Today is the last day of the year, and as is tradition, I will recap the year 2009. Thanks to facebook, here are two rather unique ways to recap the year:
Firsts in 2009: *NO I did not get my first kiss - another first that will have to wait! :) There's bound to be some kind of monetary reward if I make it to 25 VL right?!?! ;-) ~moved into a condoalone in Heber ~my first pair of glasses ~geocaching milestones ~temporary single mother of 5 kids for a week - WOW! What an adventure that was! ~moved out of the BYU 35th Ward (for good) ~began teaching 3rd Grade ~house and pet sitting 12 baby hamsters ~adopted 2 hamsters, a fish, and 2 guinea pigs (1 hamster died, and 1 guinea pig was adopted out)
Road Trips and Fun Events: ~Ogden Road Trip for Ty's birthday ~Draper Temple dedication ~Mom turned 50 ~Sand Dunes with the Carters and my first 4-wheeler ride. ~family beach trip ~Pioneer Day camping, caching and parade in Spanish Fork ~Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house and dedication ~Mom & Dad's 25th Wedding Anniversary ~Finally got to attend the Jon Schmidt concert at Thanksgiving Point's Waterfall Amphitheater ~Tyler got his mission call and reported to the MTC ~began teaching piano lessons ~Yellowstone! :) ~I turned 24... almost time for a quarter-life crisis. ;-) ~1st of 2 Christmas phone calls from Ty
Books I Read and Loved Twilight Series by Stefanie Meyer Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke The Work and the Glory series by Gerald Lund Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
New Games I Learned to Play and Became Addicted to: Ticket to Ride My Zoo on Facebook Farkle (in real life and on Facebook) Rail Baron TransAmerica Mille Bornes
Due to all of the snow in VA lately, only one of our doors, the back one, has easy access. But, we don't have a key for that door, so, we've been taking turns stumbling through the snow to the front door to let everyone else in the back.
On Christmas Eve, after our Herring family party, it was my turn. I stumbled through the snow and around the corner to see a package on the front porch (poor postman). I pick it up expecting it to be my Dad's Christmas present (which actually came 2 days AFTER Christmas), to see, "From: Elder Tyler LaMont Herring, To: The Family"
WAHOO!!!
Well, traditionally, we only open one present - pajamas - on Christmas Eve. I begged and we opened Ty's gift then too. In it was the most awesome Christmas present EVER:
So, if you know my brother, you know that he doesn't smile in a picture - ever! He's SMILING!!! We know he's in the right place now! I hope you can click on it and enjoy the full effect of this awesome gift that brought us to tears. :)
This year, I read Penny's Christmas Jar Miracle by Jason F. Wright to my students at the beginning of December.
In case you don't know, a Christmas Jar is a jar you put out somewhere in your house, and during the year, you put your spare change in it. At Christmas you give it to a person or family in need.
After reading the story, I was a little shocked at how excited the kids were for the opportunity to do a service project. So, we got a jar, and suddenly, the spare change started rolling in! Soon our first smaller jar was filled and I had to find a larger one. The change just kept coming. I especially loved the comments like, "I was going to buy a pencil/jerky but I thought the Christmas Jar was more important!" and "Can we have an all-year jar and buy things for kids in Africa?"
The last week of school, our counselor came in and gave a lesson on caring. She talked about two seven-year-olds who raised enough money to build much-needed wells in Africa. The kids were so excited to tell her about their Christmas Jar.
Yesterday was our last day of school, and finally the time had come - the jar was full and it needed delivering. While the kids were at PE, I caught up with our counselor, and asked her if she knew of anyone in particular need this season. The tears sprang to her eyes as she whispered, "YES!" She told me of a family at our school who had very little. The adults give all they have to make sure their sweet little girl has what she needs and gets a Christmas. I knew of the family and remembered how downtrodden the adults sometimes seemed to look, but how sweet and joyful the little girl always is. The school had helped provide the girl with a small Christmas, but, the parents still had nothing. Our counselor had been frustrated all day, wondering how else we could help.
She asked if I wanted to help give them the jar, and I said, "No, you can do it, the kids wanted it to be anonymous." We embraced, and the tears flowed freely.
When the students came back from PE, I gathered them around me and told them about the little girl and her family that their Christmas Jar had helped. As I told them about the little girl whose family literally had nothing, I could see the astonished looks on their faces at such suffering in their own school. When I told them about the Christmas Jar, their faces simply lit up! They were so excited and happy to know that their contribution had really helped someone. As I explained to them how proud I was of them, my tears came again. If only we could all be as generous and genuinely caring as these students.
That afternoon, I went out to do traffic duty and I saw the family walking out. The adults didn't know me, but the little girl did and I asked her, "Are you going to have a good Christmas?" As her dad responded jubilantly, "She's already having a great Christmas!" I could see our Christmas Jar nestled safely in his arms. Maybe I just imagined it, but, it seemed that, in some small way, his burden had been lifted, at least for a moment.
I checked in one last time with the counselor before leaving and told her about the students' reaction, and told her that I thought they really understood what this was all about. She said, "You asking me was absolutely inspired. ____ loved getting to give her dad a Christmas present! And yes, your students did get it. That is something they will never forget!" I hope she's right, because I know that I never will.
A couple of weeks ago, I taught a Gospel Doctrine lesson, and ended with this quote by President Hinckley: "It is amazing what courtesy will accomplish. It is tragic what a lack of courtesy can bring. We see it every day as we move in the traffic of the cities in which we live. A moment spent in letting someone else get into the line does good for the one who is helped, and it does good for the one who helps. Something happens inside of us when we are courteous and deferential toward others. It is all part of a refining process which, if persisted in, will change our very natures."
It is exceptionally easy to neglect simple acts of courtesy during this busy time of year. and yet, Him whose birth we celebrate at this time would want it the exact opposite. He would want us to be more mindful of each other, and more courteous one to another.
Now, I will be the first to admit that I am often far less courteous than I should or could be. However, today, being on the receiving again, I was reminded of the truthfulness of President Hinckley's statement, and have resolved to be better in that area myself.
Today I am flying home to Virginia. The last couple of flying experiences in my family have been less than satisfactory, and very stressful. Considering the recent weather conditions, I was a little concerned about flying today. The snow, at least in Salt Lake is holding off for now, and I did arrive the recommended two hours early, but, WOW, let me tell you of my experience.
