that we all like to joke about.

Enter Mr. Jensen. Mr. Jensen is an aide in my classroom who comes every morning. He is young and fun, and the kids adore him. Unfortunately Mr. Jensen is also a Ute fan.

On Monday he came to school wearing a hideous red shirt and proclaimed that he was planning on wearing red every day that week. I almost said that I would then wear blue every day, but I realized that there's not too much blue in my closet, need to work on that. So I had to come up with something quick and clever. I decided to make a bargain with Mr. Jensen. If BYU wins, he has to wear one of Bryan's BYU shirts all day on Monday. He jumped right on it and said that if Utah wins, the whole class has to get on their knees and say, "The Utes are the Best."

So, the rivalry begins. We only write in blue on our whiteboard. We're all wearing true blue on Friday.

Please Cougars, pull it off for the 25 of us in Room 19.

Immunity

I am very proud to say that I am immune to the flu for the next 12 months.

Today I summoned up my courage to get a flu shot. The District Office was giving them for free and I figured if anyone is at risk to get sick, it's me. Most people wouldn't think this was a big deal, but I haven't had very much luck in the arm/blood/needle department lately (bad blood donating experience.) I even called my mom on the way over for some support, here's our conversation:

"Mom, I'm on my way to my flu shot. I'm nervous. Does it hurt?"

"Oh, don't be such a baby. It's nothing."

That conversation ended quickly.

So here I am one hour later in recovery. The only true tragedy of this experience is the small hole in my sweater from pulling it over my bulky muscles. But, Bryan doesn't need to know that. We're going to start a new family tradition where any time someone gets a shot they become "Queen of the Day." This entitles not having to make dinner, going out for ice cream, watching a movie of her choice, getting a massage (because shots make your whole body hurt,) and anything else the Queen desires. I think it's going to go pretty well.

Good Things

- Wonderful Bryan took me to see Mama Mia this weekend. His expression stayed pretty much the same the whole time- a mix between is this for real and she better love me. Due to my excellent bargaining skills, we will be enjoying Quantam of Solace and Hot Rod this next weekend.
That's pretty much how it works around here and we love it.

- Parent-Teacher Conferences are OVER!!!

- BYU won on Saturday, and actually looked pretty good. I'm proud to say I'm a Cougar again.

- My little sis is going to London! I can't wait to relive my Study Abroad
days as she enjoys this fabulous trip. I'm already working on a list of "things you MUST do"

- I'm almost done with my Christmas project to give to my parents

- I'm all caught up on my grading...almost

- I'm reading a fabulous book about the early colonists at Jamestown. Clearly, I love anything related to Virginia, but this is really interesting and heartbreaking- it was not an easy life.

- My family comes in 11 days (that's 264 hours.) I hope I can make it until then!!!

- Bry and I went to get 2 free Hot and Ready Krispy Kremes tonight and
ended up coming home with a dozen doughnuts- go figure.

I love my life

Jeepers Creepers

A. This is the title of an extremely scary movie that Bry and I watched about 4 times last week in honor of Halloween.

B. This may be what you think of me after reading this post.


If this is your home, please know that I am only a random admirer, not a creepy stalker. Ever since my eyes first came across this darling home I have been completely in love with it. I often make Bryan drive out of our way to get a peek of my dream home. I love how it looks like it belongs in Virginia- the shiny black shutters, the cute little porch, the handsome white pillars, the colorful leaves scattered on the ground. I want to curl up with a book on a window seat in one of the top windows and make cute curtains to go in those big front windows. I want to cuddle with Bryan in front of a warm fire in the fireplace. I want to chase my own little children around in the backyard. I want to fill this house with the delicious aroma of baking cookies. I want to paint the walls cute colors and decorate with fun artwork.

Please let this one day be my home.

Moving On

I was sad to put away this


But happy to have this back



And so excited for this

(Yes, that is exactly what our apartment looks like at Christmas)

Good News- 106.5 began playing 100% Christmas music today, there is happiness in my world.

Sisters, Sisters, there were never such devoted Sisters

Tonight I had a date night with my favorite Katie Leigh. "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" had finally come to the dollar theater and thus was finally affordable. The best part was when the four girls decided to gallivant off to Greece at a moment's notice. I mean, I take spontaneous trips overseas to search for a lost pair of jeans regularly. It was no HSM, but we both enjoyed it. The only thing that could have made it better was if Jen, Leslie, Bethany, and Mom had been there too. What would life be without sisters?



To read a beautiful sisters story, visit this site: A Sister is Held Even Closer.

We're all in this Together

Here are the pictures from Friday night. Katie and I got to drive the 8 year olds (Ally, Sarah, and Emily) and they pretty much turned us into 8 year olds as well. We blasted HSM 1 and 2 and sang and danced the whole way. Everyone was jealous of us.

{the pink girls}

{the red girls}

{the "adult" girls}

{we love troy bolton}

Rah Rah Shish Boom Bah

At 6:00 this morning we ate green good luck waffles for Bryan's FE Exam (Fundamentals of Engineering) today. This is the test that he needs to pass in order to become a certified engineer. Sounds fancy, huh? It's a really fun test- starts at 7:15 in the morning, 8 hours long (at least they get a lunch break,) and the passing score is 35%. He's been studying hard and is an engineering genius so I'm sure he'll do great.

