The Christmas Spirit

I liked this video reminder of what Christmas is really about:

Sometimes I feel like the odd man out because I'm not a big gift giver.  The gifts I like to give are ones that I know will last because of their thoughtfulness--pictures, letters, memories, a hand-made blanket, a purse for the friend whose mom passed away years before, 12 Days of Christmas, etc.--or that are needed and practical--church shoes, candle warmer, etc.  I would rather spend time with someone or give them shoe laces, than give them a gift that they'll use and break, throw away, or shove in a back corner (kids are excepted from this--they break toys all the time, but they still "get" the magic of Christmas giving; every gift is--or should be--exciting because it's new).

I realized that this Christmas season. I was having a difficult time getting into the gift-giving mode of Christmas and I couldn't figure out why.  Well, it's because I couldn't figure out what people closest to me needed or needed. And while I probably am still giving out some perfunctory gifts that came from someone's wish list, at least it shows that I love them, because I do.

But...

I did get some great gifts for my parents and Cody.   My parents' gift is no secret. My sister and I are paying for family pictures, since the last ones we took were when I graduated from college and Cody and Westley weren't in our family yet.  We get to do that today (hopefully, if planes arrive on time...).  And Cody's gifts...I don't want to give away any surprises, but I know that he won't be surprised by the loving practicality of some of the gifts, since I gave him shoes for church last year. However, I do know that there is at least one gift that he will be surprised by.

Thorvaldsen Christus

I'd like to close this Christmas message with a quote that I always have displayed in my room:

"However dim our days may seem, they have been a lot darker for the Savior of the world.  As a reminder of those days, Jesus has chosen, even in a resurrected, otherwise perfected body, to retain for the benefit of His disciples the wounds in His hands and in His feet and in His side--signs, if you will, that painful things happen even tot he pure and the perfect; signs, if you will, that pain in this world is not evidence that God doesn't love you; signs, if you will, that problems pass and happiness can be ours."  --Jeffrey R. Holland, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Three to four years in five minutes

After driving around in the snow this morning and discovering that the place (where I thought for sure I would find a small gift for Cody) didn't have it, I came home and began procrastination rituals.  What am I procrastinating?  Cleaning my house (because we didn't do that Saturday; instead we saw the Desolation of Smaug), grading, planning for school, class roles for Primary, working on Janeen's potatoes for dinner, and possibly making a buche de Noel (but I'm hoping to do that tonight with Cody).

During my successful procrastination, I listened to The Nutcracker, ate a banana and a candy sled, and made name tags for all the children in Primary.  Then I decided I would look up some information on the Internet which inevitably makes me sad. I thought maybe this time it wouldn't, but it did.  After trying to cheer myself by reading happy things and having that not work, I started wasting my life on Facebook. But this time it wasn't a waste.

I became sucked into looking at pictures and after five minutes I realized that I was looking at pictures from 3 1/2 years ago.  Man alive! I thought (and I'm not joking, I really thought that) I am so blessed and lucky to have had so many opportunities the past three to four years of my life.  So here is a photo tribute to the experiences, but more importantly, the people that helped make my life so much better these past three years.

October 2009: After a life-changing hike with Lori Lund (Miller, now) and Kasey Butler. I didn't realize that long-term effects that this hike would have on my life but I frequently think about the things we talked about and the lessons we learned on that hike.  I needed my friends at this hard time in my life and they were there for me.

December 2009: at Lindsey's Ugly Sweater Party. I wish I had a better copy of the lower picture, but I think it's lost to cyberspace. Lindsey has been my friend through thick and thin, close and far, writing and phone calls. 

December 2009: Doing "See no evil,  hear no evil, speak no evil" with Ben and Jacob.  My brothers probably don't realize how much they make my day brighter, but they do.  

April 2010: My first full day in France. Sometimes that doesn't even seem real.  I learned a lot about myself when I was there. It was a good soul-cleansing and goal fulfilling trip.