I got to the kiosk and printed my boarding pass, then headed to the desk to check my bag and pay the fee. The gentleman who helped me was SO polite. He was relaxed and used phrases like, "when you're ready could you hand me _____?" and "your baggage fee is $20 when you have a chance to get your credit card." Ok, now, no one likes to pay extra money to check ONE bag during this economy, but, you know what, I was more than willing to pay it because he had been so polite! When I left, he told me exactly where to go and wished me a Merry Christmas. The "thank you, and enjoy your holiday" that followed was genuine and heartfelt on my part.
Security is my possibly LEAST favorite part of flying. I'm always a little worried that I have forgotten to take something out of my bag, or that it's going to take too long. I'm also paranoid about some of the new scanners that I've never used. But not only was the line exceptionally short, the TSA officers were very polite and great at giving instructions on how the new machines work, and exactly what they were going to do and what I had to do. It was lovely!
I think I made it through the ticketing and security process in 10 - 15 minutes flat. Pretty darn amazing for December 23rd! Even the people that gave me my food at the airline restaurant were exceptionally friendly and wished me a Merry Christmas.
Because so much kindness has headed my way this morning, it is not only easier for me to return it, but, it has made such acts more noticeable to me when they happen to others. Like the electric cart drivers offering rides to struggling parents, or the attendants wheeling the elderly people through the airport. I haven't even gotten on the plane yet and let's be honest, things could potentially go south quite easily, but, I think because of my initial experiences, I will be much more forgiving, and much less likely to generalize the behavior of the few to the many airport personally.
So thanks for the courtesy folks, Merry Christmas. I suggest we all remember "please", "thank you", "hello", "how are you" and smiles a little more often, especially at this time of year.
But wow, more than 3 feet in the last couple of days - that's a little intense.
So, if you know me, you know that I love to play games. Last night, I played games until the wee hours of the morning. No, really, the WEE hours of the morning - we are talking 4:45 am here! So, one of our friends had left at 3 am, and one of our hosts shoveled the walk and driveway at that point. After playing games for a bit longer (til 4:45), I decided to leave as well.
As requested, I pulled out of the driveway before I tried to clean off the 8 inches of snow that had accumulated on my car so as not to nullify the previous shoveling. Well, since the snow plow had come by AGAIN, I had to get my little car over about 2 1/2 feet of snow, and got stuck. So, I shoveled myself out, pulled into the middle of the road, and finished cleaning off my car. The whole ordeal took about 15 minutes... Yeah, good thing I now live 2 minutes away, rather than 30 minutes away... :)
So, after a little bit of fish-tailing, but overall, a nice little jaunt home through the snow on an oddly bright morning -The sky had a weird pink bright tinge to it all night - I made it home and slid, literally, into my parking spot. I got out of the car and walked into my apartment. Although the snow had clearly been shoveled at some point that day, it was up to my knees as I walked in!
When I got inside, I decided to set my cell phone alarm since I had to teach Sunday School a little later in the morning - only to realize that I had left my phone at my friends' house. OOPS! Needless to say, the phone was a lost cause, at least for the morning.
THEN, I woke up at 10:45 this morning as a result of sleep deprivation just in time for church at 11. Needless to say, the morning was slightly rushed. I made it to church with little problems (and only 15 minutes late), but as I was so preoccupied looking for a parking spot, BAM! slammed into a snow bank. But don't worry, my car's a trooper - not a scratch, AND I got out all by myself without getting stuck...
All sarcasm aside, I love the snow! It has kept me giggling over the last few days at my slipping and sliding all over the place... :D
So, Christmas is pretty much my favorite holiday, period. I love most holidays, but I love Christmas the most. I like the snow, the music, the baking, the sweaters, the hot chocolate, the books, oh pretty much everything about it! To top it off, this year I get to decorate a whole condo BY MYSELF! I don't have to share the space with anyone, and it's not gaudy at all, if I do say so myself. I even have a mantel to put my nativity collection and a stocking on! HUZZAH!
But, in all seriousness, Christmas just makes me inherently happy - and ever so grateful for my own blessings, and gives me an increased desire to share my own abundance with others. I think that spirit and attitude permeates the majority of the world these days. While I think most of us agree that we wish that attitude would last the whole year, for at least one month, we can focus on what truly matters most: our Friends, our Family, and our Savior.
#29 - quiet Sundays. I love quiet Sunday afternoons.
#30 Today is the last day of November, and with it National Blog Post Month, and my "public" month of thankfulness. I have very little to say that I haven't already said. More than anything, I am grateful for the simple, little things that bring me happiness daily, and my life, which has been so very blessed. I am grateful that I have always had enough, and, I am beginning to realize, plenty to spare.
#27 - Christmas lights. I am glad the rest of the world has finally caught up with me and is ready to fully enjoy Christmas lights! :) I went to the Light Parade in Spanish Fork last night, and it was fun. The drive down was fun too - being able to see all of the lights on the way there and back. I also got to see Bro. McBride, the former second counselor in my old ward. What fun! So, yesterday, I was particularly thankful for Christmas lights - they inherently make me happy!
#28 - football. True story. It may sound simple and silly, but, I DO like a well played game of football. I guess it's in my blood! :)
#24 - priesthood blessings, but especially father's blessings. I have been blessed to always have a worthy priesthood holder in my life - from my dad, grandfathers and uncles growing up, to faithful home teachers and good friends, it has been a constant source of safety and comfort in my life. Last night I basically cried myself to sleep - the breakdown has been coming for weeks, mostly due to stress at work, but ya know, my girlish tendency to overanalyze things didn't really help in the anxiety prevention department. Anyway, I began my breakdown on the phone with a friend, then got off the phone and cried for awhile. Amid the crying however, I was reminded of the last father's blessing I received, which happened to be from my former bishop. I pulled out the journal entry I had written immediately following the blessing and re-read it. The peace and comfort that washed over me was powerful. The things that seconds before had concerned and terrified me were gone - because I was reminded of my direct access to Heavenly Father, his promises, and his loving, watchful care.
