welcome to the world of a grown up

I have graduated from BYU...so now what?

I am open to any suggestions! :)

Here is my tentative plan: Move back to San Diego for the summer and find a super, cool fun job. Then, in the fall, hopefully teach wherever I get a job that I feel excited about.

If you can't tell, there are a whole lot of holes in this description of my future. I seem to be swimming (because I no longer feel like I am drowning) in the unknown and all the uncertainty of everything. BUT I have this new goal to do it with grace. Last summer Alison and I made a goal that we wanted to accomplish hard tasks with grace and I have realized that I need that now more than ever.

So - if you know any families with a child or children who have disabilities and want a totally awesome nanny/babysitter...pass my name along. I also really want to teach some sweet kids with disabilities how to swim or just how to love being in the water.

I really am looking forward to the endless possibilities that life holds for me.

BYU Alumni status - a picture story

it's in the air

I don't have AC in my car which is alright until right about now. This means time for windows down and the summer music comes out! I love blasting music (LFO, Sugar Ray, NSync, Jack Johnson - just some of my eclectic summer choices) with the wind blowing through my hair, but come spring every year there is a very apparent stench that rolls through. It is quite deceiving as this stinky stink smell is coming from the beautiful white blossoms on a tree. We almost finished the semester without the stench, but they came out just in time for finals and graduation.

With these trees though, we see lots of spring fever. It is ever so apparent in my classroom as this week has been one of the hardest weeks yet. The kids have a new stubbornness and absolutely no desire to do any work. I don't blame them though. When it looks as nice as it does outside, that's the only place you want to be. But this has brought out the love in the kids as well. As much as they don't want to do work, they are absolutely adorable and are doing anything for attention right now.

Spring also means BASEBALL! I went to a Bees game and made friends with the cutest little girl and boy in front of me. I was enjoying them so much that I didn't know why everyone was getting up to leave when the game was over. My favorite quote that I must share was from the little girl. I asked her how old she was and she said, "4, but I can't wait to be 16!" Her parents are sure going to have fun with her :)

Oh and I picked up my cap and gown earlier today AND my family got into town tonight. This is really happening!

just a few stories

1. I graduate this WEEK! ahhhh

2. Friday we took a field trip to the duck pond. Such an adventure. Whole rolls were being thrown at the ducks AND there was a turtle on a rock (our favorite song in class is from Signing Time and it's called turtle rock)!

3. I went to Moab this weekend and hiked Arches. beautiful.

4. We spent Friday night sleeping under the stars next to a lake. One of the coolest things I've ever done.

4. Sister Allred of the General Relief Society Presidency was hiking arches too!

5. We met the cutest little Australian couple exploring the beautiful National Parks of the United States. She definitely had a crush on Mike. They gave us their camping site along the Colorado River.

6. At one point during out hiking we came across a teenage boy with down syndrome. He was with a man who was asking him about school. He asked the boy if he liked his teacher and the boy said, "Yes. He has a good smile." I hope my kids say cute stuff like that about me, so I am going to smile more!

Life has been good. I am scared to death to graduate - scared to leave Provo, scared to have to go into the real world, you know, all that great stuff. But, I hope that the closer I get, the more excited I start to feel. This is a huge deal! I just can't really imagine it actually happening.

sucker for the past

That's it. Bring back any old memories and I am in love with that time again.

I guess it's great thinking of all these happy times, but I also think it's fairly unhealthy the way that I let it get to me! I just dream of old memories. That also means I have a lot of good to think about.

Graduation is about a week away now and all I can think about is BYU. Each year brought new challenges, new friends, new triumphs, new reasons to love my years of college. My love for each of these individual years and experiences makes thinking of leaving BYU almost unbearable. What will I do without my closest friends? What will I do without BYU sports to fill my time and social life?

Don't worry - this is just the start. I am sure many more odes to the Y are on their way. :)

T T T to the O, O O O to the V, T to the O, O to the V, TOV!

I am back in Utah, but I have some fabulous adventures that I will soon share.

Sunday morning I went to my home ward, the great and the wonderful Twin Oaks Valley. Our stake recently redid ward boundaries, and while I didn't recognize everyone like I used to, I was still at home. Something about this amazing ward makes me so emotional. My family has lived in it for almost 14 years now so it has come to the point that when past ward members are mentioned, I know them. When old stories are told, I know them.

Basically, I love being home and I love the people of TOV who have become a part of my life, a part of my family. From primary teachers to young women presidents, seminary teachers to my bishops. I love them.

lesson learned

Sunscreen does not make you invincible.

love,

the poor girl with really sunburned legs.

home sweet home

I haven't been home for at least 4 Easters. This year, I found myself with a spring break and not really sure what to do because spring break is not something BYU students experience. I haven't complain much about this missing break, but I really needed it this year and since I am interning, I am on the school district's schedule and you cannot deprive K-12 students of a spring break! So if you followed that at all, I do not have to teach or do anything school related this WHOLE week.

That means I get to be home for a WHOLE week - 9 days even! And I finished my portfolio before I left so I don't even have homework! No teaching. No school work. It is like a mini summer vacation.

San Marcos has given me quite the time so far. We got here Friday night/Saturday morning.

Saturday - General Conference, LOVE THIS. Laid by the pool with Syd. Read a good book. Mr. Taco for lunch (how I crave Mr. Taco. It is my favorite Mexican food. For sure). More of the Conference that I LOVE. Scary movie that I didn't like so much.

Sunday - HAPPY EASTER and HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYDNEY! More General Conference. A trip to La Jolla and the beautiful temple! I got super burned. EARTHQUAKE - a big one too and aftershocks are still coming. Back for a delicious dinner by mom - soooo good. Birthday singing for Syd.

Monday - Running with Porter - it poured on us. Thank you rain. Then lunch on the pier with - so fun but we got poured on again. We were the only ones on the pier, it was quite amazing. Then we let the food soak in and eat more - Killer Pizza From Mars (another family favorite) with everyone for dinner. Followed by jacuzzi and The Proposal.

It's great to be home.