What Bryan didn't know is that those green good luck waffles were also in honor of our poor little Cougars. We had a rough time last week, so I figured we could use some extra good luck for the game today against UNLV. Bryan won't be there obviously, so I'll have to cheer extra loud. Even though last week was devastating, I have hope that we will pull through this week. Go Cougars!

Last night was probably one of the greatest nights of my life. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them. The movie was fabulous, and we had so much fun being girly and loud.

So excited!!!!

I realize I haven't posted in like a month. I recall an earlier time when I was labeled a "blog loser." Sorry.

But, if there is anything in the world that would turn me around it is

I'm not sure if I'll be able to sleep tonight. I've been counting down to this day for a loooong time now. We're having a girls night with the fam. My aunt and her three daughters all have matching shirts to wear, and they're crimping their hair for the big event. Unfortunately my crimper is back in Virginia, but she said they'd still let me come.

But, it get's even better. I have an HSM claim to fame. My cute little student Skyler is a star in the movie! Okay, okay I'm not really sure if he's a star, but he's in it and that makes him a star to me! In the movie they do a flashback to when Troy and Chad were young and my Skyler is little Troy. He is super cute, and I'm so excited to see him on the big screen. So it's sure to be the best movie of 2008 (way better than that psycho creepy Batman movie- I'm still having nightmares!)

Go Wildcats!

Scatter Sunshine

Last night was the General Relief Society Broadcast which I always love because it is such a great booster. It always seems like while the men are told they "need to do better and be nicer to their wives" we are told that we're doing a good job and don't need to be so hard on ourselves. I guess that's one of the great things about being a woman!

After a very hectic week and three lonely days without my hubby (had gone to CA for a funeral) I was running on low and in desperate need of a pick-me-up. While I truly enjoyed all of the talks, it was President Uchtdorf's that really made the difference to me. I love how he tells cute and funny stories, but then he always gives a very powerful and uplifting message. Last night I was so grateful when he said the we are all creators. We all have the power and ability to make things beautiful, to establish a home where we can have the spirit, to make small, but meaningful differences in the lives of others. We have the ability to help to create life, a gift that I cannot even fathom. I often underestimate the power that Heavenly Father has given us in our free agency. I appreciated the reminder that this is my chance to make something beautiful out of my life.

I loved Elder Uchtdorf's quote from J.M. Barrie: "Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." It was just what I needed to remind me the best way to solve some of life's problems is to ignore them and get involved with someone else's problems. No matter how bad I have it (and I usually don't have it very bad) someone else has it worse. There are so many wonderful people in my life who are scatterers of sunshine. When I see these examples, it makes me want to develop this goodness and happiness in my life as well. Thank you to all of you!

What a great blessing it is for us to have a living Prophet and other leaders on the earth to teach and comfort us just as our Heavenly Father would if He were here.

Update

Due to my dunk tanking experience on Friday, I came down with a nasty cold this weekend. I stayed home from school yesterday, which felt great until I went back to school this morning and found my classroom in complete disarray. My sub was this crazy old man who had a story about everything. Apparently the greatest thing my kids learned was that the planet Venus is just like hell. However interesting this fact may be, it is probably not appropriate to tell a classroom full of LDS fourth graders. Let's just hope I don't get any phone calls...

While I was home enjoying my perfectly peaceful day, I got to read for a while and it reminded me that I wanted to blog about my last book. Last summer Bryan read a book called The Alchemist. The initial draw of the book was that it was written by Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian. But, Bry ended up loving the message of the book so he's been pushing me to read it for a while. I finally got to it a couple weeks ago. The story (which unfortunately does not take place in Brazil) is about a shepherd boy following his "personal legend." He goes on a quest for treasure and meets many fascinating people along the way. The book is full of little jewels of wisdom. Here are some of my favorites:

"The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity."


"It is we who nourish the soul of the world, and the world we live in will be either better or worse, depending on whether we become better or worse. And that's where the power of love comes in. Because, when we love, we always strive to become better than we are."

I loved this book mostly because it really made me think about how I'm living my life, and how I could make my life better. Definitely a winner.

Happy Birthday Canyon Crest!

Last night we celebrated Canyon Crest's 25th Birthday. It was definitely a night to remember.

First, the Dance Festival. My kids got the crowd going with their knee-slappin Virginia Reel. They were cute and did a great job. After hours of practice, it feels good to finally have this over! Here they are:


The stellar sixth grade took us back to 1983 when C.C. opened with an awesome tribute to the 80's. Here's my favorite sixth grade teacher Tiffany in her rockin' outfit. Please note: the costume also included fabulous star earrings and a sweat band.

And, the crowning event- my miserable 20 minutes in the dunk tank. The kids loved it just as much as I hated it. Freezing cold water + very windy night + getting dunked about a dozen times + TONS of people watching = not a very happy Rachel. But, I made it through, and it's something I can tell my grandkids about (assuming I don't get pneumonia from this experience and never live to have grandkids!) Here are some pics for you to enjoy.

falling in!

P.S.

I wikipedia'd dunk tank and received some of the information I needed. See below:

Clothing

Depending on the type of event the dunk tank is being used for, the people being dunked may opt for various different clothing options. People will often volunteer to get dunked fully clothed for a humorous effect. For example, school teachers, a boss at a company picnic, or local "celebrities" may choose to wear street clothes in the dunking booth for the added humor. Some even go as far to wear a suit and tie, or funny costumes in a dunk tank. Also, a group may choose to wear a special uniform while on the dunk tank. For example, youth group may wear a group T-Shirt, or a Scouting group may choose to be dunked wearing their Scout uniforms.