#25 - birthdays and birthday wishes. First of all though, I'm thankful for my mom who brought me into this world. She called me today at the exact moment I turned 24. How cool is that?! ;-) But yes, I am not yet too afraid of getting old, so I like birthdays - the being spoiled, getting your way, and having people think about you, is quite nice. So, today, I'm thankful for birthdays.
I remember getting these with my grandma growing up. I always loved looking through the book and choosing things to get.
Well, today, I got my very first, very own Avon order. I know that's kind of silly to be excited about, but there you have it. That is what I am excited and thankful for today! :)
Today I am grateful for good friends. As I read back over my thankfulness posts, I realize I have repeated a few things... Oh well. Does it matter if you repeat your thanksgiving, as long as it's meaningful? I hope not!
Today I am especially grateful for good friends, as I am every day of my life. However, today it is more poignant as yesterday was a very difficult day for me. I was frustrated and having quite a hard time at work. Luckily, I had a friend who was willing to come allow me to vent and help me re-vamp and prepare for the remainder of the week, which, after the tears helped me feel much better. I am also blessed to have friends, recognized, and heretofore unrecognized, who are willing to help me, and give me solicited and unsolicited advice.
So, for the friends who reach out a helping hand, the friends who offer sound advice, and the friends who offer a listening ear and shoulder to cry on, today I am grateful!
Boy, this is harder than I anticipated, this writing everyday!
Anyway here are a few things I'm grateful for:
#14 - snow. It just makes me happy, and the snow season is finally starting. I love how it makes me want to bake, and wear warm sweatshirts and listen to festive music.
#15 - my country. I taught a lesson today about being a good citizen, and it reminded me how blessed I am to live in this country where I am free to live, worship, and do as I please.
#16 - children. I love how flexible they are. They just go with the flow without complaining. On this day when I am less prepared than I would like to be, they have been wonderful, and have made me smile and laugh all day. :)
Today I am thankful for snow... We got our first real snow of the season, and while it was a surprise and took me a few extra minutes to get out the door, it was a pleasant surprise! I love snow, and all that comes with it - hot chocolate, Christmas music, and lights. It's all just such happy stuff! :)
Today I am thankful for warmth and good books. I love the warm feel of a new sweatshirt, or curling up in a blanket. I also really love curling up in a warm blanket on a rainy day with a good book. It's one of my favorite pastimes!
Apparently I'm not so good at blogging every day. Oh well, here is the catch up!
#10 - Veterans Well, considering that today is Veteran's Day and I didn't write yesterday, it works out great because today I am thankful for two things. :) Today, I am grateful for veterans. I'm thankful for those men and women who have given their lives for my safety and freedom, past and present. I know there are many who have sacrificed, but today I am especially grateful for my Grandpa, Uncle, and cousin who have all served, and yet, are so humble about it - who seek no honor or recognition, yet gave so much. Thank you Veterans!
#11 - a life of ease Now, I'm not saying I have what most people would define as "a life of ease" - nice house, nice car, maids to take care of my every whim - yeah, no, not my life. Heck, sometimes I stretch to pay the bills like so many others do. However, my needs are met. The ease of my life was brought sharply into focus today - while we all have our challenges, my life is easy. I haven't faced the divorce of parents; I haven't been the victim of violence, abuse, or tragedy; I haven't gone to bed hungry or afraid or hurt. Being a teacher, and a member of a small community, I have learned that not all students are as lucky as I was growing up. So, today, I am grateful for my life of comfort, safety, and ease.
Today I'm thankful for the Conference Issue of the Ensign.
While I like to listen to Conference (it's like a holiday to me! I love Conference weekend!), I like that it's not awful if I should doze off during a talk or miss part of a session. I know that makes me lazy, but so be it.
I'm glad the Conference issue comes and we have the chance to study it for six months before we get new revelation. How cool is that? Continuing revelation!! It's AWESOME! Seriously. Think about it - God still cares, He is still aware, He still speaks to men today - He loves us just as much as people in the bible. And, He loves us individually. We can get revelation for our own lives. HOW COOL IS THAT?!
I got to attend two LDS Primary Programs today, the second and third that I have attended in the last couple of months. They were of course, delightful, and helped fill me with the Spirit and strengthened my testimony of the eternal nature of families.
So, today I am thankful for families. My mom and dad, are probably two of the coolest parents anyone could ask for, and were, I am slowly realizing, tailored to meet many of my specific needs. I have awesome siblings, who I am finally beginning to appreciate - a missionary brother who is maturing every time you blink your eye, and a sister who is making her own little corner of the world where everyone is welcome and included.
I am thankful for extended families. I love the good relationships I have with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides of my family. I hope my children are privileged to have the same.
I am also thankful for surrogate families. Being the first in my family to move away from home (2,000-ish miles to be exact), I have been particularly blessed in this area. It seems that even when my family is at closest an hour, to several days away, I have always been surrounded by surrogate families who love and take care of me. Whether they be good bishops and bishopric members, parents of dear friends, faithful home teachers, or dear friends who have made a place for me in their lives and families, I have always been blessed to have them near to meet the immediate needs that my own family would if they were closer.
This quote comes from the primary children's program today, and I love it. The first time I heard it, and everytime since, it has brought tears to my eyes. I know it is true.
"God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be - this is how He shares His love, for the family is of God."
Truly God has given us all types, shapes, and sizes of families to help us become what He wants us to be. It is in the quiet, and sometimes not so quiet moments with these that we love, that we recognize the expression of His own love for us. Truly, the family is ordained of God, and can be eternal if we choose to live worthy of that blessing.
Today I am grateful for GNO's... For those of you who don't know what that is, it stands for "Girls Night Outs.
Tonight I went down to Provo with my friend Alice and we had a blast. First we had our own piano/organ recital in our church - FUN! Then on to Provo for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs- FUNNY! Last but not least, dinner at Del Taco - YUMMY! before coming home. It was a lovely way to spend a Saturday evening.
Today I am thankful for two things: 1) the comfy feel of new sweatshirts. My birthday present to myself from Yellowstone came today... I got a sweatshirt, cap, and book. It's lovely. If you see me regularly, you can pretty much expect to see me living in them for the next little while. And yes, I put them on IMMEDIATELY on my lunch break when the package arrived. :D
2) things to laugh at - like the phrase "he's a selfish goober", the blog ZUG's credit card pranks, and other such little bits of silliness.
