What I am grateful for-

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving, I think it's a good time to pause and think of what I am grateful for- so here's my list (in no particular order-)

1. Toilet paper


2. My Bed (with my 7 pillows!)


3. My roommates who are clean, nice and allow me my privacy.


4. Cute shoes


5. Facebook (it helps me stay connected with friends in varying places!)


6. My students (although they drive me batty at times, they are the source of great amusement, inspiration, love, and how else would I know how cool Chris Brown is?)



7. My job (especially when so many are losing theirs in this time of uncertainty.)


8. My amazing friends (as a single gal, I've had to rely on friends for so many things. And I have the most amazing support group of people who love me and believe in me. It so nice to see a friend, or call them on the phone and feel so loved.)


9. Trips to Disney World


10. The Rockin' Roller Coaster at Disney World.


11. My Siblings and their spouses- (Annelise & Mick who always welcome me into their home and who allow me to spend precious hours with my nieces. Ben & Luana who take me on "dates" to HSM3 so I don't have to go alone. Jeff who makes me laugh and is still doing the 'single thing' with me. My siblings who try to understand me, always support me and always make me feel like I have a home. I am truly, truly blessed to be related to these amazing, compassionate and hilarious people.)


12. My nieces, Ivy & Madeleine (they are a source of unconditional love!)


13. My Mom (who has always been an example of Christ-like service and love.)


14. My step-dad (who loves my Mom)


15. My body bugg (I am FINALLY going to do it! Down 10 lbs. WOOT WOOT!)


16. Lunches in the faculty room with my fellow teachers (they are HILARIOUS! and provide a much needed break from the chaos of teaching!)
    
17. Music, singing and dancing like a goon!
    
18. The Gospel
    
19. Faith that someday, somehow everything will work out and fall into place.
    

I have a lot to be thankful for. And for the times when life gets hard and I feel like no one cares, no one sees me, and nothing is good, I can pause and breathe and remember how amazing it is to be me!

Pushing Daisies

This is one of the best shows on television. It is clean, interesting, whimsical and touching. If they cancel it, I will cry. I hate it how smut can survive on TV but not a show like this.

If you haven't seen this show PLEASE tune in, for the love of all things beautiful!

Let's hope they don't cancel Pushing Daisies but according to Entertainment Weekly, "Daisies just wrapped production on what could be its last episode ever, and ABC has given no indication that it plans on ordering additional installments. What's worse, the potential swan song ends with what series creator Bryan Fuller calls a "huge cliff hanger" involving Chuck." -Michael Ausiello

BOOOOO Now I will cry! :(

Good Friends, Massages and LOTR

My favorite scene from Lord of The Rings. Makes me cry every time!

Today I decided to watch LOTR- The Fellowship of the Ring. I LOVE Lord of the Rings! I know, I am such a goof! But, I hadn't sat down to watch it since the LOTR Extended version marathon during the summer of '06 at the Playmill!

Whew, the week finally ended on a high note! But not before a few more bumps on the way.

On Friday, during 3rd period, I was cutting some poster board and proceeded to puncture my left hand with some scissors! At first I thought it was just a scratch, but when blood started running down my hand, I knew something was up!

So, I had to go into the work mans comp clinic, get it taken care of plus a tetanus shot! What a perfect end to my PERFECT week at school!!

Later, I was driving around with Annelise and the girls and came upon this sign-

Wha? Luana for lease? What does it all mean?

Later that night I went to a wedding shower for my friend, Candice. At the shower I saw Cherie, Erika and Sarah some great friends from the BYU-I days! It was so lovely to see them! After the shower, the aforementioned group came to my apartment to play with my Wii fit. *The funniest thing about the Wii fit is how it insults you!* We laughed and talked until after midnight! It was so great to see those girls! Thanks for a fantastic time!

The next morning the same group (minus Erika) went to get massages. Well, if you've never had a massage a highly recommend it. The only thing was, I was naked! (Well, under a sheet.) It was so weird! I'm never naked, except the shower! But, it was heavenly, and was a nice stress reliever after my slightly traumatic week.

Tomorrow is the information meeting for the school musical. This year I am doing "Alice in Wonderland" and I am very excited! But I hope I haven't bit off more than I can chew, because it is such a technical show, and I don't have the greatest facilities... Anyone willing to donate time, money or goods to a junior high Theatre department? Let me know. Hopefully next week at school will be better, if not I'm sure I'll have some entertaining stories to tell!

It Just Keeps Getting Better!

So, while I was in college I could never quite understand the many 'hats' I would wear as a teacher. (Cheerleader, mentor, disciplinarian, teacher, counselor, friend etc...) You can now add Bad Ass to that list. According to Mr. Reigner I am officially a Bad Ass. (Pardon the language). How does one achieve such a title? Let me tell you.
2:45 P.M. The bells rings to go home, and after yesterday, today was a pretty good day. The students leave my classroom and there is a moment of serenity. Then I have this feeling that I should go in the hallway to check on the little angels.
Just outside my door there is quite a commotion and at first, I'm not sure what is going on. Then I hear the word "FIGHT!" I look down the hallway just a few feet from my door and two girls are going at it. Literally yanking the hair out of each other's scalps and hitting each other with their free arms.
Well, me (being the Bad Ass that I am) march right into the middle of the fight. Adrenaline pumping, I really didn't have a thought in my head. I grab both girls by their wrists and literally pull them apart. At first the girls start hitting me, but then either because of my awesome strength (according to body bugg, I burned 5.2 calories a minute breaking up the fight) or the fact that I am a teacher, they eventually stop. I march them into the office (clothes lining a few kids on the way because I would not let go of their wrists.) and then proceed to get the other kids out of the building.
And that, my friends is bad ass.

