Well - the summer keeps going.
We had an earthquake the other day - Tuesday. It was a little scary. Mom, Kels, and I were watching Becoming Jane on my quick work break (lots to say about work to come) when all of the sudden we felt a little shake and just looked at each other. Woah, was that an earthquake?! and then 2 more rolled by, a little stronger than before. That was when we were like oh man, are these just pre tremors? And jumped up and made sure the kids in the pool were doing alright. They didn't even feel it. It has been a while since I have actually felt an earthquake. You know, people are saying how they wouldn't want to live in California because of our earthquakes but honestly all other natural disasters scare me much more.

Ok work - so I started teaching a new group of kids on Monday. Once again I have some truly adorable kids...until you get to my last class. Yes - they are adorable but they are horrible! I can't get them to sit down and listen so that I can tell them what we are going to do and since they're in water it's not like I can just let them swim while I am working with one student. Then the parents complain but guess what - their kid is the reason I can't teach. How do I tell a parent that? Oh man...and I still have 5 days to go with them and then some lucky someone gets to sub my last 2 days. I am hoping to get them under control before I have to turn them to one of my coworkers.

Happy Birthday to.... ME!

I am 20 - I didn't know that this was possible. 20 is so young...until I am 20! haha Everyone else can turn 20 and it is great fun but I just am not ready. I guess this is too late seeing as my birthday was actually yesterday so I have now been 20 for approximately 24 whole hours.

So we celebrated it with all my friend on Friday. My high school friends took me to a nice dinner at California Pizza Kitchen (our favorite celebration restaurant!). The waitress was quickly informed that it was my birthday and she asked how old. Everyone was like 20 Wooo. And she just looked at me, "haha Funny. For real, 20?" I guess I looked older - she was getting ready to bring out some alcohol. haha

After dinner Carly and I rode with Ted in his crazy fun car. The windows were down and we were taking pictures galore. It was a great party in the back of the car. We were dancing and shaking. Taking pictures with wind blown hair. You know - the normal for me :)

Finally we made it to Carly's house for my mini fiesta - only called a fiesta because I had a shopping spree at a nearby Mexican market and bought all the candy I had seen in Mexico. They even had my emperador cookies! That was the greatest market and I am sure I will be going there quite often now.

I had a surprising amount of friends come to my fiesta. I was busy running around saying hi to my favorite people in San Marcos. A huge group of my co-workers came too...I really just love them. They even brought me some stuffed toy they found on the side of the road - ha that's how much they love me! Then I had the high school gang - the loves of my life. AND my church friends. Can you believe it?! haha I have made some this summer. Jackie is one of them and I will love her forever and ever. I hope she is ready to be stuck with me every time I am back in San Marcos.

Then for my real birthday yesterday - we started with a baby shower for my cute cousin Evy. She is adorable with that pretty baby in her belly. haha And her little sister Anne surprised us and showed up with her new little belly too! It was fun to be surrounded with family and play with the cute babies that were brought.
After the shower mom and dad took me down to the forum...Anthropologie!!! I loved it. I bought some pretty cute clothes if I do say so myself. Following my forum trip with mis padres I went on a date. Can you believe it!? A DATE! haha That's what I thought. We went to Panera for dinner, watched X-Files (a movie that...was x-files and sadly - I liked the TV show better), then followed it all with Cold Stone. It was a lot of fun :)

WICKED!

last night my life was changed for forever. Syd and I went with some aunts and cousins to see Wicked up in LA. I wish everyone could see how amazingly clever this musical is. The plot and how every detail seems to fit and match to our Wizard of Oz. Then the music - my parents saw Wicked a few years back and of course listened to it all the time after. I liked it, sure, but it wasn't my first choice. Well - it has made it to my ipod. haha I love it. The emotions, excitement, just the thrill of actually seeing Wicked! Anyone up to go? I am ready to see it again!

Buca di Beppo

SO I have this great manager - Alex. I have known him since I was a little sophomore at San Marcos. He was swim captain and I was intimidated by them all. Then the summer after my junior year I began lifeguarding and guess what - Alex was my boss. I was older then and past my oh so shy stage. We have been friends ever since. Sadly, this is his last summer at the pool. (It is mine as well, but I am actually finishing out the summer...) He is leaving us this week for grad school in South Carolina. And since his birthday is on Tuesday we decided to throw a huge party at Buca di Beppo down in San Diego. We had fun and I must say we are a group of good looking lifeguards. I think I should take more advantage of living so close to San Diego...but I say this every summer and still make it down there maybe once.

new hair and christmas in july

If you haven't yet noticed - I have cut my hair. Can you believe it?! haha I am still getting used to it. It was cut exactly a week ago. Monday my mom said to me that I needed a pick-me-up and that she wanted me to try a bob. Mom, wanting me to cut off my hair that she so insistently begged for me to keep long?! I was in shock but she now believed that I was almost 20 and needed something new. Luckily Tina knows my hair better than I do and found a new cute look. For the most part, I am really enjoying it but there are some days when I miss the comfort of my long, always the same, thick hair. But this short cut has been fun and kept me entertained.