I was reading No Unhallowed Hand by Gerald Lund today, and in it the patriarch of the family marries to young couples, and offered them some of his wisdom to each of these beloved younger family members before the big moment.
It made me think of my own grandparents, and how much I love and cherish them. I love memories of sleepovers complete with a "show" meticulously rehearsed and performed by the granddaughters - and grandma's obliging video taping. Listening with my cousins to "scary" stories from my grandma's childhood complete with mountain lions and runaway bulls, and dark nights alone. Grandpa's traditional Saturday morning breakfast of fried eggs, toast, and milk. Curling up on Grandpa's lap during Anne of Greene Gables, when Matthew dies, and continuing to curl up on his lap, much to everyone else's chagrin, when I come home for holidays. Road trips, family reunions, driving the lawn mowers and tractors. Walking to the store with Granddaddy for treats, and then on to the park with Grandma.
That particular scene in the book reminded me most poignantly, however, of the last time I was home, and sitting with Grandpa up in the kitchen after Sunday dinner dessert after everyone else went downstairs, and just talking about life - and his reminders that it's not important when you get married, or who the person is, as long as you love each other and the Lord. His encouragement to have patience, and love each other and learn to compromise, and to understand the reality that marriage is work - but it is so worth it. How I wish I had had a tape recorder, or at least my journal to take notes before all of that wisdom he quietly imparted started slipping from my own memory.
How blessed I am to have these wise, loving people in my life, who teach me by example to love the Lord and keep His commandments, and to love those around me and be kind and generous to all. How I hope that my own children will have those same influences in their lives.
I read about this on my friend Shari's blog, and I think it's cool. So, while I'm a little slow on the uptake, here we go. The idea is to post once daily during the month of November. My friend has decided to post a list of some things she's thankful for, and I love that idea - the perfect way to prepare for Thanksgiving, and the Christmas season, so here's a quick blog-barf to get myself caught up...
November 1 - On this day I remember being particularly grateful for the sense of peace and contentment I am currently experiencing in my life.
November 2 - I am thankful for an awesome, supportive family
November 3 - I am thankful for the hilarious letter from my missionary brother, and for hearing that one of my best friends, Jill, is engaged!
November 4 - I am thankful that I survived my LONG meeting today, and still managed to get a lot accomplished today.
Recently, I've been re-watching one of my favorite sitcoms ever: Ed. An adorable show! I have all 4 seasons on DVD if you feel the need to borrow and enjoy them. Anyway, about a week ago, I watched the proposal episode, where Ed FINALLY proposes to Carol. And I know I'm a sappy girl, but this has got to be one of the cutest proposals EVER. Here's the clip, but you should know that the audio is disabled because the song Question by the Old 97's, is copyrighted. Download that separately and listen to it while the clip plays (it's a great song!), and lip-read the rest.
So, again, knowing this is silly and utterly ridiculous, it still got me to thinking about my favorite things, so here is my list, in no particular order: ~Reese's Puffs Cereal ~ ice cold milk ~ riding on my Grandpa's tractor ~ sitting on my Grandpa's lap ~ Black Pool at Yellowstone National Park ~ receiving letters from missionaries (especially ones who are related to me!) ~ driving with all the windows down, the radio up, and the heat blasting ~ sledding with my cousins at my Grandparent's house ~ seeing the beautiful tree on Christmas morning ~ Jon Schmidt concerts ~ reading in front of a fire ~ Peanut Butter Twix ~ comfy jeans ~ sleeping in on a snowy morning ~ the Manti Temple ~ strawberries ~ stargazing ~ Grandma's homemade honey wheat bread, buttered and toasted in the oven ~ Mom's pumpkin pie ~ Christmas music ~ "classic cake" - double layer yellow cake with "candy bar" chocolate icing ~ spring flowers ~ staying up late and talking ~ playing games (Bang!, Ticket to Ride, etc.) ~ a clean sheet of notebook paper and a perfectly sharpened pencil ~ new baby and new puppy smell ~ bubble baths with candles ~ hugs from my dad ~ when a friend contacts you just to say hello ~ warm sweaters ~ new sweatshirts ~ Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm, when I know I'm prepared for the next week ~ adorable packages from my Mom ~ cards from my Grandma's ~ the sound of a text message notification ~ my first edition copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from my first class of 5th grade students. ~ donuts and warm apple cider from Carter Mountain Apple Orchard ~ being read to
Last weekend was our Fall Break, and I went with my friends, the Ailshie's to my favorite place in the whole world: YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK!
Unfortunately, my camera died right before we left. Fortunately, Stacey's camera was fully functional and she took TONS of pictures. Here are the highlights of our 4-day vacation.
Day 1: Heber City, UT -> Rexburg, ID; 2 states, 283 miles, 8 hours
~ we found a cache in Utah. ~ we saw the Idaho Falls and Rexburg temples at night. Gorgeous! ~ camping in the WalMart parking lot in Rexburg. (It's legal people!)
Day 2: Rexburg, ID -> Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming; 3 states, 130 miles, 14 hours
~ we saw a bald eagle, elk, bison, Canadian geese, mallard ducks, a squirrel, chipmunks, and ravens. ~ dropping my glasses in the Madison River ~ mistaking a dumpster for a bison (it was dark) ~ finally seeing the Milky Way in Yellowstone! ~ snowball fights ~ Fountain Canyon Drive, Lower Geyser Basin, Fountain Paint Pot, Firehole Lake Drive, Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser Basin, Upper Geyser Basin, Geyser Hill
Day 3: Madison Campground in Yellowstone -> Evanston, WY; 3 states, 302 miles, 17 hours
~ Biscuit Basin, Old Faithful, Isa Lake, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Lake, Lewis Lake, and Lewis Falls ~ crossing the Continental Divide 3 times. ~ seeing a lake that drained into BOTH the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. ~ Black Pool in West Thumb (my favorite thermal feature in the park!) ~ Grand Teton National Park ~ the Tetons at sunset behind Jackson Lake - beautiful! ~ Jupiter over the Tetons ~ saw mule deer, coyotes, and seagulls. ~ Jackson Hole, WY - the elk antler arches ~ dinner at Mountain High Pizza Pie ~ lots of mule deer along the road ~ camping at the WalMart in Evanston
Day 4: Evanston, WY -> Heber City, UT; 2 states, 72 miles, 1 hour 20 minutes
~ my first drive through Wyoming in daylight! :) ~ getting my bum kicked at cow poker by a 7-year-old. ~ hot air balloons over the Heber Valley as we pulled in ~ my fifteen minute nap before church that turned into a 6 1/2 hour nap. Oops!
