Correct!!

This past weekend has been a brutality of correcting papers and tests. Last week all of my classes had an exam on The Crucible and FOUR of those classes had papers due with the exam. So.... to say the least, I had a LOT of correcting to do. At first, it seemed a daunting task, but when I finished them and saw the results, it was gratifying. I was so pleased to see my students LEARNING the material and experiencing what the people of Salem, Massachusetts experienced in 1692. I was very surprised to see that I had only ONE STUDENT get 100%. Seriously? I thought the test was incredibly easy. I guess it is different when you are the one teaching the information. However, my students do have difficulties with taking notes during class, which I hinted to them that they might want to do because the info would be on the test. I guess they just don't care that much. When I was in high school, I did everything I could do to get that A. I studied till the wee morning hours, I would work extra hard on assignments and I would get my well deserved A. I really am starting to believe that high school is not what it used to be. Students can get away with an F in a class and then pay $45 buckaroos in the summer and fill out a packet, take a test and pass the class. It is too easy for them to justify failing. I can see why a high school diploma really doesn't mean much anymore to employers. I hope that the school I end up at has a much more difficult policy on failing students. It seems to me that when there is more responsibility on the students, they perform better and care more.

Jeff and I were able to go to Bear Lake this weekend because I did not have school on Friday. Luckily, because I am a student teacher, I do not have to go to the teacher work days and get those days "off" (except for the prep and correcting part). I figured I might as well enjoy it while I can. Bear Lake was so peaceful. We saw a few deer and a nice 4 point that happened to jump the fence right in front of us, but the best part was spending the weekend away with my honey. I always love our little get-aways on the weekend and have really missed those since school started. Bear Lake was a little chilly, but we warmed up by hitting up the hot tub and cozying up in a warm blanket watching movies. While Jeff worked during the day I worked on my correcting and preparation for the next two weeks that I have of school. It was great to get caught up on all my correcting.

I cant believe I have only 2 weeks left of student teaching. I didn't realize that when my semester ended and it was time for me to graduate that I would actually miss the kids in my classes. As I contemplate the time that I have had with them, I almost get teary-eyed thinking about how much I am going to miss seeing them every day and getting to experience their 'humorous" personalities. It is going to be hard to leave them. I have been trying to think of something special to do for them but I dont really have the time to write 200 thank you's and I dont want to just bring some kind of candy in. I wish there was something I could do to show them that they made my teaching experience really great. If anyone has any great ideas, share!

I am also getting really excited for Thanksgiving. For some reason, this holiday has always been one of my favorites, and surprisingly it is not because of the food. I am a sentimental junkie and I love thinking about all the people and things in my life that I am thankful for. It is the greatest time of year. Thanksgiving unites the family and it leads to Christmas and New Years, which include more family activities. We will have a fun time this year spending the holidays with both of our families. I have been blessed with the most amazing family and in-laws! I couldn't be more thankful for anything in the world.

I'm feeling that holiday spirit!

shop til you drop

I used to love to go shopping. ugh. Something has changed.

I remember loving shopping when I was younger and wondering why my mom hated it. Well... I think I have some kind of understanding now because for some reason lately I really dislike going shopping. I think I have some ideas of why...

#1. You have to pay for your own clothes when your mom doesn't take you to the mall. It sucks spending your own money to buy things.

#2. Nothing ever fits me right anymore. It looks so cute in my hand, but not on my body. Gosh, I hate that!

#3. Everything seems over priced.

#4. I am so cheap.

I don't know when it happened, but lately I have been so cheap in my spending. I cannot seem to justify spending large amounts of money on clothes. I used to be fine with spending my parents money on clothes, but ever since I moved out of the house I just despise it!

Anyone know of any good sales going on? I need new jeans. BADLY! I need nice clothes for teaching and work. I need a lot, but don't have a lot. I need GOOD deals :)

What do you think about these sexy jeans? Those will keep me warm this winter, right?