So - new thing at the pool this year - THEMED FAMILY SWIM NIGHTS. Woodland Park Pool just had its first one of the summer and of course I was headguard. Our theme - Christmas in July. All of my bosses were there so really I was just in charge of making sure my guards were alert, happy, and rotating. We had fun with reindeer races, gift drop, and a snow ball fight. As you can imagine, the guards enjoyed the water balloons more than anyone else and we were kept busy. We had Alex in a stocking outfit, Miles dressed as Santa, and then lucky Craig put green tights under his guard shorts and was our elf. I, of course, had to get myself a picture amongst my favorite red and white guards. It was a crazy night - full of guard drama - a night that will never be forgotten :)

4th of July

I am going to jump back a little.

4th of JULY - one of my favorite holidays. Everyone has this optimistic spirit and smiles are being shared left and right. The smell of BBQs linger throughout the city. Families are gathered and for a day all contention is forgotten. Watermelon drips from kids faces and fingers and everyone is giddy for fireworks.

Normally I spend my 4th's in Utah - but this marked my 2nd year in San Marcos working the Lifeguard First Aid/ Pizza booth. It was perfect. I got to spend the afternoon swimming with my wacky family and then spent the evening selling pizza to fellow San Marcans. PLUS I had front row seats to our fireworks. They had to be the best I have seen for a long time.

Swim Lessons

So I finally got a few pictures of my cute swimmers. Friday was our last day and I have now moved on to a new group of kids. I teach a total of 4 classes everyday and they keep me busy. Both my classes last session were level 1B and this session I start with a group that ranges from between a 2 and 3. They are a private group all from Grace Lutheran. Then I jump into a level 3 - a huge class of 8 with adorable Emma Bird. That is followed by a level 2 - 7 kids who are all about having a good time and staying on the stairs. My last class is the Parent/Child class. A teachers nightmare...the parent is not only watching everything you do, they are in the water with you! I was very worried, especially a hatefter our first day where neither of my 2 girls would let go of their moms. Today went 100 times better. They actually said more than no and let me play with them. I am hoping I start to feel comfortable working with the parents soon.

WORK, work, WoRk

So I have been home now for 2 and a half weeks. I can't believe it. I feel like I have been home for forever...I jumped into work the moment I got home.
WORK - - Once again I am working as a lifeguard for the City of San Marcos. My second home during the summer is Woodland Park Pool. This is my fourth summer with this job and I am finally reaching the top. I am headguard and I am really enjoying working with our new guards. They respect me and we work well together. For the most part, I trust them out there and feel safe having them watch the pool. They do what I ask and they do it without complaining. I am very impressed.
Although, my favorite part about this job is teaching lessons. I finish my first 2 week session of lessons on Friday. Friday will be our "Friday fun day" and I am dragging Kelsey with me to take pictures of my adorable kids. In my first class I have little Sammy who has started jumping into my arms and giving me adorable little kisses. Then there is Hunter who told me yesterday that I am his favorite teacher. Although they are only a 1B they are fearless and all but Sammy will jump off the low dive. Hunter has a harder time than the others. Poor kid shakes when he gets to the end and the first day we tried it took him 5 minutes to jump. Yesterday he got so frustrated that he just didn't do it. BUT today - today he jumped off surprisingly quick. I was so proud of him.
My second class is full of kids just a little younger but when we did safety day they put on their life vests and refused to get out of the dive tank. They are a bit more timid but I am watching as all of them are putting faces in the water and jumping to me. Yesterday they all floated on their backs without me. I was so impressed.

Back to Life at Home...

So - I am home and nothing too exciting is going 0n. No stories like I had while I was in Guadalajara. It is nice being back in San Marcos but I am definitely missing my home in Guadalajara.
I have been able to spend a lot of time with my family and I am really enjoying that part of my summer. Although, when I am not home with them I am working hard at the pool. I am head guard almost everyday and then I started teaching lessons on Monday. I only have 2 classes and they are both a 1B but the skill level in the 2 classes are completely different. In my first class I have 2 girls that are almost 9 years olds. I definitely have to teach them their own skills. It's like a juggling act.