Did you ever have one of those days...

Today was a no good very bad day indeed.
But kind of funny, in a tragic, roll your eyes sort of way.
Oh oh oh woke up today feeling the way I always do...
Then I weighed myself.... gasp! Shock horror! I gained 2 lbs overnight! (Sundays are insanely hard for me for 2 reasons 1- Not enough excercise (being the day of rest and all) 2- Eating)
Also I went to my parents house for Jeff's birthday and all that adds up to... 2 lbs.
But it will be gone tomorrow.
So I was depressed and then proceded to try out clothes for the day. 1st outfit- REJECTED! 2nd- REJECTED 3rd- REJECTED 4th- Well, by this time I was running late and I still had to pick up my car-pool buddy, Sarah.
So, I arrive at school feeling frumpy and fat. Make it to school with enough time to slather on a bit of make-up before facing my lovely students. Feeling grumpy and like I want to crawl back to bed...
Students begin rehearsing their scenes- cute little 7th grade boy asks... "can I use a cane for my scene, I am playing a Grandpa." "Sure" I say. I look at my worksheets for first period- Hmmmm seems that I am short a few worksheets. I slip out of the room for about 2 minutes.
The first thing I notice upon my return... cute 7th grade boy no longer has his cane, other 7th grade boy (bigger and more bully like) has the cane. Boy has "choked" other boy for cane (horseplay, goofing off he says...) Have entire class write eye witness accounts. Give bigger boy lunch detention and send him to the office. Have entire class work on worksheet in silence. Sit at my desk wishing the day would be over.
The day goes on... gloomy rainy and cold. Normally the jr. high kids can slightly annoy me, but mostly I'm fine. Today however... talking, asking for hall passes, looking at me funny all lead to me wanting to go home.
No Break (unless you count my 25 minute lunch)
Tick tock tick tock- why won't someone speed up the clock?
Finally 2:45!! Kids leave- I set my head on my desk and breathe.
Drive home, accidents and traffic. Change my clothes and watch a bit of the Tyra show about cheating spouses... why are people so selfish? Get disgusted, turn it off. Eat a lean cusine pizza (when all I wanted was a REAL pizza...) Go to Wal-Mart (the insanley claustrophbic one on 9th East) to buy supplies for puppet making mania tomorrow.
Come home, roommate asks if I am going to FHE. I say no, it's too late I like to be in bed by 9. Feel a little guilty for NEVER going to FHE. Get on computer, check facebook, upload my calories (I have 300 left to burn!) Write blog.

Just keep moving!

I've decided as part of my blogging adventures to chronicle my never ending quest to be fit and healthy. About one month ago I purchased a body bugg. A body bugg is a device that you wear on your right arm that monitors all the calories you are burning throughout the day. (It's very oooh fancy and was pretty expensive.) I've been wearing one for about a month now, and it's been interesting. In theory, if you burn 1,000 extra calories over what you consume, you will lose 2 lbs. per week. So far I have lost 7 lbs. (but I did go to Florida during that time where I ate!) Notice the body bugg on my right arm.



Anyway, I am frustrated! I guess I just hate the way my body can fluctuate, and I hate feeling trapped sometimes. I've struggled with my weight for what seems like forever! I've been up, down, left, right and everywhere in between. And although I'm not nearly as bad as I've been, I still have a long way to go.
I know what it's like to feel morbidly obese. To not be able to fit into the white plastic picnic chairs. To sit in an airplane seat and not be able to use the tray because your stomach is in the way. To feel old before you had the chance to be young. To not be able to walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded... I am so grateful to not have those problems anymore.
I have to keep track of every calorie that I consume, and it's not as hard as it seems. My goal is to lose 30 lbs. by the time I am 30 (which is January 5th). Which incidentally will put me under 200 lbs. (a weight I haven't seen since I was 14 years old.)
I have to keep moving, I have to keep the faith and I will be a success!! It's hard, annoying, frustrating and worth it.

Today I got my flu shot and my arm is ouchy, I also voted. I love that we are able to vote, it is so incredibly important.

GO DEMOCRACY!!!

Now I will enter the realms of blogging...

After spending waaay too much time reading other people's blogs, I decided to begin one myself with the intent of bringing some sort of slight amusement to others. So here goes....

Halloween was fun!

I carved pumpkins with Ivy & Maddie (Here is our spooky cat!)





Ivy carved a frog!








Then I helped Annelise out at the Primary Carnival for her ward! I gave her a pink wig and attacked her face with make-up.







Ivy was a horse jockey &
Maddie was a Care Bear!




They were both sooo cute!

After the party, I took them trick or treating around the neighborhood. Maddie was done early but Ivy stayed out until almost 9 pm! I absolutely LOVE my nieces! They bring me so much joy and I am so blessed to have them in my life! I love it when I come to visit and they both yell out my name from where ever they are and have to find me to give me a hug and kiss! And then whenever I leave, I can't go until I get a hug & kiss, could life be any sweeter?