I am a jeans kind of girl, therefore, my jeans get worn out and used until they cannot possibly be worn one more time. This is why I need new jeans. The favorites that I have right now are almost to that point. I am very picky with my jeans.

A. They need to make my butt look good. I am butt-conscious and I feel like it only looks good in certain jeans. I don't think I am the only one who feels this way, right ladies?

B. They need to be comfortable. I am all about comfort and style, and I think the two coincide more than we know it.

C. They absolutely have to be long. I cannot stand wearing jeans that are just a little bit too short. No shorter than a 34 inch inseam is acceptable or I go nuts.

Can you tell I have been writing tests for my students unit on The Crucible? Yes, I have numbers and order stuck on the brain.

A. B. C. its as easy as 1. 2. 3.

I hope to find that pair of jeans soon that will not wipe out my bank account and also make me happy and cute and comfortable! Come out, come out, wherever you are!!

Is it a PHOBIA?

Okay, so let me start of by saying that I have a huge fear of spiders. I think I have referred to this fear before? I don't know what it is about those creepy, crawly things, but no matter what the size of the spider, I am scared of it. When I think about it I realize that I am a hundred times bigger than the small, ugly things, however, there is something about them that just gets to me.

The other night, Jeff and I had just returned home from babysitting our cousins and we were getting ready for bed. Jeff went upstairs to watch the news, and I got comfortable on our bed looking at blogs and catching up on emails I had missed over the weekend. After about 20 minutes, Jeff came downstairs to get into bed. He took the pillow off and right there under the pillow was a GINORMOUS spider. Okay, so it wasn't a tarantula, but it was big for a spider. I got the worst heebie geebies. I always so whenever I see a spider. And for days after I feel like I have a spider crawling on me. Today when I was in class I flinched because I thought I felt something crawl on my leg! At SCHOOL! I think I am traumatized.

I have no idea what kind of spider it was, but I think it was a Wolf Spider. Here is what it looks like:

Just even looking up a picture of spiders about makes me vomit. Excuse my language, but it really is true. I cannot stand the sight of them.

I was telling Jeff last night that I really think I have a phobia of spiders. I think about them all the time. I constantly am worried about coming home and finding a spider on the floor, ceiling, in my shoe, on my clothes, anywhere!

How do I overcome this fear that I have? Jeff suggested I hold a spider, but I think I would cry if I was forced to do that. I cannot even imagine holding a spider, I already have a difficult time just being in their presence.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?? I hate so much that I am scared of them, but I cannot help it.

Duck.... Duck.....

GOOSE!!!

This is our horse Goose. He is about 4 years old and he is one of the best horses I have ever known. Goose is so fun to hangout with and he is very well behaved and fun to ride. He did have one little incident with Jake and ended up breaking his leg, but he was a lot younger then and has been amazing ever since. I really like to ride Goose and I feel more safe on him than any other horse. He and I are good friends. We are so lucky to have such a great horse!

We Love You, Goose!

s'more updates

Jeff and I were able to go to Lake Powell with some of our greatest friends. It was an amazing trip. The sun was absolutely beautiful, we had such a fun time hanging out on the lake for 3 days and didnt want to leave until we were forced, and mother nature did just that.

Lake Powell is the perfect place for relaxation. The girls played Rummikub, the boys played Settlers. The boys went out on Ski runs, the girls layed out soaking up the sun. It couldn't have been a more wonderful trip or with better people. I am so glad that I married a guy who has friends that are just as good of people as he is. Jeff has grown up with the most amazing friends. They have always been around to support each other and I absolutely love their wives. In marrying Jeff, I didn't realize that not only would I be marrying my best friend, but I would be gaining more best friends as well. What an amazing blessing to have those friends.