May 2010: I got to spend 6 weeks in France. WHAT!? How many people get to do that? 

October 2010: This was a great group of roommates. Funny to think that we're all (except Biva) married.  I love this picture because we actually look like we could be tall or average-height people. And we are so not.

February 2011: I loved working with these ladies at Freshman Academy/Mentoring, especially traveling to Atlanta, Georgia to present at the First-Year Experience Conference.

April 2011: My partner in crime, Amanda Leifson.  So so so glad that we went to DC as a graduation present to myself.

May 2011: Verdon & Amberlee Walker gave me hope that I would find someone to love and love me back.  Verdon was one of my best friends for two years and I'm so glad that he's pursing his goals with Amberlee at his side.

August 2011: Taking engagement pictures.  Cody has changed my life and brought more happiness and laughter into my life than I deserve, but that I need.  Crazy that it has been two years.

January 2012: Parents. What would I do without them?

June 2013: My nephew, Westley.  That child is the reason I've seen my sister and brother-in-law so much the past year and a half (just kidding, sort of...haha).  I love this kid so much!

Even though life is hard, so hard, sometimes, at least I have good people around me who love me and whom I love.  I don't feel like the most faith-filled person right now, but I know I'm being supported by the faith of those stronger than I am right now. Thank you.

and Merry Christmas!

Faith

Photo I took of the Provo Temple 15 Oct 2009

This last Sunday Cody and I were asked to give talks at a nursing home that is in our stake.  Unlike most talk requests that are extended, we weren't given a topic.  At first I thought that was a little unfair because I felt like I had too much on my plate and now I needed to think up a topic for a five minute talk I'd be giving to people I didn't know the next day.

After considering my life and what message I would like to hear, and then thinking about what is a topic that would be helpful for older people who have surrendered most of their independence to the inevitability of growing old--I decided to speak on faith.

I chose this quote from Elder D. Todd Christofferson from this month's visiting teaching message:

"Faith in Jesus Christ is the conviction and assurance of (1) His status as the Only Begotten Son of God, (s) His infinite Atonement, and (3) His literal Resurrection."

My next favorite source of information is the LDS Bible Dictionary. Under faith, I chose this snippet:

"The Lord has revealed Himself and His perfect character, possessing in their fulness all the attributes of love, knowledge, justice, mercy, unchangeableness, power, and every other needful thing, so as to enable the mind of man to place confidence in Him without reservation."

The bulk of my talk was used to tell the story of my great-great grandmother Betsy Scholes Morris and her faith.  Then I closed by sharing my favorite scripture, Doctrine and Covenants 123: 17:

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

The past few days as I've been thinking about that talk and Cody's talk which followed (it was basically on having faith in trials--a shortened version of his lesson the previous week in young men's), I've considered that opportunity a blessing far greater than I could have even imagined on Sunday.

There are many things that we can have faith in--people, events, promises. However, because we are mortal and make mistakes or the events and promises we make are all traced to a human, then those people, events, and promises can fail. However, because of what Christ did for us and does for us every single day, we can have perfect faith in Him.  We can trust Him to fulfill His promises and to carry us through tough times because He has been through it.

I think there is more to faith than I get and understand. Perhaps as I go through each part of my life I will learn another little aspect of faith that will one day make my understanding more complete. For now, I guess my faith in Jesus Christ is enough to know that trials will pass, mortality is allowed to happen but He is there waiting to help us, and that there are blessings being poured on us in the midst of difficulties and that are being kept in store for us for when we walk out of the darkness of our sorrow into the brightness of His love and light.

Mika--Grace Kelly or Basketball?

(Note: This is just for fun. I'm not a Mika-stalker for either Mika. I want more people to be exposed to the Grace Kelly song.)

Which Mika is more catchy?

Gratitude

I feel like I'm always trying to find things for which to be grateful.  I know November is a natural time for Americans to think about gratitude because of Thanksgiving. I'm sure that other months are months of "Thanksgiving" in other cultures.