If people know beforehand that they will be getting dunked, they often choose to wear a swimsuit or wetsuit while on the dunk tank. On the other hand, if a person volunteers to get dunked without having brought a swimsuit, he or she may simply wear his or her street clothes, removing only shoes and socks.

While some dunk tank rental agencies recommend that footwear is worn when being dunked, most choose to simply go barefoot.

So many options... I didn't know that dunk tanking was such an art.

I am a REALLY nice person

I know many of you may disagree with my self-assessment, but read on my friend, read on.

A few weeks ago I "volunteered" to be in the Dunk Tank at the Canyon Crest Carnival tomorrow night. And, I mean volunteered in the sense that the PTA president cornered me and provided the line that my ego couldn't pass up, "All the cool teachers are doing it." Because of this, I am mentally and physically preparing for what could possibly be the most miserable night of my life. I'm still thinking about following my wise mother's advice, "You gotta get sick before Friday night Rach." What sickness is there that has no symptoms, is over in 30 minutes, and comes on at 15 minutes notice? If you know of one, please let me know. I am desperate.

While you're working on that, please pray for me. Pray that it is a super warm night. Pray that my students have terrible aim. Actually, pray that my sweet kids have compassion on their poor teacher and decide that I am too nice to dunk. Pray that the water is hot and filled with delightful smelling bubbles. Pray that the dunking mechanism breaks. Pray that there's a huge thunderstorm (I'd even take a snowstorm!) tomorrow night which makes the carnival activities impossible. Pray that I don't drown.

One more question- What do you wear when you're in a dunk tank????

Thanks Amy for reminding me that today is...

Can't Wait!

Rise and Shout

This Saturday was a day to remember for the Martinez family, and for Cougar fans around the world. I'm not gonna lie, I went into the game a little nervous. We had won all our games so far, but let's be honest, they weren't that impressive. But, I put on my cougar blue and sunglasses and headed out into the football-perfect day.

And, it was a perfect day.

There was a slight predicament when we found two extremely tall (I realize that almost everyone is tall to me, but these girls were extremely tall) twins with HUGE red hair in our seats. Think about a combination of Ron Weasley, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Hagrid. That's what was sitting in our seats. I kindly informed them that they were in our seats, but they didn't move. I decided that I would give them a little bit because not everyone from our group was there yet. But, within a few minutes the rest of our group showed up and I took them on. I not only took them on, I defeated the redhead monsters. They didn't even know what had hit them. It was a great moment for me, I feel like I really gained a lot of respect, both from myself and from all bystanders.

But, back to the perfect day.

Let's just say the Bruins didn't leave Provo very happy that day. From our second row seats (in the south endzone) we witnessed 5 perfectly beautiful touchdowns. Those were only 5 of the 8 Cougar touchdowns. Guess how many touchdowns UCLA made? ZERO!!!! Guess how many points UCLA got? ZERO!!!!

We cheered until our lungs hurt, high fived until our hands hurt, stomped until our feet hurt. It really was a perfect day, and I'm so glad we got to spend it in a stadium full of 64,000 crazy and excited fans.

go cougs!

The grass is always greener...

I have the "grass is always greener on the other side" syndrome. For all my life I've been saying, "I'll really be happy and have the great life when I'm in high school," then a couple years later, "I'll be happy when I can finally drive," then,"I'll be happy when I'm in college and on my own," and then, "I'll be happy when I'm married and done with school," and now, "I'll finally be happy when I have my own cute little kids and I get to stay at home with them all day." It's not that I'm always unhappy, I'm just always looking for the next great thing that will bring me happiness instead of living in the moment. I also have this problem that I think everyone else has a glamorous, lovely, and stable life while I am barely keeping my head above the water.

Take today for example. I had to drive out to another school this afternoon for an ESL class I'm taking (on a side note- teachers should not be required to take a class from 4-7:00 every Thursday night that also gives a ton of pointless homework.) It was a really cute, brand new, super nice school. As I drove up I thought, "I bet the faculty here always get along and never have any problems. I bet they don't have parents calling all the time and demanding that their son or daughter needs to be in the advanced math class. I bet the teachers here get all of their work done at school and enjoy a lovely night at home relaxing instead of grading papers and planning lessons. I bet there are only 15 kids per class at this school, and I'm sure the students are very polite and sweet, and they always listen when their teacher is talking. I'm sure there is no pressure on the teachers here to perform well on end-of-year testing. I bet they don't ever have stressful faculty meetings, and they never have new math or reading adoptions to get used to. And, I'm positive they don't have to do DMI training."

Not joking, that really all went through my head, and in only about 20 seconds. Luckily, after those 20 seconds I decided to take a step back. Maybe it was a nice school, and maybe there are some things there that are better/easier than Canyon Crest. But, I'm sure this school also has its challenges. I bet some of the teachers at this school would pull up to C.C. and create their own list of "I bets." My point is, it does absolutely no good for me to dream about how wonderful it is to teach at fancy, beautiful, new school because I am at Canyon Crest, and I love it. I need to remind myself every time the going gets tough that I do love it and I am happy where I am right now. I hate to think that I spend any time at all wishing I was doing something else because really all we have is this moment to enjoy. So, here is my resolution to you, my dear blog, that I am going to find something to appreciate every day. That I am going to love where I am and what I'm doing right now, because possibly I will never get the chance to do this again.