We took a trip to Rainbow Bridge. It was beautiful and we had so much fun running around and throwing the football to each other.
If you remember me saying that mother nature stepped in and kicked us off the lake, I really wasn't kidding. We were planning on waking up early Sunday morning, cleaning up, and loading up our things to make the trip home. Well, at about 9-10 pm on Saturday night the wind started getting a little out of hand. No way the wind would last more than a couple hours, right? Think again... The wind got faster, stronger and decided to convince us that we needed to get off the lake as soon as we possibly could. It was 3 in the morning and Jeff and I had to climb in bed with Tay and Jena because the wind was blowing so hard. The boys stood guard while the girls tried to sleep it off. The only thing I remember is dreaming about the wind. It was the scariest, most restless night of my life.

We didn't dare leave the comfort of our nestled in houseboat, but once it got to be 7 am and the wind wasn't getting any lighter, we decided to brave the stormy waves and, after almost tipping over and fearing for our lives, we finally made it off the lake safe and sound. I wont lie, I may or may not have got a little teary eyed worried about my husband in the little boat with the waves flowing over the front, our houseboat tipping from side to side with waves crashing strong over the front. It was scary but we made it. That is all that matters.

Jeff was the sweetest husband and took me to the Brad Paisley concert. I absolutely love Brad and his songs touch my heart. Jeff and I danced our first dance together to Brad's song "Then." I swear I am the biggest baby, but that song gets me all emotional because it is everything that I feel about Jeff. There are times when I don't think it is possible to love him anymore, and then I do. Jeff is my entire life and I love him with all my heart. Cant you see how happy he makes me??

He is the sexiest cowboy in the whole world! I love this boy so much!

Jeff and I have been having so much fun and life is just GOOD!

no, let me rephrase that... LIFE IS GREAT!

I gave myself the goal of catching up on my blogging by going through some of the trips that we went on this fall and making a record of the fun things that we did. Jeff is the fun one of our relationship and I am so thankful for him because he makes life so fun and full of laughter!

Jeff and Tom: When we go to Bear Lake we like to play tennis and this is a picture that was captured right after one of our many round robins. I love when Jeff gets with his brothers, they are too funny together.

In the Fall, Jeff and I were able to go to Island Park with dear friends of ours and on our way home we stopped by some sweet waterfalls. I don't even remember what they are called, but it was really fun to go on adventures with our friends. Thanks Zann and Em for inviting us! We had the best time at the cabin!

On the same trip we stopped by some hot pots and took scenic detours with Jake and Ashlie.

This is at Fire Hole. We jumped into this river up near the top of the picture and floated down the river. It was one of the most exciting parts of the trip to Island Park.

This is a picture of us in front of Old Faithful. She was faithful alright and we got a great show from her. I absolutely loved going back to Old Faithful. I remember going to see her with my grandpa Paul, way back in the day, and we would sit there with our ice cream cones, waiting patiently for the big explosion. It is a place that brings back many memories of my grandpa. Love him!

We are just having the most amazing time being married and have had some great experiences and trips together. I am so lucky to be married to the most amazing man in the world. Sometimes I may get cranky and annoying, but I hope that Jeff knows that he is my entire world. Love that boy to the moon and back!

There are lots more pictures, but right now it is just taking way too long to upload. More updates to follow!

Fishing with Josie B

Near the end of the summer (during the period of our lives when internet was non-existent) Jeff and I went to Flaming Gorge with the Brewers. Jose took us out fishing one morning and it was the first time I had ever been fishing! (for real fishing, not just at a dock or dam). I was excited, to say the least and had the best time. We started early in the morning and I look like I just woke up, but I caught some great fish! The last fish I caught is the biggest I have ever seen! I couldn't stop smiling because of my excitement!

This is the first fish that I caught. A decent 10 pounder! It felt good reeling that one in.

This is the prize winner of the year. It was too big for me to hold with my itsy bitsy hands, so Jose put it in my arms like a new born babe... but this thing weighed much more than that! It was about 32 lbs and slimy! Such a fun experience and It made for a very memorable first time fishing! Thanks Josie B!