I love the sweaters, the hot chocolate, the cool air, etc.
Well, here are a few pictures of what I've been doing to enjoy fall:
First, I went apple-pickin' with some friends. It was the first time I had ever used an actual apple-picker, and the apples here at Huber Grove were DELICIOUS!!! Oh, and we found a geocache while we were there... in the outhouse!
I also had my friend Alice take some pictures of me enjoying the Fabulous Fall Foliage.
I learned how to grind apples to make applesauce, apple jelly, and apple butter. SO COOL! (I'm not in the pictures, but I was there!) AND I went with my friends to pick out a pumpkin. Next weekend, I'm going to Yellowstone! I LOVE AUTUMN!
PS: The photo layout on this post is TOTALLY accidental. Cool, no?!
I added pictures to my Jon Schmidt Concert post and Tyler's MTC post... Oh, and I created a blog for Ty's mission if that's easier for you to keep up with.
I just got back from a night-time welcome home parade for a soldier here in Heber. He's younger than me and just got back from Iraq today. Can I just say, that is one of the coolest things I have ever done, and one of the coolest parts of living here in Heber. Where else would families drop everything at 9 on a Saturday night to line the streets to wave flags and cheer? Where else would a firetruck and police escort come through the city, sirens blaring for a brother returning from war? It was amazing.
I was touched to the point of tears - grateful to this courageous young man who has put himself in harm's way to protect my city, my country, my freedom.
Ladies and gentlemen, you may not agree with President Bush leading us to war. You may not even agree with President Obama's pull-out plans. But you cannot fault these young men and women who voluntarily put themselves in harm's way to protect our country, our freedom, and our way of life, in fact, our very freedom to proclaim whether we support this war or not. Support the policy of war or not, but we are ungrateful if we do not honor these young men and women when they come home, and hold in remembrance those who are not so fortunate.
"Thank you" just doesn't seem adequate. We are forever indebted to you. We love you. We honor you.
Today being the official beginning of my very favorite season of the year, I felt it deserved a post.
In spite of a few minor setbacks, which I've learned to giggle about (a flooded apartment, brand new tires thought to be flat but only low on air, an abnormally large number of behavior issues at school, roommate and friend drama), life is going spectacularly for me. I've found myself giggling and humming to myself, skipping, and just generally happy lately, and I'm virtually positive it's at least partially due to the season change.
Here are a few of my favorite things about the upcoming season and life where I'm currently living (the beautiful Heber Valley), in no particular order:
* the people I've met here who are so caring and fun * Wasatch Mountain State Park * Halloween and the costume and candy excitement coupled with the traditional pumpkin shaped cake and potato soup * pumpkin dishes - pie, cookies, bread, cheesecake, etc. * sweater weather (and long sleeves) * Fall leaves! * apple picking at Huber Grove * the return of Orion, Jupiter high in the sky and other stargazing wonders (including the Orionid meteor shower) * bike rides and evening walks * hot chocolate * Christmas is ever closer! * Thanksgiving * My birthday * pumpkin pie * more time inside for reading, movies, games, and bookbinding * the beginning of piano lessons *General Conference
*** Also, Happy Elephant Appreciation Day!!! ***
***** all recent beautiful images courtesy of my phenomenal photographer friend Alice! *****
So, my roommate is moving out the beginning of October, and since she told me she's leaving, I've been looking for a roommate. If you know anyone, let me know (I'm nice, and it's not a bad price for an AWESOME apartment in Heber). As an alternative, since I'm not willing to move because I know I'm where I'm supposed to be, I've been thinking about alternative means of paying for this apartment by myself that I would enjoy. My thoughts turned to my friend who teaches piano lessons, and her sister who makes and sells cute knitted hats.
Thanks to encouragement from several friends, I will begin taking piano students the beginning of October, AND selling, on order, homemade books that I've learned to make. I'll be setting up a blog soon with pictures of my books, but, they're pretty cute. :)
Anyway, that's what's going on in my life. I'm actually extremely excited about these new opportunities in my life - they are both things I love to do, and as an added bonus I can get paid for them! :) Oh, and teaching third grade is going splendidly! I'm sure there will be plenty more updates about that in the future.
About two weeks ago, some cachers I know put what is called a travel bug in my unlocked car... Well, this particular travel but was not the typical Happy Meal toy with key chain attached... No, no... This was a full-sized TRAFFIC CONE - that I managed not to notice until the morning after it was placed in the backseat of my car. :D
Anyway, after hoarding it for about a week, we decided to have a little bit of fun with it. After finally getting the rambunctious children settled and buckled we were on our way. We made a pit stop at Trade Federation and Cone spotted the cache! At Walkers, Cone took a while to choose his treat, but left satisfied with a Rewards card and PB Twix. Then we were on our way for some caching fun. We stopped at Cone Head for Cone's first date... At another cache, Cone was a little on the curious side, but, we helped him break the cycle. Don't mind us.... We're just looking for a geocache! At our last cache, Theed Palace, we had to be extra careful crossing the road, and pretty stealthy ( like in Toy Story), but it was still GREAT fun!
By the end of the night, we decided that it was time for Cone to have a new home with others who could appreciate his personal charm and magnetism.
I was so glad I was in town and was able to get off from work so I could go with Lewis, Brenda, and Tyler to the MTC.
The night before he left was, obviously, an emotional one for me - we had a family devotional, and I couldn't hold the tears. I am SO proud of this kid. He is AWESOME! And his service will not only bless the lives of the people he meets on his mission, but also the lives of those of us at home - and I can't adequately explain how much we desperately need those blessings these days.
We were able to get Tyler a Utah license and have lunch before we dropped him off around 1 pm. The days of the families going in and watching the video thing, are over. And quite frankly, I think the new way is better. We didn't have a lot of time to take pictures (which if we had understood it a little better, we could have), but, we dropped him off and there was a line of over 100 missionaries assigned to greet the new missionaries and their families, and then escort the new missionaries to their rooms. These Elders were so enthusiastic and happy, and the drop-off itself was so fast, that you couldn't help but be happy for your missionary, and there wasn't time for tears... Until I was driving home by myself afterward.