Here's a short list. I hope to add some longer posts about specific things that I am grateful for in the coming weeks:

1. the Gospel of Jesus Christ
2. my husband, Cody
3. the restored church of Jesus Christ (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
4. family
5. prophets, seers, and revelators today
6. books
7. library cards
8. chocolate
9. friends
10. letters
11. my mom and dad, specifically
12. Lindsey, specifically
13. carpools
14. airplanes
15. cameras
16. notebooks and pens
17. literacy
18. music
19. patient people
20. knowledge
21. Shakespeare
22. Dr. Seuss
23. Yo Yo Ma
24. blue things
25. warm blankets
26. colors
27. food
28. being able to cook
29. running water
30. indoor plumbing
31. indoor heating and cooling
32. a car
33. my job
34. Cody's job
35. that I live in the United States 
36. that I grew up in middle-class America so that I'm blessed with opportunities beyond many in the world
37. our local and national leaders
38. good people that have the desire to run for/be president/Senate/House of Representatives/Governor/etc. and who mostly are all just trying to do their best, so that I don't ever have to feel like I need to
39. scientists
40. iPods
41. running shoes
42. socks
43. my nephew who is the cutest
44. my brothers and sisters (counting in-laws, too)
45. American history
46. having gone to BYU and taken so many different classes
47. prayer
48. perspective
49. fall
50. that I'm not allergic to any foods or medicines

Almost a month...

Well, this has been the longest hiatus with posting on my blog for the past six months. It's kind of weird to think that seven months ago I started that special diet to see if any of the food I was eating was a trigger for headaches. It's even more weird to think that five months ago I wrote my first blog post from DC (followed by many, many more). And then school started and my blogging took a backseat to figuring out how to be a third grade teacher, how to be a teacher, and how to balance my work life, personal life, and church life.

Maybe life will slow down, but probably not.

Today has been kind of a hard day. I've been really worried about someone that I care about so much all day. I'm not sure exactly what is going on with her and her life, but I know that it isn't what was planned and if it happened to me I would be crying buckets all day.  Like I said, I don't know exactly what is going on, but the worrying and praying and trying to be hopeful for her all day, has been a growing feeling throughout the day.  I wish I could do more for her than just think about her and pray for her, but I can't.  I've made myself available to talk but probably everyone wants to talk to her right now and that can get old and annoying.  Thankfully I know she has a great family that is supporting her right now and that Heavenly Father is right there with her giving her the strength she needs to make any tough decisions.

...

Other than today though, I've had a good week.  I voted on Tuesday for mayor and a city-council Member. I love feeling and knowing that I am participating in the great American experiment when I vote, even when it is in "small" elections like for mayor. These are our leaders that impact the exact place where we live! Why wouldn't we vote for "lesser" positions like mayor and city-council?

Proof! I have the "I voted!" sticker

Last week was Halloween and Cody and I dressed up as Wreck-it-Ralph and Vanellope Von Schweetz.

I'm starting to get into the groove of third grade, but I do still miss teaching fifth grade social studies. I'm trying to follow Jane Eyre's advice when she becomes the teacher to those poor, country-folk--to put aside her fine accomplishments because she knows they will keep.  I know that my love for American History will keep. I'll still find ways to incorporate it a little bit in my class (still not the same!), but that knowledge and that love will "keep."

Also, I got my first flu shot (that I can remember; I maybe got one when I was a baby) today. I figured I should just bite the bullet, get it and not try to test my luck that I won't get it this year. I've been blessed with extraordinarily good health, but I don't want to let getting sick mess up my Thanksgiving or Christmas plans (after that? Sure why not? haha).

Thoughts during Fall Break

When I told my mom on Sunday that I had fall break this week, she asked, "What is that?" since it doesn't exist in the school district my brother attends in Michigan or in any of the schools that my sister and I attended growing up. My answer was that it was created for teachers so that they can come back to school and be ready to be with their students again.  We all laughed, but such were my feelings on Sunday.