Teaching Update

This week has been uplifting. At times I feel like I am not cut out to be a teacher, but this week I have felt confident and I really feel like I am actually making a difference in some way with my students.

I think I have referred to one of my students who is, at times, a "problem student," or so the label goes. This week I feel like I had a breakthrough with him. I asked him 3 weeks ago if he would come in during lunch or another period to talk with me. I wanted to address some behavior issues and talk about maybe working something out with him. The only problem was, he would never make it to the meeting. I would see him in the halls and he would say that he forgot to come, or he had to get home after school, or he just kept forgetting. After scheduling 3 meetings with no sign of the kid I decided to call home. This attempt failed as well and I was feeling like I was losing this kid. He stopped coming to class and I was getting worried because he really is a smart kid.

Two days ago, the kid shows up in my classroom, unexpectedly, and says "I'm here for the meeting." I couldnt believe he actually came and it sort of took me by surprise. We had a really good talk and we discussed how he had been acting in class. how he needed to take his homework seriously instead of trying to just mess with me as his teacher. The work he turned in was actually pretty good with a few grammatical and spelling errors, but his creativity and ability to write with symbolism rather than just literal meaning, like most of his classmates do, was really enlightening and surprising coming from a kid who is one of those who "just doesn't care." I told him that I thought he was a good writer and asked him if he would be willing to help some of his fellow classmates, trying to convince him that he is actually bright and could potentially have a bright future. From what he said, I felt like he was buying into what I was telling him.

The next day in class, he was being a little butthead at first, making unnecessary comments and being somewhat distracting, nothing like he used to be however, and then all the sudden a kid came into class who was a little wild himself and the "problem student" looked at me and said "Hey, would it be okay if I showed Peter what we are doing today?" I was shocked. Did this actually just come out of his mouth? I responded "Yes, that would be excellent."

At first, I thought he would get this kid, start goofing off with him, and not get anything done. But, to my surprise (Even more surprise than before) he took this kid under his wing and started teaching him everything we had just gone over. I was just observing this teaching experience and I couldn't stop smiling. No one has ever been able to get this kid to do his own work and now he is helping other students who are known for not doing their work to learn new concepts and vocabulary. What a good day!!!

Teaching is so rewarding.

We are BACK!

I have been waiting so long for this day.... we are finally once again connected to the web world! With some amazing hook ups, me missing recording my life online, Jeff missing his favorite information and news source (KSL), Jeff and I decided we needed the internet and purchased this great device.....

I cant wait to see what this little green and black device will do for my blogging life. Jeff will be able to check KSL regularly, right back on schedule. Life will be back to normal. How did we go 4 months without it? It is good to be back.

A Mouse in the House

... or a rat?

Last night as I was getting ready for bed I thought I heard something as I walked into our room, but just figured I was hearing the wind blowing outside. I heard the noise again and began to investigate what might be the cause of this noise.

I was starting to get jumpy and scared because who knows what you will find in a basement! I called to Jeff to make sure I wasnt going crazy (My class has been reading The Crucible and I wanted to make sure I wasnt convincing myself that something was there when it really wasn't).

Jeff came down and listened with me and we discovered a MOUSE (or a rat?) in our WALL!!!! What? How in the world does a small rodent get stuck in a wall. All night long we heard the "thing" scratching the walls, jumping up and down, running around trying to get out of the wall. It was about half way up the wall and must have got stuck in some wall supports.

Jeff looks and me later that night and says "Well, I can sleep through it. Can you?" and he turns over after our prayer and falls asleep. We fell fast asleep to the sound of the little mouse in our house.

try, try again.

I hope to one day recover from my lack of blogging because I miss it so much. We havent had internet since we got married two months or so ago and really... its killing me. You dont realize how much you love some things until you no longer have them. I have failed at blogging lately, but all I can do is keep on keepin on. Try, try again.