So, a week and a half ago, I went with some friends to the Jon Schmidt concert at Thanksgiving Point. I have been waiting for years to be able to go to this particular concert, and to say the least, it did NOT disappoint. In fact, it was AWESOME!
I have plenty of pictures and videos (yay!) of Jon and his awesome cellist, Steven Sharp, but seeing as my camera is currently in another city, uh, that part will have to wait.
My favorite moment - when they played Love Story Meets Viva la Vida - PHENOMENAL!!!! It was incredible! And the spontaneous standing ovation afterward was proclaimed to be their favorite concert moment ever! It was so cool!
Oh, yeah, and then this guy proposed to his girlfriend there, on stage... And then Jon played Love Story Meets Love Story to celebrate, since she said yes. Pretty cool! :)
So, if you're in the Salt Lake area around Christmas, I highly recommend attending his Christmas concert. I will be there with my friends, for sure! Merry Christmas to us! :D
I was informed last Friday, near the end of school, about President Obama's broadcast to students this coming Tuesday. I did not vote for our current president, but, I will say, as an educator, that his education policies were of particular interest to me. But, when I heard about his broadcast coming on Tuesday, I was immediately uneasy. Why at school, and why on such short notice? Why can't anyone preview his remarks? What is he saying to students, that parents shouldn't also hear? As an educator, I wanted the opportunity to prepare to respond to my students following the broadcast. Many of my friends have posted concerns and comments on facebook, which, in several cases, have started quite the political discussion. This is my response to one of them, and I think it accurately crystallizes my feelings on the subject.
As an educator, having the moral obligation to field questions from 29 8-year-olds Tuesday morning, my gut reaction, with no influence from ANYONE, was, "Hmm... why the late notice? and why during school instead of at home with the students' parents?" My personal, gut reaction, was, it's a little strange that this is late notice (at least from my ... Read Moreschool district both here, and in VA where I'm from), and I felt uneasy. The second reaction (why not at home with their parents?) is due to my experience as an educator - I have SO many students who WANT to do well, and TRY very hard to do well, but when those students' parents yank them out of school for nothing, and don't support them in practicing reading at home, those students struggle - A LOT. If President Obama's speech is simply about the importance of education and setting and achieving goals in that area, it is not a speech that only needs to be heard by the students, but also their parents, who, for my students, most of which will be at work. THOSE parents need to hear that too. As for healthy foods - fine, but, fund it, and be the one to make the students eat it. You can't control who's bringing lunches from home, or if those lunches are healthy, and quite frankly, if students don't like it, they won't eat it, and it's ILLEGAL for me to shove it down their throats. ... Read MorePersonally, I'd rather have a child who has eaten something, even if it's not a salad, than a child who is hungry, and therefore CAN'T pay attention and learn. Thirdly, I agree with Brian - I feel it's important to vote, and I wear my sticker proudly on voting day, and have discussions about the responsibilities of being a citizen of the United States regularly with my students (which includes supporting the president, no matter if you voted for him or not). But, while, as an educator, I have my own strong opinions about NCLB (which is good in theory, but, poorly implemented and funded), I cannot share them with my students. It would be ethically wrong for me to do so. If that is part of President Obama's message on Tuesday, it is neither the time nor the place - those decisions and agendas, are concerns for adults, not children, and they should not be burdened with them. Although I do not have children of my own, as a responsible educator, I plan to preview the speech on Monday, and ... Read Moreprepare myself to field questions and lead a class discussion following the broadcast on Tuesday. I have been present for several family discussions, and heard of several others of parents explaining to their children how to handle the broadcast on Tuesday - encouraging them to support the present, but also to decide for themselves if what he is saying is right and good, and not to follow blindly. That is the same counsel we are given about following the prophet, and should apply to every leader we ever have - both spiritual and otherwise. All in all, the broadcast will happen, and thankfully, living in the US, we all have the right to react as we will, without fear of recourse. But, really, as parents, teachers, and adults in this country, we hold the moral obligation to discuss this with our children, and quite frankly, the home, rather than the school, seems to be the better venue for this entire event.
In case you were unaware, here are the two videos, announcing the broadcast, and a link to the information available with it.
The commercial:
The interview:
The website with educational resources: http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediaresources/
The live feed (for Tuesday's broadcast:
Needless to say, I HIGHLY encourage ALL who possibly can to view the broadcast and discuss it with the children, and adults in our lives. Living in a democracy is a blessing, but also bears great responsibility - not following blindly is part of that responsibility. Listen and decide for yourself.
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to go camping with some friends, and their extended family up in the mountains. Our purpose for going was to gather wood for the family, which was hard work! However, the weekend, at least for me, ended up being so much more than that. It was a perfect final vacation before school starts - a break from the drama, frustration, and stress of beginning school. At one point, we went up to find a geocache on the top of a nearby mountain with 22 of the kids that were there. The view was absolutely breathtaking - a full 360 degrees of beautiful mountain peaks. From there we could see both Timpanogas and Nebo, two of the highest peaks on the Wasatch front and countless other peaks. I was amazed at how calm and happy I was throughout the entire weekend - the stress and responsibilities of school were the furthest things from my mind. As I attended church last week, the reason for the peace I felt in the mountains came sharply into focus as we discussed temples. The Lord commanded Nephi, Moses and countless other prophets to "get thee into the mountain." WHy the mountain? Because there, as with the temple, we are removed from the noise and tumult of the world, and even our own shouting thoughts of anger, worry, and fear. There we learn to clearly hear His whose voice is there to protect, comfort, cheer, and guide. I also realized quite profoundly this weekend that the Lord knows exactly how to reach us, in whatever circumstance we may be in - whether it be physically in the temple, in a Church meeting, or even in the mountains. He can reach us, and touch our hearts if we are listening.
No, this is in no way, shape, or form an announcement!
With that disclaimer out of the way, I can explain that two of my friends went on a river trip at the end of this week, and I volunteered to babysit their 5 kids (ages 11, 9, 7, 4, and 2) while they were gone. You probably think I'm slightly crazy (my friends did), but these kids are just like family, and so I was excited at the prospect. Well, to say the least, it was an adventure!