On a spiritual note, here is a fabulous talk from last fall's General Conference. Apparently I didn't study it well enough to apply it to all aspects of my life, but tonight I have greater resolve to do so.

My World is Shrinking

About 6 months ago I posted about my hilarious and lovable aerobics instructor who could be a body double for Suzanne Somers. I haven't been to that class in a while because A. my Saturdays became really busy B. Lisa moved away and I couldn't go by myself because I needed to know at least one person wasn't making fun of me in their mind the whole time (or maybe she was too...not sure) and C. my gym membership expired and I decided I could just run outside during the summer.
Well, today I'm doing parent teacher conferences and in walks Suzanne Somers aka my favorite aerobics teacher. She's the mother of one of my students!!!! It was so funny to see her again. And, since I was so embarrassed about my skills in the class and my poor attendance I didn't bring it up. But, Lis and I plan on starting that class again soon (whenever I can afford a gym membership again) and then I'll be seeing her every Saturday morning. Will that be awkward??

New Layout

My cute hubby spent all day helping me with my blog. I know what you're thinking- you spent all day and this is all it looks like? We had some complications and it's still a work in progress. But, I'm grateful for a super fabulous, multi-talented husband that is also a little bit nerdy. Thanks Bry!

How minty are you?

It is no secret that my financial skills are lacking. In fact, the class I regret not taking the most at BYU was personal finance. It's not that I've ever had huge problems with money, I just don't keep track of what I have and how I'm spending it very well. It just seems like such a pain and I have no motivation. But, since I'm a team now, I feel a little more pressure to get on the ball and be more organized about things.

Step on the scene my dear friend/accountant extraordinaire Lisa. She told me about mint.com. It's a FREE site that is very safe. You put in all of your bank accounts, credit cards, loans, investments, etc. Then, they track it all for you. You can create a budget, and they create a nifty little graph that tells you how close you are to reaching your budget each month. It categorizes all of your expenses and shows you how close you are to your budget in each of those categories. The site also tells you how much you are worth, and let's just say it would not be a great idea to rob the Martinez family right now. It is fabulous, and I am finally motivated and excited about taking care of my finances.

So, thank you Lisa!!! You can now put on your resume that you saved a marriage :)

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

You probably haven't read this book since you were in fourth grade, but it's a cute one by Judy Blume. I'm reading it to my kids and we are loving it. So, in honor of this fabulous title, I have a few anecdotes for you from the life of a real fourth grade nothing.

8/25/08
I'm teaching our vocabulary words for the week. One of the words is suspicious. My sentence for suspicious is "I would be very suspicious if a cookie was left on my desk." A couple hours later at lunch, I receive 2 cookies from anonymous fourth grade donors. (ps- I totally knew who the cookies were from)

8/27/08
I'm on recess duty and all of a sudden a student runs down the hill screaming "There's a huge poisonous rattlesnake on the playground!!!!" I was (of course) completely freaked out and created a huge perimeter in which no one was allowed to go. Luckily my classroom aide came to my rescue and took care of the beast. Turns out the gardner snake was harmless, but it was still very creepy and I'm not looking forward to my next recess duty.

8/28/08
A girl comes to school and tells me, "I have a dress just like yours. I like to wear it when I'm riding around in my mom's convertible with the top down. It's also fun to wear when we're driving in my dad's lamborghini. People stop us all the time and want to take pictures of our car. They also stop us when we drive the ferrari and the viper, but mostly they stop us when we drive the lamborghini." My mouth pretty much dropped down to my knees. Let's just say I'm expecting a great Christmas present from that family :)

9/2/08
We start out the year with a unit on respect and one type of respect we discuss is respect for country. We talk about how even if you don't like the president or you didn't vote for him, you should still show respect because he is our leader. Here is part of our conversation:
Kelli: "If Barack Obama is elected, I will not respect him."
me: "Why not?"
Kelli: "Because I just do not like him"
(I've never met a fourth grader that cared so much about politics)
Skyler: "Should we respect Bill Clinton?"
me: "Yes, he was the leader that we elected"
Skyler: "Didn't he lie?"
me: "Well, yes he did lie to the country, which made it difficult for us to show him respect."
Skyler: "What did he lie about?"
me: "umm.... ask your parents about it"

So, there you have it. My life in a nutshell.

Feelings

so sad that Bryan's parents are gone
ecstatic that Chad and Katie are here in Provo with us
relieved to have a day off tomorrow
excited for it to cool off finally
happy to have a clean kitchen
wishful that we also had clean clothes
nervous to go back to another week at school on Tuesday
thrilled to see Lisa and Bryan tomorrow
proud that the Cougs pulled off a win yesterday
still praying for the cute Nielson family
annoyed that we'll have church at 1:00 from now on
craving a Jamba Juice
missing Virginia and my favorite 6 that live there
grateful for life and all that it brings

Come, Come ye Saints

Once upon a time I arrived in Provo, Utah for my first year at BYU. Every hour, on the hour I heard those magnificent bells chime the classic hymn "Come, Come ye Saints." In that first week I thought that this hymn was chosen specifically for that time when people seemed to be gathering to Provo. Later, I realized this song was played every hour on the hour every day of every year. But, I still like to think of it as a gathering hymn for the beginning of a new school year.

This year it is with mixed feelings that I proclaim "come, come ye saints." This has been my first summer living in Provo and I have reveled in the greatly decreased amounts of traffic. I love being able to get to work in 10 minutes as opposed to 20. I love not having to wait in line for 2 hours at the grocery store. I love that the Redbox still has good movies all the way until 8:00 on Friday nights. I love not having to dodge pedestrians as I am driving. I love that the line at Movies 8 doesn't go past the first row of cars in the parking lot. I have loved the peace of summer.

