A look at what has gone by!

This year was the first year since the beginning of this blog where I didn't write very much.  I blame it on becoming a teacher and having every minute taken with the job.  Today though I did want to share what a great year 2013 was because it was a very significant year for me.  So let's start with January!

Ashton (my dear friend) and I at the Idaho Falls temple!

January: At the very first of the month I went and saw my dear friend and her family.  It was the very best experience.  I loved every minute of my trip to Idaho.  I actually went on a second date with someone and got my heart broken for the first time.  I started student teaching which I loved and hated on a daily basis.  I was in a car accident which involved me hitting black ice, circling around 4 lanes of freeway traffic, not hitting anything by the time I stopped, and then being hit.  It was my first ticket, ever!

February: I found out I was someones hero.  Saydee Bowen called me her hero and wrote about me for a class assignment.  It touched me very deeply and the two of us have become quite close.  I got to babysit her and her wonderful siblings for Valentines day.  It was the best way I could have spent my Valentines!

Ryan and I the day we graduated

March: Another month of substitute teaching went by.  And by the end of the month I was into a permanent subbing job for an art teacher.  I flew to my second cousins wedding and had a blast with lots of my family.  Not only did I get to see extended family but I also got to spend time with Todd and Deedra who made the trip to Utah to see us all.  We had a great time together.  I turned 26, had a birthday lunch with my cousins, and Eloise got me a cake!

April: After 172 credit hours, two majors and a minor, six apartments, 23 roommates, too many late nights and early morning to count, tons of new friends, and just as many new opportunities, I graduated from Brigham Young University! It was a very exciting day not only for me but also for my brother Ryan.  We graduated on the same day.  It took awhile to accomplish this goal but I did it and it was well worth it.  

May: On the 15th of this month I learned I was going to be a kindergarten teacher.  To say I was ecstatic is an understatement.  I got a job with Jordan School District teaching Kindergarten at Elk Meadows Elementary.  I finished up my permanent sub job and started working at a Day Care in Lehi.  

Me and some of my favorite students from MAT Camp

June: Michele and John came to Wyoming for the summer!  I spent every single weekend with them except for the ones where they went to New York.  It was a very full summer full of concerts, Leatherbys, traveling, playing with Anna, and just hanging out with the Hustedt's. 

July: This month brought another year of MAT Camp!  It is still my favorite summer activity.  I taught Duct Tape Art, Recycled Crafts, Beading, Science, Copy Cat Art, and Let's Get Messy.  I dressed up like Little Red Riding Hood and danced with the cutest wolf for the Talent Show.  I was voted as the second favorite teacher at camp and bested by a Broadway Star. 

August: Moving into both house and classroom took up the majority of this month.  I started my teaching contract and got to meet my cute students.  I had 23 students in the morning class and 26 students in the afternoon.  I went to tons of meetings and put in many hours at school.  I also moved to Draper to be closer to my school!

September: I started teaching my awesome students.  We celebrated Johnny Appleseed Day and really got to know each other.  I wore a smile almost everyday even when it was a bad day.  I went to a lot more meetings and worked hard to be the best teacher I could be.  I got asked interesting questions like "Is my skin blonde?"  

October: The first weekend of the month was my mission reunion and even though the reunion wasn't what I thought it would be, seeing one of my favorite companions was a definite highlight of my year.  Sister Walton spent the weekend with me and we had so much fun!  We talked, cried, and laughed together.  I dressed up as an owl for Halloween and spent the evening with Brian and Eloise's cute children.  

November: Thanksgiving meant a break from school which I needed.  I put in about 10 hours a day and so I was happy to sleep in for a few days.  I got to have a sleep over with Heidi's girls which made us all very happy.  I had Thanksgiving dinner with the Holman family and it was one of the best Thanksgivings I have ever had. 

Hunter on Christmas Day making a Gingerbread house

December: I felt like this was a month that would never end, not that I wanted it to.  I got spoiled by my wonderful students who were very kind to me.  I spent time with my family.  Todd and Deedra were here for two weeks before they moved to Germany.  I got to see a live nativity.  I helped celebrate my mom's birthday.  I made 50 owl ornaments for my students, threw my first Polar Express Party, and helped my students perform for their parents.  I survived having all 50 students in my room at one time.  My favorite gift this year was a picture my mom had framed for me.

Of course this is just a summery of what happened this year.  My life is a good and happy one.  And one I am so glad I am living.  Here is to 2014 and all the memories that will be made. 
     