Let me begin by mentioning that my friend, who is the mother of these kids, reminded me a few times before they left that there was no cell phone reception and quite literally no way to contact them, even in an extreme circumstance, like one of the kids dying. Ahh! NO! There will be absolutely NO death while you are on this trip - here, there, or anywhere! All jokes aside, it is a weighty matter to be solely responsible for five children, even weightier still when the parents of those children will be gone for 4 days, with literally no contact, and the next of kin are an hour away. A daunting task to say the least.
To top it off, the night before I was supposed to go over to babysit was an adventure all its own. I got stung by a bee and had to take benadryl to prevent an allergic reaction, making me quite drowsy. When I got home around midnight, I chose to eat a bagel with cream cheese (smart, considering I'm lactose intolerant) and watch one episode of my favorite show, Ed, before retiring for the night. When I woke up on my couch, it was 3 am, so I went to grab my cell phone/alarm clock, and made my first realization of the night - I had left my phone in my friend's truck, yes, the very friends who were leaving the next morning and were going to call me so I could head over to begin my babysitting adventure. Excellent. I turned on my computer to attempt the ever-reliable facebook method of communication, and made my second realization of the evening - I am suddenly feeling very sick, as in, I just might pass out. Great. No phone, suspected food poisoning, and I'm going to pass out. Well, considering that the walls in my house are quite sturdy, I made it to my bathroom relying on their strength and whatever contaminants had messed me up promptly exited my body. Nice. Again relying, however less so, on my sturdy walls for strength, I moseyed back out to grab my computer and crawled into bed to begin the process of digital communication. Thanks to a friend and a Verizon wireless internet card, the endeavor was successful.
I woke up the next morning to my friends calling my name and my phone landing on my lap. They "randomly" checked their truck before leaving in their car and spotted my phone, and brought it over to me. Yes folks, that is as much a coincidence as my friend getting online at 3:40 that morning to help me test my internet-texting and my roommate leaving the door unlocked when she left for work at 6 that morning. Two hours later the real adventures began.
Day One consisted of watching the kids play, and begin rehearsals for the "movie" they want to perform for the neighborhood in the next couple of days. I got to figure out how to use the microwave rice cooker (which is a really cool little contraption, I just didn't know how to use it, at first, but I learned!), and unexpectedly pick up my roommate from work in Provo because she was sick. And of course, right after bedtime, a thunderstorm popped up, so, we postponed bedtime in favor of watching the lightning through the front window.
Day Two was awesome. The rehearsals for the movie continued until the acting company broke up, but not before they decided to walk the neighborhood in their costumes inviting their friends to come to their show. My directionally-challenged-ness was compounded that evening on the way to Pack Meeting by the rain. Yes friends, it was an outdoor pack meeting. But never fear, prayer works - they prayed the rain would be withheld until we were done, and it was, and when it started raining again after the closing prayer, that was our cue to leave, and of course find a geocache on our way home. At Pack Meeting, the eleven-year-old received his Webelo and Arrow of Light Awards. The Webelo award wasn't a problem, but, no one warned me I had to have artistic ability as acting mother for the Arrow of Light Ceremony! In the back of my mind, I'm cursing my friend, thinking, "C'mon Mr. Scout Master! You couldn't have clued me in so that I could at least paint the arrow correctly?!?!" We giggled our way through it, and he and his brother got all of their awards, with plenty of fun pictures to boot!
Day Three consisted of the kids playing with some of their friends, which made life easy. We then decided to have dinner at my house (I learned how to use a wok!), and were going to swim until the thunderstorms started. So, we pulled out the sofa bed, which was a HUGE hit, and watched The Land Before Time and Harry Potter.
Day Four, at the end of the day, was entertaining. We had planned to go to the zoo, but when it was storming again, we decided against it in favor of waiting out the storms and swimming instead. The sun DID come out, but it was still below 70 all day, and they were doing work on my pool, so we couldn't get in. Again we opted for movies instead, with a light sprinkling of games throughout the day. By the end of the day, we decided that a visit to the McDonald's Play Place was in order to get rid of a bit of energy. About that time, Mom and Dad called to say they were on their way home, so, we headed home for bathtime and a movie. I learned not to ask a 7-year-old to draw the bath water without supervision - she chose to empty what remained of the bubblebath (about 1/10 of the pretty-large bottle) in. Needless to say, the three little kids looked like Santa Clause, and I'm not sure who was wetter at the end of it all - me, or the kids.
All in all, it was a fun adventure. I learned that there is divine wisdom in the fact that children generally come one a time - it's hard to learn with five, although the age spread was a definite blessing, considering that the big kids were really good to help out! I learned the proper way to paint the Arrow of Light. I was glad to have a friend call and check on us every day, and be ready to help at the drop of a hat. I also learned to appreciate the silence at the end of the day, knowing that all five of the kids were safe, and resting peacefully. I wish that I had kept a quote board of the funny things the kids said that made me giggle. "I scared the cwap out of Miss Herring!" (following the sudden appearance of the 4-year-old in dinosaur costume), "My did it!" (everytime the 2-year-old escaped his self-made blanket fort), etc. I had a lot of fun, but it will be nice to sleep in my own bed, without companions! :D
10. Go camping and worry about bears or other large carnivores coming to eat you. 9. Listen to others around you snore, or grind their teeth, etc. (generally occurs on a campout, in a hotel room, if you have a slumber party somewhere, or if you're married and/or have children). 8. Think deeply about things or are otherwise unable to make your brain shutdown into "sleep" mode. 7. Watch a movie. 6. Go star-gazing. 5. Read a book. 4. Play a facebook game and/or obsessively update your status, comment on your friends' posts and/or take facebook quizzes 3. Talk and/or giggle with a friend or roommate. 2. A combination of #'s 4 and 3. (If you can do #'s 3, 4, and 5, you're a master multitasker!) 1. Find a geocache. (What else would I put here?!)
*Note: If you are married and disagree with my #1 statement, there's no need to comment, we already know, but, as I'm not married, that's not an option. :)
It is 10 pm, and rather than get sucked into a facebook game, I am turning my computer off and going back to my apartment and quite possibly going to bed. It's 10 pm. This is revolutionary. Maybe I have the willpower to become diurnal again after all!