But, I am looking forward for the excitement of another year. I'm excited for old friends to come back, and most of all I'm excited for Katie and Chad to get here!!! (Even though I know our food supply will soon be struggling under the weight of 4 instead of 2!)

So, hurry up my friends, the bells are calling.
welcome back everyone!!!

A quiet, blissful weekend

After a hectic week of work and school Bryan and I opted for a quiet weekend. On Friday we went to Mimi's for a delicious triple chocolate brownie (yum!) then we hit up the good old Dollar Theatre to see The Incredible Hulk. I can't tell you if I liked the movie or not because I slept through the first half! On Saturday we slept in and played tennis. Bry beat me, as usual. I cleaned the apartment (took surprisingly long for how small a space it is!) and Bryan worked on homework for his online class. We made a Costco run which was very disappointing due to the lack of sample choices. We made pizza together which was amazing then watched Harry Potter #5. Sundays are always wonderful. We just got home from church, so after a few more meetings we will be free to eat dinner, take naps, write to Elder Martinez, talk to our families, go on a walk, and read. Weekends like this give me the energy to take on another crazy 5 days!

Things I've accomplished in the past week:

- Finished Breaking Dawn (I caved and bought it)
- Watched approximately 5,000 hours of Olympics
- Didn't die while four wheeling with Bry and some friends
- Survived 3 days of school
- Kept 2 boys in from recess (already)
- Haven't made dinner since Saturday
- Re-fell in love with violin music at a Jenny Oaks Baker concert
- Made my bed every day (mom would be proud)
- Come home with sore feet and throat every night
- Talked to my mom every morning and every night so she could help me de-stress
- Fell in love with 27 darling fourth graders

My life is great.

Please pray for the Nielsons. If you don't live in AZ or UT, you can read about them here. I teach their adorable little niece and I know this is a really tough time for their wonderful family.

It's that time again

The summer days are slipping through my fingers. Tomorrow starts four days of rigorous meetings and frantically getting ready. Then school starts one week from today! This summer has been wonderful, and I'm not sure that I'm ready for it to end. Since today is my last day of freedom, I'm sitting here in my pajamas watching the Olympics. I might shower and actually be productive today, or I might just enjoy sitting in my pajamas all day long. What I really wish I could do is sit here in my pajamas all day reading Breaking Dawn. I desperately need to get my hands on a copy of that book. I'm losing my patience with the Orem Public Library, they're too slow! The library has 12 copies and each person should finish in 2 days. By these calculations, Person #45 (me) should be getting the book TODAY. Oh library, please make my last summer wish come true today!

Success!

I'm sure you were all wondering how my shopping trip went. Well, you'll be happily surprised to hear that I actually stuck to my $2.75 budget. Here's how: I bought some pants, but I put them on my gap credit card, and the bill still goes to my parent's house. I know this sounds bad, but they were only $13 and my mom gets all the reward coupons from my spending, so that's kind of fair right? I also got a cardigan from gap, but the lady forgot to ring it up (don't ask me how you forget to ring something up when someone is only buying 2 things!) But, lucky for me, my grandma was the person in line behind me, and she insisted on adding it to what she was getting and would not take any money from me. For dinner I split a salad with my aunt, so I only had to pay $2. I did buy sunglasses, but they were a need for the well-being of my eyes, not a want, so I don't count them :) Thus, I still have $.75 to spend and it feels good.

Just call me Rachael Ray

A few months ago, Bryan's cousin left for California for the summer and gave us all of her left over food. Included in this gift were cans of tomato paste, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. My first inclination was, 'what am I supposed to do with this???' Bryan informed me that some people actually make their own spaghetti sauce. Woah. Last night I was feeling very ambitious so I decided to pull out those foreign cans and put them to use. I found a recipe for marinara sauce that I used, and kinda did my own thing with it. And, wonder to behold- it tasted really good! I would say I'd never go back to store-bought spaghetti sauce, but I don't have that much patience. The good news is that since I had no idea what I was doing I made a TON of sauce, so we'll be eating it for weeks. And, if you're in driving distance and would like to try some of my excellent homemade sauce, come on over! Here's the recipe:

1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot (I used a lot less because I thought it was weird)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can tomatoes, cut up
1/2 of a 6 oz. can (1/3 cup) tomato paste
(I used a combination of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste because I had all of them, and I'm not sure how much I used of each!)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed (I didn't have any oregano, so I just used Italian seasoning)
1/4 tsp salt (I just realized that I forgot to add this!)
dash pepper

A second thing to be excited about today-
I get to have a girls night with my grandma, aunts, and little cousins. I'm so excited!! We're shopping in Park City, so watch out Tanger Outlets, here we come!! Bryan has given me a $2.75 budget, but I was never good at the whole finances thing, so we'll see how that goes. Happy Friday and Happy 8/8/08!!