Life is great these days. Jeff and I have been enjoying our summer to its absolute fullest. Even with school starting we still like to pretend it is summer and take weekend trips to Bear Lake to play with family and friends. This past labor day we spent the weekend swimming in the big bear, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boating, tubing, playing tennis, getting lots and lots of sun (burns for me, the whitey!) and just having the best time playing with all the kiddies and celebrating Ryno's birthday. The weekend was filled with strawberries, blueberries, peaches, yummy homemade ice cream [mint chocolate chip, peach, and strawberry] made by me and my hubby and Jake and Ash, yummy cheesecake, lots of candy, and lots of love. A much needed vacation that felt so much longer than just a three day weekend.

School has started and I begin teaching full swing tomorrow. Am I really a teacher? I had a student the other day tell me he couldn't do the assignment because he was stupid. He is a second language speaker from Iraq and really an intelligent boy, but he is scared of making a mistake. I have seen his writing and it isn't pretty, BUT he trys. How else do we ever get better unless we try? I told him that he wasn't stupid, it was obvious he had intelligence and knowledge and COULD write the story. When he turned in the one and a half page story about the God of War I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. There wasnt a space between the words on the page, hardly a period or grammatical mark, but he tried. He overcame a fear of failure, if even for one assignment! Instead of just sitting there all class long not doing one thing, he did the work, he tried to write in English, a foregin language that he is still learning and getting to know and I know he is better because of it. I was so happy that he had accomplished that. There were lots of other native English speakers that didn't even write as much as he did. I think that is an accomplishment in itself. He is so NOT stupid.

I get nervous that the students aren't learning anything, but I hope that if I can teach them anything, it is to believe in themselves. You can never succeed if you never try. These kids may fail over and over in the eyes of the world, but if they try to improve and gain knowledge, that is no failure to me. I get this feeling that our world is so afraid of failure, we look down upon those who fail and the world tries to portray this image of perfection. You can never really succeed at a thing unless you first try to do it and if you fail, then you fail, but the next time you try you will be better and eventually you will conquer the thing you once could not do.

I hope my students get that.

Something New

Next week I begin my student teaching. It is funny to think that this day is here because I have always been looking forward to it, but it is hard to imagine what something new will be like before it is here. I feel excited and nervous at the same time. How do I teach my kids that English is fun and that reading will help them excel in more than just one area of their life. This whole new curriculum, this whole new environment... I wonder sometimes if I will be able to handle it all. I wonder if I will be able to write my lesson plans and really help the kids to learn what they need to learn while hitting all of the state standards at the same time. There are so many what if's going on in my mind and I worry that I won't be the greatest teacher in the world, but should i really expect myself to be that incredible teacher? I have so much to learn and yet I will be the one doing the teaching. What a rollercoaster of emotions!!!

This weekend I am in St George with the Olympus High volleyball team. It is definitely an experience I forgot about since I was in high school. Hearing all the little girlies talking about boys and how one boy told her she was hot and she told him to stop playing games with her.... oh how happy I am to be out of high school. It is funny how important those things seem to us while we are in the moment and then out of context they are so not important. I think of my hubby and our relationship and am so grateful for what we have. There is no drama, no fighting, nothing that pulls us apart. I love how every day that I am with him and every day I am away from him, our love continues to grow stronger. I couldn't ask for a greater blessing than a marriage full of unconditional love.

I guess I just need to start counting my blessings more!

I miss summer already.

Is it really the last week of summer? It feels like this summer has flown by in the blink of an eye! It hardly got sunny until the end of June and now the fall chills are already blowing through... Where did the summer go? Although it hasn't been the warmest of summers, it has been one of the most memorable summers for us. We have been able to go to Bear Lake quite a bit and we just love it up there. We have had so much fun playing tennis and mini golf. I am not so much the tennis pro, so when we lose to people at tennis, we always take them on in mini golf and work them over a little haha! I have to give Jeff a shout out on the three hole in one's that he got this past weekend. It is a feat that we all hope to accomplish one day. Luckily, We will be going one last time this next weekend to play another round of mini golf and for Jeff to work... when is he not working?