After another roller coaster each day at school, I was really looking forward to my fall break.  As the day ended on Wednesday, one of my students invited me, yet again, to her soccer game, the last one of the season. I said that I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it, but I'd see.  Cody and I ended up being able to go and watch this student (and another one of my students) in their last soccer game of the season. It was really fun! I was able to talk with their parents in an informal manner about their lives. And my students saw me in an informal setting, laughing and having fun.

And that's when it hit me.

Just like during my student teaching when my mentor teacher, Rachelle, had to call me out and say, "You need to be yourself with the students. You're funny and laughing at lunch but you get all serious when you're teaching. Be yourself all of the time!" I realized that I was doing the same thing with my third graders. This is one of the reasons why the first week of school was so much fun and why the following six weeks have been roller coasters of good and bad and discouragement and hope.

Duh! I wasn't being me with my students. I didn't and still don't know exactly how to be me with my third graders, but I figured it out with my fifth graders so that gives me somewhere to start.  I need to laugh every day with my students or else I will go crazy. I won't want to go to work, I won't enjoy teaching, and I'm sure my students won't enjoy learning as much.  I'm surprised so many of them have said they enjoy school still.  I wouldn't if I was in third grade with a teacher as serious as I have been.  I need to be more fun, like I know I can be.

Another way this was revealed to me today was as I was checking their writing homework, I kept chuckling over their creativity and humor. I have really funny students. I should find more time to laugh with them.  An example of their wit:

One two buckle my shoe. Buckle your own shoe! Who said that? I did. What are you doing with those silly buckles on your shoes anyway? Three four shut the door. You shut it--you opened it! Five six pick up sticks. Why should I pick them up--do you think I'm your slave? Buckle my shoe, shut the door, puck up sticks, next thing you'll be telling me to lay them straight!! But it's only a poem. Nine ten a big fat, oh never mind.

Isn't she funny? Here's a picture of my creative, funny, and adorable students. I just need to remember that they are. :)

Three of my students with their fish as part of their aquarium project

I'm alive (and Lord of the Flies moment)

I realize I haven't posted on here for almost a month. It isn't because I haven't had anything going on. It's because I've had too much going on--meetings, getting ready for Primary Program, figuring out how to be a third grade teacher when I'm used to being a fifth grade teacher, Relief Society meeting, General Conference, doing family history work and taking the names to the temple, orchestra, and trying to decide if I'm going to exercise again.

Here's a little peak into a day I had two weeks ago after doing an art project.  It was only a small moment, but it was the moment in between finishing up and cleaning up... The name of the video should give you a clue as to how I was feeling:

Checking off the list

Today I woke up in a better mood than yesterday but still not great. I wasn't terribly optimistic about how school would go, especially after how yesterday ended.  However, I tried to pretend that it would be okay. I had a flash of inspiration on how to engage my students more in math--PowerPoints, whispering, and songs.  I used several PowerPoints today and I definitely employed whispering, which was followed by station activities where they answered similar questions that most of them got wrong on the test yesterday.  It made all the difference!

Yesterday's math lesson=I didn't know what was wrong with me as a teacher and why I was teaching third grade
Today's math lesson=why didn't I do this before, this was awesome, but I can't use it too much or else it will get old

After school I looked up some fun multiplication facts songs that I'm going to play for my class the next few weeks to help them learn their times tables.

Not only was figuring out how to engage my students a success, I also got to watch an episode of The West Wing with Cody (a show we love!  We started in when we were in DC and now it's a friendly reminder of where we lived all summer, helps us keep national events in mind, and connects us to incredibly like-able TV characters), practiced my violin, and went for a run.

I'd say that the mental list I made for myself, thinking it was impossible this morning, has now become finished. And I feel great about that!

"You are buried in the past...It is time to move on"

Those of you who read my post about Jane Eyre, are here for the next installment: Charlotte Bronte herself.