So, I just posted this on my roommate's Wall on Facebook. I felt it was clever, and blog-worthy, especially in my currently sleep-deprived state. I hope you enjoy it, and that it makes you giggle:
Dear Annaleigh*, Crap! Just realized I forgot to tell you where I was, until now. So, to take the edge off the 1 AM text, it's coming via facebook, which has inherent excitement attached: I'm staying in Draper tonight, and then coming home at some point tomorrow after converting my cousins to geocaching, only to turn around as quickly as possible and go to a camping cache event after getting new glasses, and with any luck, a new, functioning star pointer, and my internet thing. BOY HOWDY! What a busy, fun couple of days it's going to be! I hope work was fun, and that if you went/go to Roswell that you are safe and DO NOT get abducted by aliens. Love, Your Favorite/Only Roommate :D
*Note: Names have been changed for privacy purposes.
Hee hee hee... I'm giggling internally after re-reading that for the fourth time, being currently sleep deprived and the only person awake in a very quiet house with nine other peacefully-sleeping people. Good night.
… being an analysis of the social commentary that is the movie He’s Just Not That Into You.
I watched the movie, He’s Just Not That Into You with my roommate Kristin last night, for the second time. The first time I pretty much hated it, but we were amazingly intrigued by this movie last night, and so watched it – with a purpose this time! I watched it with the intent to create this post.
Truth #1: “We’re all encouraged, no programmed to think that if a guy acts like a jerk, he likes you.” No seriously. This is true. We as a society do this to each other. And while the movie was geared toward the women “He’s just not that into you,” but I think it is safe to say that, while it is to a lesser degree, men have their part in this too. I’m sure we’ve all heard about the various signals member of the opposite sex send. Well, we all send them, however, I think generally, we all have a hard time making those signals align with what we actually mean. Then there’s the analysis of those signals – generally, that phase is an all-around disaster! Even, and maybe especially, in mixed company, we can never seem to agree on what those signals meant. While the signals are actually pretty straightforward, since there is some variance from person to person, we can never agree upon what the said signals mean.
Truth #2: “If a guy is treating you like he doesn’t give a [crap], he genuinely doesn’t give a [crap]. No exceptions.” Having been the rule my entire life, I can attest to the truthfulness of this statement. No, really, it’s true. Hence truth #3.
Truth #3: “We’ve got to stop listening to stories like that because we’re not the exception. We’re the rule.” As a corollary to rule #2, this is also exceptionally true! If you’ve never heard some insane story about how someone in the exact same situation as you turned out with some fairy-tale happy ending, please stand up and take a bow, you are the exception. I think we’ve all heard a story, that was probably intended to make us feel better, but which was in fact an exception to the rules.
Truth #4: “I just need you to stop being nice to me, unless you’re going to marry me afterward.” Now, in the context of the movie, this was a legitimate concern – if you’ve been together for 7 years, it’s about time you get married. However, in the context of the real world (as in the non-Hollywood world), what the heck?! Since when does someone being nice to you indicate a desire to marry you?! Um, to all the BYU zoobies, and the members of most LDS singles wards, let me just say that, contrary to what your roommates and friends may tell you, just because he [or she] is nice to you does NOT indicate a desire to marry you – especially if you haven’t been dating each other exclusively for an extended period of time (typically, weeks, is not considered an extended period of time. Contrary to the content of the remainder of this post, there are exceptions to that rule. The extended-period-of-time rule, not the niceness-does-not-necessarily-lead-to-marriage rule).
Truth #5: We all need a friend like Alex, who is brave enough to tell us, “Ok, [insert name here], he’s not interested,” without tip-toeing around our feelings, because he’s “just trying to help.” Really. Being the beneficiary of several such friendships, those friends are seriously invaluable. It is nice to have someone (or several individuals) who will really be honest with you, and who have your best interests at heart. Though what they may tell you hurts a little at first, you still know they love you, and you can depend on them. Oh, and they’re probably game to join you for the recovery movie and ice cream, and probably the associated tears.
Truth #6: “If a guy gives you his number instead of taking yours, he’s not interested in you.” This rule only applies to girls. Boys, if she gives you her number, especially if she comes up with an elaborate plot to do so, she probably is interested, or at least potentially so.
Truth #7: Endorphins make you not think clearly. Don’t exercise with someone that you’re attracted to. Especially if you’re married. Unless that person is your wife. And don’t go skinny-dipping afterward. That’s just a general, common sense rule. In fact, I once had a friend tell me to go running with a guy I was attracted to, because endorphins would make us more attractive to each other. True story. Didn’t do it. Glad I didn’t. He’s happily married, and we’re still friends.
Truth #8: If he [or she] interrupts a date or make-out session to talk to another girl [or guy], for any reason, he’s [or she’s] just not that into you.RUN! No really, this is true. The reverse is also true. If you find out he interrupted one of the above things for you, then, you can quite possibly take that as an indication that he IS into you. Sorry I can’t prove this with personal experience, haven’t had any. But, I think it is probably true.
Truth #9: “You all (women) eat it up because you love it. You love the drama.” True. Girls, you know it’s true. We are creatures of drama. We do feed off it. Incessantly. It’s actually pretty insane the level of drama we think we need to feel like we’re living. Whether it’s our own, or a friend’s or a friend of a friend’s or a total stranger’s in the news, we totally feed off drama.
Truth #10 (and my personal favorite) “Someday, you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending. Every movie we see, every story we’re told implores us to wait for it: the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. Sometimes we’re so focused on finding our own happy ending, that we don’t learn how to read the signs, how to tell the ones who want us from the ones who don’t, how to tell the ones who will stay from the ones who will leave. And maybe this happy ending doesn’t include a wonderful guy. Maybe it’s you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over. Freeing yourself up for something better in the future. Maybe the happy ending is just moving on. Or maybe the happy ending is this: knowing that through all the unreturned phone calls, the broken hearts, through all the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment, you never ever gave up hope.”: The truth of the matter is, there are happy endings for all of us. We are the exception to someone’s rule, the right one’s rule. But, we are most attractive when we are happy and confident, when we manage to remain level-headed about the whole proposition, but always, above all else, keep that hope that one day we will find our own happily ever after.