I have to express my appreciation and love for Jeff. He works every day so hard to support our family of two and I don't think he knows how much I love him for his hard work. He doesn't just go to work and sit in a chair at a desk, he puts on his work pants and gets dirty and sweats and comes home tired because he works so hard all day long. I am so proud of him for the amazing things he builds, creates, landscapes, and fixes. There isn't anything he can't do!

Wildlife in Holladay!

Yesterday, Jeff and I were driving in Holladay (I cant remember which road) and Jeff turned to me and said "babe, I think I just saw a deer in the backyard of that house back there. Can we turn around to see?? Please, I just want to see if it was a deer or just a fake-out." So we turned around, not in too much of a rush to get to the reception of my friend's Ster and Erin, and lo and behold there was a BUCK just chillin in the backyard of someone's house. A THREE POINT! I couldnt believe it! It just sat there mellow and hanging out under a tree. Such a random sight to see in the middle of Holladay! Some of the pictures are pretty grainy, but we only had a little camera and I was too scared to get out of the car and get close to it, so we used the zoom. They are still pretty cool pictures though!

Oquirrh Mountain Temple

Well, as you will find out, we are very behind on our blogging and so I will be doing some catch up as the summer comes to a close. It is hard to believe that school will begin in just a few weeks. I don't think either of us are ready for summer to end.

A little while back, Jeff and I were able to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House with Jeff's family. It was a fun experience and really a wonderful feeling to be in the temple with all of your family. Even though the temple is not dedicated yet, the spirit is so strong there.

{The Beautiful Bear Lake}

Jeff and I just returned from a fun weekend in Bear Lake! We had the best time, as always, hanging out with all the Sonntag's and enjoyed the warm summer sun and the cool breeze that is constantly surprising you in Bear Lake. Every evening around 4 or 5 the wind would start to pick up and we would get the sail boat out because it was the best time to get out on the water. We had some fun runs with Steve and Keith, riding the hull and catching some gnarly waves from all the wind. We just love Bear Lake so much! (Pictures to come later...)

{Our NEW Blog.... It's Trew}

Jeff and I were "Just Married" on June 18, 2009 in the Salt Lake Temple. It was a beautiful day, one of the only rainless ones in June this year, and we LOVED every second of it. If you want to see more pictures, you can check out the wifey's blog here because she has already posted some. We will be getting our photographers pictures in the near future and will post the beautiful day when we receive them.

Welcome to our new blog that we will update often with trips and pics! Here is a great picture to start off our great new blog.....

Jeff and I love spending time together up at Blaine and Diane's Horse Property. It is one of our favorite past times from our time of dating. Jeff has been teaching me how to ride a horse, well... ride better. It has been so fun. I got cowgirl boots (and they are darling!) and we have been riding quite a bit. We don't get to go up to the property as much as we would like because we live in Salt Lake now and it isn't quite as close to us as it was before, but we still treasure that place and get up there as much as possible.

It is RODEO SEASON! Yeeeeehaaaaawww! We went to the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo last night with Jeff's family. Jeff, Tom, and Dall were all in the Wild Cow Milking contest (sorry teacher, I skipped class to watch my honey participate) and they tackled that cow better than anyone out there! While Jeff held on tight to the rope and did all the work to hold that milkin' cow steady, Dallas tackled his head and got him calmed down. Tom got some milk out of those nasty utters and the Brewer Boys came home victorious! It really was a fun time and my very FIRST RODEO! I know, it is sad, but it is true. Anyway, we had a great time and I am so glad I didn't miss it for something boring, *ahem* class. We were all SO STOKED that they won!

**I will post the video of the cow milking at a later date because it is definitely something that cannot be missed!