Labor Day weekend, I started and finished The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James.  As much as I felt like I knew Charlotte Bronte before reading this book, I now realize that I was probably missing a big part of her--her actual personality.  Yes, she is similar to Jane Eyre and Lucy Snowe, but I think there was more to her than I realized.  One of the biggest things that I learned about and that I'm grateful to know about now was her growing friendship and eventual love for her husband, Arthur Bell Nicholls.

The reason why I'm especially grateful to know more about that relationship is because of what I had read previously about how she hadn't really liked him, she'd been in love with her professor, and she'd turned down other offers for marriage, and then looking at her age, 37, when she got married, I always had the thought, "I hope she didn't just marry him out of convenience," even though I know that she wrote to a friend after she was married that she felt her heart was knit with her husband's.

To delve into those concerns a little bit further:
She hadn't really liked him--That is true.  She found him close-minded in certain areas. However, she did acknowledge his generous nature to others and his indispensable service for her father as his curate.  She also reacted towards him based on incorrect information she had about him. Once she realized the truth of what really happened, she allowed herself to start to become friends with him.

She'd been in love with her professor--That is true.  But that was 10 years before she got married.  She used descriptions of M. Heger to create Mr. Rochester and M. Paul Emmanuel. However, she buried (literally) that part of her life in order to let herself live.  I was particularly touched by a dream she recorded after her sisters had all passed away and they visited her in a dream, telling her that they were dead and couldn't live, yet there she was living and yet she was living as one dead. She needed to leave the past in the past and move on to the living and real. Her sisters told her that she was buried in the past, she needed to move on and leave Belgium behind.  I have continually thought about this statement and experience because I wonder, as one who likes to look back at experiences in my life, do I live to much in the past? Am I leaving behind my Belgium (whatever it may be--past hurts, feelings of inadequacy, etc.) and moving on so that I can live and develop fully in the time that I have been given in this life?  No, I don't have a secret old love like Charlotte did for her professor, but just like Charlotte, perhaps I, too, need to find more ways to live in and appreciate the present.

She'd turned down other offers for marriage--That is true. This one always intrigued me because on the life lines in the beginning or backs of books written by Charlotte, it mentions those other offers of marriage and I always wanted more information about them.  Well here is some information: One of the marriage proposals was in a letter, the other was someone she didn't know but assumed she would want to get married since she wasn't married yet, rejected a marriage proposal from a man in her publishing house who she knew she wouldn't really suit, and then she first rejected her husband's proposal because her father was against it, but later accepted it when she decided to live and give him a shot.

It wasn't that she just "gave in".  She really became friends with Arthur and while she couldn't say she loved him when they got married, the respect and friendship she had for him turned to love as she got to know him better, saw him with his family, and he was able to freely show how much he loved and adored her.

What is most tragic to me, is that she died while she was pregnant, probably because she just had horrible morning sickness.  After being married for nine months, and being happier in those nine months than she had been in years (and feeling a peace in her life that she had never felt before), she died.  That is so sad.

I hope that someday I'll get to talk with Charlotte Bronte (fun note: her last name is pronounced "Brunty"--when her father came from Ireland to England, he was able to write his last name--Brunty--however he wanted, and he tried to make it look more elegant by spelling it with an o and with the e and double dots; but it's just pronounced Brunty).  Her books have changed my life. Learning about her life has added to my life, as well.

Also here are the two photographs that Charlotte took with her husband during their honeymoon tour:

The bearded man

The day of Cody's graduation from BYU was the day he stopped shaving for about a month.  So here is him on August 16:

At first I didn't think that I would like his beard. I've never really found them to be particularly attractive on men. I always thought they would be scratchy and annoying.  However, after the first few days, I found that I actually liked my husband with his beard. I thought he looked handsome in a different way than he's handsome when he's clean-shaven.