A Night at Our House

Last night Bry and I watched Pay it Forward. I knew about it, but had never seen it before. I really liked it and thought it had a cute message. I feel like now I have to find 3 people to do nice things for so I can pay it forward. (Beware, I'm about to give the movie away.) But, I never knew that the little boy dies at the end! It was like he was my son and he had died. I was crying my eyes out and couldn't stop. Like, I really couldn't stop. So Bryan went into "stop Rachel before this place turns into a swimming pool" mood. We tried watching some episodes from The Office, which should have solved everything, but it was to no avail. I didn't stop crying until I was brushing my teeth. Bryan told me that you should sing happy birthday while brushing your teeth and that is how long you should brush. I believed him of course and looked completely ridiculous humming happy birthday while brushing my teeth. Well, in case any of you have husbands who tell you things like this, it's not true! I finished singing long before my teeth were clean. Turns out he made it all up, but it did the job. I was laughing so hard that my tears finally stopped. Bryan saves the night.

On a completely different note, I finally have carpet in my classroom after waiting all summer. Hooray! That means I'm back to my second home, getting ready for school to start in 11 days- AHHH!

Dessert on a Dime

Because of our somewhat out of control draining of our finances this summer, Bryan and I went on a fast from spending money this week. It went pretty well until last night. I was craving ice cream big time and there wasn't any in the house. So Bryan came up with an excellent solution- we could go if I could find enough change to pay for it. I took on the challenge and with remarkable speed found $3.20 worth of dimes. We made our way over to paradise aka Dairy Queen to spend our dimes. Bryan gets the old school vanilla dipped in chocolate, but he is absolutely wasting his $1.59. I have found complete and pure joy this summer in chocolate ice cream cones dipped in chocolate. If you haven't had one lately, please search your house for 16 dimes (32 if you're taking a lucky person with you) and do yourself a favor!

America the Beautiful

Bryan had Thursday off for Pioneer Day, so he took Friday off as well and we got to go on another trip! We went down to Moab, which was kind of a random decision- it was close enough that paying for gas wouldn't be a nightmare, but far enough that we would be getting away. I'll be honest- I wasn't really expecting much. I knew it would be super hot, and we would hike a lot and neither of those things really thrilled me.

I was blown away.

Arches National Park is beautiful. The red rocks were incredible and at sunset they would reflect the light, which was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. The arches were so cool. I would post pictures, but my camera cord is in Virginia, oops! I was constantly in awe of this beautiful world that we live in. And it made me realize how much I take it for granted. We met people from France (and saw the men's hairy legs that were shown off through their super short swimsuits...gross,) Holland, Germany, and Australia (she asked us if that was a deer because she had never seen one before!) There were a few buses full of Asians, and people from England staying at our hotel. I was fascinated that all these people had traveled so far to see something that I could see by driving 3 hours down the road. I've been in Utah for 4 years now, and visited tons of times before that, and never gone down. I'm now realizing how lucky I am to have a few years in this wonderful area. I'm determined to appreciate it more in the time I have left here in Utah. America really is beautiful and I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for this amazing earth He has given us to enjoy.

Tagged!!!

A- Attached or Single? Very Attached
B- Best Friend? Bryan :)
C- Cake or Pie? my mom's delicious chocolate chip cake
D- Day of choice? lately it has been Sunday because it is so relaxing. But, I will always love Thursdays.
E- Essential item? my camera- I always carry it with me!
F- Favorite color? definitely pink
G- Gummy bears or worms?- Worms
H- Hometown?- Richmond, Virginia
I- Favorite Indulgence?- cake batter ice cream with brownies and raspberries from Coldstone- yum
J- January or July?- July because it is always spent with family
K- Kids?- definitely in the future
L- Life isn't complete without? My wonderful family and the gospel
M- Marriage date? July 6th, 2007
N- Number of brothers and sisters? 4 sisters, 1 brother, 3 brothers in law, and 1 sister in law
O- Oranges or Apples- apples
P- Phobia and fears? Spiders. And, lobsters. When I was really little my parents were watching Hook and I sneaked out of bed and watched it from the hall even though I wasn't supposed to (I'm so rebellious.) I saw the part where they put the man in the chest full of lobsters and have had nightmares about that ever since. I don't even like seeing the lobsters at grocery stores.
Q- Quote? "Things will work out. Keep trying. Be believing. Be happy. Don't get discouraged. Things will work out." President Hinckley R- Reasons to smile?- clean laundry, ice cream, free food, finishing a good book, having summers off, a cute card in the mail, flowers, fleece blankets, painted toenails, kool-aid
S- Season of choice- Toughie. I love Spring because of all the flowers, but I think I love Fall even more because of all the colors
T- Tag 3 people: Lisa (haha, I'm forcing you to post!), Lindsay, and Amy
U- Unknown fact about me- I love watching Law and Order. It's sometimes hard to watch because it's so violent, but I get so into it. Sometimes I wonder if I hadn't been a teacher if I would have been a detective.
V- Vegetable? asparagus
W- Worst Habit?- So many to choose from... I talk really fast. Whenever I give a talk or lesson in church, I write go slow all over my notes.
X- Ray or Ultrasound?- I've never had either so I'm going to go with ultrasound because eventually I'll have one, and I could live happily the rest of my life without an xray
Y- Your favorite food?- ICE CREAM!!
Z- Zodiac sign?- Capricorn

Virginia is for Lovers

I'm back from my fabulous trip! Babysitting went pretty well, but I'm glad motherhood doesn't involve 2 kids plus various extra children plus a dog plus 5 people to feed all at once! I picked Bethany up late from swim team practice...twice, then we didn't go to the swim meet because it looked like there was going to be a huge thunderstorm (and there was, I would have driven 30 minutes away just to sit in my car for an hour then have the meet postponed- I'm a genius), then I forgot about practice the next day so she didn't go, then on the last day I drove her to the pool and practice was cancelled (we probably would have known it was cancelled had we appropriately attended other swim team activities.) Hopefully the word doesn't get around that I'm a swim team loser in case my kids want to be on a swim team. Despite my swim team failure, most of our other activities were quite successful- we went to the pool a lot, visited the library (my favorite very quiet hour of the whole week), took Luna on walks, saw Wall E, and went to the Children's Museum.