Summer

This summer has been jammed packed with fun things to see and do.  I wish I would have kept a log of the miles I have gone.  I started the summer by getting a job at a Daycare.  It was the hardest job I have done to date, not counting the three days of school I have been in.  I worked with infants to children who were 12.  I worked 10 hour days of  6 hour days.  I loved eating rice pudding and the other great food at the center.  I cried for my cute kids who were left for 10 hours a day or more.  I was frustrated with some of their behaviors and rejoiced with them when their behaviors were great!  All in all I loved the kids and loved my coworkers and boss!
Michele, John, and Anna were here for the summer.  I spent ever weekend with them and was so thankful that I did.  One day Anna spent a few hours with me.  We went swimming, feed the ducks, and played in my apartment.  It was so fun! Her laughter is priceless.  With all of us, we went to Wyoming three times, ate Leatherby's ice-cream, went to Wheeler Farm, went to a wedding, ate good food, spent time with John's family, went shopping, and laughed!  Oh, what fun it was to have them here for the summer.
I taught at MAT camp again this summer.  It was probably my favorite year.  I only took one picture and the video that was taken of my talent got erased:(  I danced in my Little Red Riding Hood costume with a friend who is 5 years old.  He was dressed as a wolf.  The Blackham Family Band sang "Little Red Riding Hood.  The wolf tried to eat me, I pulled his tail, and then we had a picnic.  I loved the staff this year and made a lot of new friends.  I spent the week with Michele and cherished every moment.  I love camp and was so glad I got to go!
I also spent time with Ryan, Sam, Marley and Nolan.  They sure bring a lot of love to my life.  And I also spent time with my Kirstee, Makadee, and my cousin Brian's family.  Brian's wife Eloise and I took the kids to Lagoon on the 24th of July for Broox' birthday!  I don't say it's the end of the summer until after Labor Day, so here is to another week a summer! And of course, the few pictures I took this summer:

Nolan

Anna dressed as though it is Winter.  It is really hot in Cambodia so
she was cold in Wyoming.

Me and My Wolf

Anna eating snacks on my floor!

Anna feeding the ducks

I'm A BIg Kid Now

The night before graduation, I received a call for an interview for a Kindergarten position at Elk Meadows Elementary.  I couldn't even remember applying for this job.  The next Monday I meet with the principal and the two Kindergarten teachers at the school.  And two and a half weeks after that I received another call to tell me the job was mine.  For every teacher job there is, there are about 250 applicants.  So just to get a call is awesome but to get the job is miraculous.  As soon as I got off the phone with my new principal I called my mom.  I told her that I needed her help because I wanted to learn how to be the greatest Kindergarten teacher in the world (not to surpass her though).  She couldn't understand me because I was crying.  She thought I didn't get the job because of all the tears.  But she started crying to when she could understand.
So there you have it folks!  I am the newest teacher at Elk Meadows Elementary in South Jordan.  To describe my feelings I would say; EXCITED, happy, nervous, anxious, overwhelmed, supported, BLESSED, and loved.  I started last Wednesday.  Tomorrow I start testing all 50 of my students and on September 4th, I start to teach.  Every morning I wink at myself in the mirror and say "Those students of mine are so lucky!"  Soon to come are pictures of my room (if I ever get it looking like I want to) and pictures of me on the First Day, well actually second day since I have already been to Kindergarten, of school!

Family

This last week Todd and Deedra were in town.  It was fun to have them here and being able to hang out with them.  Last Sunday, we all had dinner at Mom and Dad's.  Deedra then taught a beautiful lesson on Keeping the Commandments for Family Home Evening.  Afterwards we enjoyed each others company.  We did get a few pictures of all the grandkids as we haven't gotten one yet with little Nolan.  

Secret Garden

Of course there must be lots of Magic in the world, but people don't know what it is like or how to make it.  Perhaps the beginning is just to say nice things are going to happen until you make them happen.

Before Christmas, Mom bought me an early present for my trip up to Seattle.  Of course it was a book.  I had never read one of my Mother's and Grandmother's favorite books, The Secret Garden.  At first I wasn't very into the book but soon it spread its magic over me.  I loved every minute of this book.  What a sweet and enduring story!  I want to share one of my favorite parts:
"...Thoughts- just mere thoughts- are as powerful as electric batteries-as good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for one as poison.  To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ get into you body.  If you let it stay there after it has got in, you may never get over it as long as you live."
Beautiful, eloquent, and inspiring.  I understand why my grandmother and mother love it so much.  I want to read it all over again and I just finished it.
P.S. After reading this book, I had the strange desire to go weed a garden.

Lava Lamps, Chocolate, and A Cute Baby

 This last weekend I took care of my cousin's children while they were away.  They have five children ranging from 12 to almost 1.  I was so excited to go as, well they are children and they are AWESOME!!!  We made lava lamps, ate pizza, did chocolate fondue, watched the Muppets, painted my fingernails, ate cereal, played on my computer, and just goofed around.  I haven't been around their baby a lot so we were a bit nervous about how she would respond.  Before my cousin and his wife left, she crawled over to me and sat in my lap.  She was so fun to be around and such a good baby.  The experience was wonderful and I can not wait to go back up to see them.  They make my life complete.  I love them and am so thankful that I got to be with them this weekend!

Cute Baby Brynlee

Me and the Baby

After breakfast!  Yes that is candy in his mouth at like 9 in the morning. He is sneeky.

The girls with their lava lamps

Hero

Who is your hero?  First we must know what a hero is to be able to answer this question.  I asked my cousin's little girl this weekend and she told me a hero is someone you look up to.  Someone who is a good influence on the world and someone you want to be like when you grow up.  I have never thought of myself as a hero, but have thought a lot about who my personal heros.  So has my cousin's children.  At school they were asked to write about their hero.  The older children of this family picked Henry Ford and Jim Henson, people who I would classify as a hero.  But this is what the oldest daughter wrote: My hero is my aunt Jody because she is so nice.  I lover her so much.  She takes time to do fun things with me.  Her mother said she tried to get her to choose her grandmother's or an aunt but she wouldn't have it because her favorite hero is me.  I was so touched.  Just when you feel insignificant, someone makes sure you know you are her hero!