We joked and were serious about how he would shave his beard when he had his first interview.  Well, his first interview was a phone interview so he technically didn't need to shave.  But he had his first "I'm really serious about this and this is a job that I know I'm interested in" in-person interview last Friday. So, Thursday night, he decided that it was time to shave. Why? Not necessarily because it was his first interview, but because we had decided he'd shave his beard off after a month and it would be weird to go to the interview with a beard, then if they decided to do a follow-up interview or hire him and then he was clean-shaven, that might look or seem weird.

So here are the before and after pictures of him shaving on Thursday night.

What have I learned? I've learned that if my husband wants to grow a beard again in the future, that I'll be fine about it, I'll probably like it again, and it really isn't as big of a deal as I thought it would be.

Last year and this year

I think that perhaps because I am a school teacher, my New Year's resolutions begin in January and resurface (or I make new goals) in August or September when school starts again.  Last year, my goals for the new school year consisted mainly of building up my running so that I could run for 10 miles before my birthday in October.  I made that goal.  After achieving that goal, I made several other goals for school that I won't go into.

This year, I guess I'm feeling more able (or more lacking in previous habits so I want to do better), so my goals are not to run 10 miles or even a mileage goal, but merely to run or exercise 2-3 times a week, reread the Book of Mormon, and play my violin regularly again.  I've been fulfilling my last goal by joining the American Fork Symphony.  So now, instead of getting up on Saturdays and running like I was doing a year ago, I'm getting to the junior high by 8 and rehearsing for two hours on Saturdays.  The pieces we're playing for our first concert are:

(non-video form: Symphonie espangole, 1st movement by Edouard Lola, Capriccio Espagnol by Rimsky-Korsakov, Slavonic March by Tchaikovsky, Pavane pour une infante defunte by Ravel, Harry Potter Symphonic Suite by John Williams arranged by Jerry Brubaker, and Berceuse and Finale (from "Firebird Suite") by Igor Stravinsky arranged by Merle J. Isaac). I'm playing in the second violin section and it's so fun to be playing in an orchestra again, since I haven't done that in four years.  

Violin, running, and French were all very important to me in high school.  They were still important in college but in different ways: I participated in the non-audition orchestra for three semesters my first three years, I minored in French studies, and I made sure that I ran at least once a week, usually on Saturdays before cleaning my apartment.  Now I'm slowly bringing them back into my life again in more quantity post-college.  I have French Club at school, running 2-3 times, and now orchestra.  Perhaps next year I will do more with French than just French Club; we'll see.  

Counting blessings

1. I went out for a run tonight and ended up running 4.67 miles with little problem (my knees started getting sore near the end).

2. A friend's third grade class is going to be pen pals with my third grade class (talk about having a motivation to write!).

3. I have the next two weeks planned for school (except for math...)!

4. We had pizza for dinner and I love pizza.

5. I'm doing benchmarks with my students tomorrow which means that I get to meet with every student individually and listen to them read. I love that!

6. I get to go to the Relief Society meeting with my sister in three weeks.

7. Cody and I will be getting together with some of our friends on Saturday for dinner or lunch and going to the temple.

8. I slept really well last night.

9. I'm feeling sort of organized with my new calling at church (Primary secretary--Primary is the children's organization in the LDS church for those who don't know), which is saying a lot since that is basically all that my calling means I need to be.

10. Beautiful sunset tonight that I got to watch appear as I went on my run.

11.  Thinking about how one of these days (soon...) I'll write about how I'm in a community orchestra and read a fantastic book that I think about all the time now.

A small Bollywood problem

So I think I have a problem...

During my students' library time today the only thing I wanted to listen to in my room as I got ready for them to return and for French Club after school, was:

And I played it as my French Club students came in. And after French Club as I was cleaning up.

Now I'm listening to:

I hope that Cody and I can get Jodhaa Akbar at some point. I really like this movie. We're also hoping to buy Lagaan sometime, as well.  Cody likes that movie better. It has awesome music too, so I'm fine with it.

The Honeymoon is Over

I hate to say that it's over when it's only been one week.

But...

It's over.