When Mom and the girls came home from camp, we had a lot of fun all together. We ate the most incredible meal ever at Maggianos, enjoyed our favorite family tradition of watching High School Musical together, I ate at Ukrops with my favorite Linds, went on a little trip to Baltimore to visit cousins, shopping (H&M was having a sale and I was in heaven,) Tyler dominated me at Wii bowling, and we watched Stardust together (Ty loved it and spent the whole next day re-enacting his favorite part) and laughed A LOT.

I have mixed feelings toward being back. It's wonderful to be back with Bry and nice to be in my own home with my own space, and fun to see friends. School starts exactly 1 month from today, so it's back to real life. Today I had a rude awakening when I stopped by my school for a minute. I got my class list for next year- 17 boys and 11 girls. Last year I had 9 boys and 12 girls, so I'm in for an adventure! Plus, I'm getting new carpet in my room so I had to drag all the desks, bookcases, chairs, tables, etc. out into the hall. It was exhausting! Welcome back Mrs. Martinez.

fabulous Florida

Here's the update on the second part of our adventure. We had a blast in Florida with Jeff and Amy- they are soooo nice to us and took such good care of us.

We had many exciting beach adventures. One day we saw a HUGE thunderstorm and couldn't stay on the beach, one day we got to play in the wonderful clear and warm water, and one day we watched the fourth of july fireworks from the beach! Very fun.





















We went canoeing with alligators! I was shaking the whole time, and really we saw lots of gators, I saw 3 that were swimming in the same water I was in. Bryan and Jeff saw a lot more because they canoed on a much longer part. I was (justifiably) a baby during this experience, it was so scary!!!


We ate some of the most delicious food- Mellow Mushroom (my new all-time favorite pizza,) BJ's (I fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams to eat a pizookie! We also ate dinner, but that was of lesser importance,) Rand (Amy's brother in law who is a professional chef) made us the most incredible ribs- yum, Amy taught me the greatest new crockpot recipe that I am in love with, and Jeff made us some delicious yummy meatballs. Sorry, I don't have pictures of any of the food because I ate it before I could get my camera out!

The boys had a few biking adventures while Amy and I stayed home and enjoyed relaxing and talking and being girls! And, of course, one of our very favorite parts was laughing at crazy Ziggie!


Thanks Amy and Jeff, we can't wait to plan our next trip to see you!! love you

Beach Recap

The beach was fabulous. My only complaint was too short! Some highlights:
lots of cute cute kids (evidence in pictures.) crabs. bryan spending whole day in waves then going to bed at 9:00 exhausted. painting toenails with the girls. bethany's 11th birthday. plenty of sunshine. kayak adventures (bryan and i tipped!) building our puppy luna in the sand. reading. bryan getting a terrible sunburn :( me making the most incredible catch for a touchdown. family pictures on the beach. all the poptarts you could ever want. lots of laughing at my crazy family!

happy anniversary

Yesterday Bryan and I celebrated our first anniversary. And by "celebrated" I mean Bryan flew 2,000 miles away from me to Utah... Very sad day. But, we have been having a wonderful trip (details to come) and we decided to celebrate for real on August 6 because one year and one month is a lot more impressive than just one year, right?
So, to celebrate this momentous occasion, here is a list of some of my favorite things about the love of my life

- He's ridiculously good looking, even with sunscreen dripping down his face


- He is so helpful at home- his dinners taste better than mine (I hate to admit that), he cleans the house, and he even does the laundry! Frequently he will push me down on the couch, make a barrier to the kitchen, and not let me in to do any of the dishes after dinner. What a champ!

- He takes me on so many fun adventures- he loves the beach just as much if not more than me!

- He is so sweet, you can't help but love him, especially when he flashes his million dollar smile. When we were at the beach, I had to compete with my 6 year old cousins and little brother who were in love with him!

- He is really smart, and he doesn't make fun of me too much when I ask dumb questions. And, even when he doesn't have a good answer, he makes one up and I never know that it wasn't true!

- He is a great family guy. Like I said, my family adores him (they get more excited for him to come visit than me!) And, he has a wonderful family that he gets along with so well. It's fun to watch when the Martinez brothers get together because they enjoy each other so much.

- He is my very best friend. He knows me better than any other person, and yet he still seems to like me. He is always there for me, and is my very favorite person to be with.

Even though we didn't really get to celebrate on our anniversary, my mom had saved the top of our wedding cake and we ate it earlier in the week. It didn't look too great, but it surprisingly tasted pretty good.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Our East Coast Adventure is about to begin, and I'm super, mega, ultra excited!!!!!!

Stop 1: Sandbridge Beach with the Rice clan. My mom's side of the family has all communed at a beach house for a week ever since forever. Trips include TONS of delicious food, lots of sun (and sunburn,) splashing in the ocean/pool, crabby toes (a family favorite where we collect as many ghost crabs as we can find, draw a circle in the sand, have everyone stand in the circle, then drop all the crabs and see who can stay in the circle the longest- sounds suicidal, but we have not had a fatality yet,) long walks on the beach, all the freeze pops we can eat, Disney Channel 24/7, and lots and lots of laughs. Relaxation Station, here we come!


Stop 2: Land o' Lakes, Florida to visit our favorite Amy and Jeff. Bryan's never been to FL, and I've only been to D.World, so we're excited to see what else Florida has to offer! No doubt there will be plenty of adventure, lots of fun, and more delicious food. We haven't seen Jeff and Amy since January, so we're extra excited to get to spend some time with them.

Stop 3: Richmond, Virginia to babysit while Mom is at Girl's Camp. It will be rough to take care of Tyler, Bethany, Katie, and Dad. I'm not sure that I'm really needed as a babysitter (especially since Katie is 19) but it was a great excuse to get to go back home! The 2 real reasons I'm going are 1) I think Beth and Ty would starve if Katie and Dad were in charge of feeding them for a whole week and 2) Some one has to take care of Luna (the puppy) and I'm probably the one who loves her the most right now because she hasn't chewed up one of my possessions in 2 months.
Unfortunately, Bryan's Stop 3 is SLC, Utah- back to work so that we can afford this wonderful trip!

Stop 4: Week 2 in Richmond (and probably a visit to Ellicott City, Maryland.) I was going to fly home when they got back from Girls Camp, but I realized that I wouldn't get to spend time with half of my family! So, I'm staying for a few more days once Mom, Jen, and Leslie get back.

I'm sure my travel itinerary is causing all of you to re-evaluate your career options. Having summer off isn't the reason I chose to teach, but it is definitely a wonderful advantage!

Adios Amigos!

blonde moment

I'm a fairly organized person. I'm really good at remembering dates- I write everything down in my planner, and on our calendar on the wall for a backup. I have files to save every little paper I might ever need. My closet is organized by color. But, sometimes I do falter and make a dumb mistake. Like today.
I have Core Academy this week which means I listen to great presentations on how to teach the fourth grade core, get free breakfast, lunch, and all the snacks I want, and get lots of cool stuff for my classroom. Today I left Core Academy feeling pretty great about life, ready to try out my new stuff and start planning some killer lessons. I decided to stop at the grocery store on the way home and that's when tragedy occurred. I turned off the car, locked the doors, got out of the car, then realized that I had left my keys in the ignition! Don't ask me how I managed to make such a massive, dumb mistake. UGH!!!! Luckily the grocery store is only about 5 blocks from home so I was able to walk, and luckily the office was open so I could get a key to our apartment. So here I am, sitting at home, waiting for Bryan to get home in an hour so we can go pick up the car. And, I'm really missing my new Water Cycle Boogie CD that I was going to come home and enjoy...

A Day with the Trips

Today I spent the day with my triplet cousins who are two years old. Hannah, Lily, and Jonny are adorable. We played in their little pool, rode bikes, blew bubbles, and played with the ball. It was fun to play with these cuties, and it made me appreciate how amazing my aunt is- it takes a lot of energy to chase those crazy kids! It also made me think I should enjoy these childless years when my life is so carefree. And it made me hope that having triplets isn't a genetic thing...

These are terrible pictures, but it's tough to get good pictures of such squirmy kids!

Confessions of a Housewife

I love my life right now. Love it!

I love reading in bed every morning.
I love going for a little run every day (almost.)
I love love love checking things off of my to do list.
I love having a clean and organized apartment finally.
I love making dinner.
I love spending time with friends and family.
I love working on fun little projects.
I love scrapbooking.
I love plowing through the list of books I've been dying to read.
I love planning fun vacations.
I love watching all my favorite TLC shows.
I love getting all the laundry done by 11:30 am
I love running errands. Yes, I really do love it.

With the way my summer is going so far, Bryan's going to have a hard time getting me to go back to work in August!

California Vacation

Here are some highlights, but really the whole trip was wonderful!

1. Chad's graduation. It was a little warm sitting out on those bleachers all morning, but definitely worth it. We're so proud of Chad and his great accomplishments. Way to go!


2. Brownies! After graduation we party-hopped aka ate and ate and ate! The last party (and the best) was Chad's. I loved all the food, but my favorite part was the table covered with brownies. We had mint brownies (my favorite) and these delicious brownies that have marshmallow cream, rice krispies, and peanut butter on them. I was in heaven and I ate at least 12 of them over the weekend- not a lie.

3. Beach- Of course we had to make a trip to the beach. Bryan and I drove along the coast up to Stinson Beach. It was pretty cold, but a beautiful place! And, the great news is that we found where we're going to build our beach house- you're all invited to come party with us when it's finished.

4. Lake Chabot- We went to this gorgeous lake to have a picnic and enjoy the trails. Things got a little tense when the boys left Sherrie and me to go biking. A scary homeless man came up to us and when we didn't have any food or money to give him, we were afraid he was going to attack us. But, he didn't.

5. Ice cream- Yes, I gained a ton of weight on this trip. We went to Fenton's and got a black and tan, which I have been craving since we were last there in January. We also went to John's, which is one of the most brilliant ice cream places I've ever been to- Every scoop is $1, and it's very tasty. I'm thinking about opening Rachel's here in Provo.

6. Chad had a surprise for us when we got off the airplane. We had lots of fun using tons of hairpsray to perfect his new hairdo.

It's always hard to come back to real life after such a great trip. Fortunately, my "real life" at this moment involves pretty much nothing- hooray for summer!