Today was the first day that I left school with a headache caused by the noise of my students and not because of being inept and losing my water bottle.  I know partly it was my students rambunctious natures, they're only 8 and 9, after all. However, I know the larger reason was me. I came to school feeling tired and while the morning was fantastic--they read for 12 minutes and then 8 minutes with it completely quiet, everyone participated the whole time during keyboarding, and everyone was engaged when we learned about sentences.  However, after lunch (which I wasn't too excited about today; it was a last minute lunch consisting of a tomato sandwich, cashews, a peach, and some pumpkin seeds that I didn't even eat), I started the beginning of my crazy, chaotic afternoon.

How?

Easy. I didn't state all of my expectations clearly and explicitly.  Specifically: I forgot to tell them what to do when they finished their math quiz, making their brown frosting, and read-aloud.  Ugh. I won't ever need this reminder again, though I probably will still make the same mistake. When I do, then I'll think, "Why didn't I just tell them what I wanted?! I thought I learned this the first week of school!?" And I have.

Successes

Open House last week: took a nap
Thursday, first full day of school: took a nap
Friday, last day for the week: no nap, but I went on a run
Saturday: visited my grandparents
Sunday: visited my grandparents, sister & her family arrived, parents & brothers arrived
Monday: took family pictures and drove back down to Provo, went for a run
Tuesday: back to school, went for a run and no nap
Wednesday: shortened day (got out at 2:30 instead of 3:15), no nap (yet...), but no run today (I need to give my knees a break)

I think it's a great success that I can still squeeze in time to take a nap.  I also think it's a great success that even when I am tired from teaching all day that I can still go out in the grossly hot 5-7pm time period and go for a run.  My parents and brothers are in town for a few more days, helping my new BYU freshman brother get settled in, so I'm expecting to spend time with them.

I'm also hoping that my brain doesn't feel as much like mush at the end of every school days as it has for this past week.  I feel like my vocabulary and sentence structure is being depleted every day. Isn't it supposed to get better when you go back to school?  I mean, I can figure out how to say things when I'm at school (for the most part...I still mix up words like "five highs" instead of "high fives", and I've been having problems with saying my vowels correctly when they're by ls or ms...weird), but as soon as I get home, I just lose all ability to speak like an adult.

First day of third grade

Today was my first day as a third grade teacher.  It went a lot better than I was expecting.  I'm still really tired, so I'm not going to write much today.

View from the front of the room; after math, the desks changed from two rows of 13 and 12 to five groups of five 

Another view from the front

View of my computer/desk

Close-up of where my I Can statements will be displayed throughout the year

View of the front of my room

View of my desk & calendar 

View of my word wall and carpet area

Ten days

It's been ten days since Cody and I returned from DC.  In those ten days we have attended two weddings, one two-day graduation, I have had math training, back-to-school faculty welcome meeting, district meeting, third grade team meeting, and Open House.  School starts tomorrow.

Needless to say, I am exhausted. I was doing fine until today but man, I forgot how wiped out I get the first week of school.

Now, to go in order: Cody's younger sister got married last Wednesday.  We attended their sealing in the Salt Lake City, Utah temple...

Cody and me standing next to Cody's sister and her new husband, just outside the doors of the Salt Lake Temple

then went from there to help set up her reception at Wheeler Historic Farm in Cottonwood Heights area. After about four and a half hours of set-up, we attended the actual reception. Three hours later, we helped take it all down in an hour and a half. Also a funny thing that I thought of that day as I was getting my picture taken with the bride and all of her bridesmaids (of which I was one), is that I was the only one with my hair up. All the rest of the girls had their hair down. The funny thing is that, it used to be that after a certain age, it was a "privilege" to have your hair pinned up to show that you were a woman. Now it seems to be the opposite--have your hair down and show how beautiful it is.  I'm not complaining or judging (I have my hair down half the time, too), I just wonder when that switch in the female psyche happened in the Western world.

Then on Thursday, I went to math training and saw most of the faculty again for the first time in three months.  But the more important events of the day were that Cody's day one of graduation occurred. He was given the official "you're graduated" from President Cecil Samuelson, president of BYU. His parents, brothers, and us went to dinner that evening at Sizzler (Cody's choice; my family's traditions have rubbed off on him).

Cody and me after Thursday's ceremony

The next day, me, all of Cody's grandparents (except Papa John), plus his parents and brothers, and his cousin Shane, attended his college's graduation ceremony.  This was followed up by lunch at DP Cheesesteak's (another suggestion by Cody and it was a winner!). We were really happy that so many family members were able to be there for it, especially since most family members won't be able to make it to his higher-degree graduations.

Cody's parents, brothers, and me after graduation

Monday was my back-to-school faculty meeting and district meeting.  Yesterday was my third grade team meeting. And today was Open House.  I'll take some pictures of my classroom before school starts tomorrow.  I like it. It doesn't have an overt decoration theme, but it's simple, uncluttered, and open which I really like.

I miss DC. But I'm happy to be back.  I hope our paths really do take us back out there in the near future, like we hope they will.

Arlington National Cemetery & National Zoo

Yesterday on our last Friday in DC for this summer, Cody and I went and visited the Arlington National Cemetery.  We visited JFK's gravesite and the tomb of the unknown soldier.  We even got lucky and arrived at the outdoor amphitheatre two minutes before a changing of the guard ceremony, so we were able see that too.

Cody at JFK's grave with a part of the cemetery in the background

Cody thought this was cool, "He was an interesting man" was his comment as he snapped the picture

Outdoor amphitheatre at the tomb of the unknown soldier

Guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier

Funeral procession

Then today we were able to spend a few hours at the National Zoo with our friends the Days.  They had been to the zoo twice already this summer, so they were our personal tour guides as we wandered the zoo.  My personal favorites: Amazonia and the orangutan.  Cody's favorites: the lions, gorillas, and the snapping turtle.

Male lion just chillin'

Inside the Amazonia building

Tortoise

Tortoise

Orangutan--they have this cool structure connecting the Orangutan Room with the Think Tank (another room where the orangutans hang out). They are able to climb on it between 11am-2pm daily.

Snapping turtle

It's almost over...

I can't believe I've already been here for over two months and that Cody has been here for over three months. The summer went by way too fast!  Today is filled with getting things ready so we can leave on Sunday:

• Cody carried a huge package to FedEx so we would have less to take with us on the plane (and how else do you send a 72 hour kit back to Utah?)
• Cleaning because there are cleaning checks tomorrow (stove, oven, fridge, vacuuming, cupboards, desk, bathroom)
• Packing...(mostly just clothes left now)
• Cody's last day at his internship
• Cody will submit his last paper for his class
• We're going to get together with another one of Cody's best friends and his wife tonight before we leave
• I finished the coding that I've been working with Kathie all summer so now we can analyze it
• Sending flight plans to our parents and Cody's brother so that he will hopefully be at the Salt Lake airport to pick us up when we land :)
• Trying to talk myself out of getting a stomachache because my subconscious is getting anxious about change
• Trying to talk to my subconscious so that I can sleep better at night instead of tossing and turning

Weird weird weird. Isn't it strange how attached you can get to a place even if you're only there for a couple months? I'm referring to DC in general, not just our apartment. I mean our apartment is fine, but it's more leaving DC that is strange. It was strange to come and now it's strange to leave. I really hope we do get to live out here again.

DC Aquarium visit

On Friday Cody and I went to visit the Aquarium here in DC.  It's housed in a rather odd venue--the basement of the Commerce building.  It also wasn't as big as we were anticipating. However, that being said, we did see a lot of cool aquatic life and some snakes (definitely not as cool as all the fish and the American alligators though).  Cody's favorite were the American alligators.  My favorite was probably the turtles that were giving each other a piggy-back ride.

One in two million lobster are blue. Here's a blue one!

An American alligator

Cody thinking with an American alligator in size perspective next to him on the other side of the glass.