"Clouds" Choir

Last night, Ashton and I went to the Mall of America and sang in the "Clouds" Choir.  This was something I had been looking forward to for at least three weeks.

The "Clouds" Choir shirts.

I have mentioned Zach Sobiech a few times before, the first time being almost exactly a year ago.  His song has touched my heart and has left an impact on the hearts of all who have listened to it.

Cancer does has this strange way of bonding you to anyone else who has come in contact with it.  I never met Zach, but I feel like I knew him.  As I watched his parents talk with reporters and then address the crowd of 5,000, I so badly wanted to hug them.  For nearly all of 2012, I felt a small portion of the pain they live with everyday.  I watched my baby brother fight for his life and I am thankful everyday that he was able to make it out strong.  I am thankful that my brother, as of December 9th, will have been cancer free for one entire year.  The Sobiech's didn't get to see that with their Zach and it breaks my heart.

There were so many people there.         I will forever and always be Porter strong.

So my voice (and tears) joined in with thousands of others as we sang for Zach.

I fell down, down, down

Into this dark and lonely hole

There was no one there to care about me anymore

And I needed a way to climb and grab a hold of the edge

You were sitting there holding a rope

And we'll go up, up, up

But I'll fly a little higher

Go up in the clouds because the view's a little nicer

Up here, my dear

It won't be long now, it won't be long now

When we get back on land

Well I'll never get my chance

Be ready to live and it'll be ripped right out my hands

And maybe someday we'll take a little ride

Go up, up, up and everything will be just fine

We'll go up, up, up

But I'll fly a little higher

Go up in the clouds because the view's a little nicer

Up here, my dear

It won't be long now, it won't be long now

If only, I had a little bit more time

If only, I had a little bit more time with you

We could go up, up, up

Then take that little ride

We'll site there holdin' hands

And everything will be just right

And maybe someday I'll see you again

We'll float up in the clouds and we'll never see the end

We'll go up, up, up

But I'll fly a little higher

Go up in the clouds because the view's a little nice

Up here, my dear

It won't be long now, it won't be long now

The official video from KS95 can be watched here.

My video is here.  I apologize for how shaky it is. 1. I was very emotional. 2.  We were three stories up and I am terrified of heights.

Buzzfeed did an very neat article about the event and that is here.

Being there was truly special.  I wish I had recorded our first "practice" round of singing because it was my favorite one.  After we sang it the first time, I think even the radio hosts who were putting on the whole event were in awe at how emotional and beautiful it sounded.

Porter is just 3 days away from being cancer free and every day I am reminded how blessed we are to still have him, that he is strong, that he has adjusted to life as an amputee, that he smiles a lot, that he drives, that he has a job, that he is halfway through his senior year, that he is preparing for a mission, that he is living life like any 17 year old boy should.  Those 9 tough months we spent at the hospital seem like so long ago, but my life will never be the same because of them.

today, I am thankful for...(part 9)

my husband's laugh.

I find myself laughing at his laugh more than I laugh at what we are watching.  I am lucky I married someone who laughs hard and laughs often.

today, I am thankful for...(part 8)

Good days at work.

I had needed one for sure and Tuesday was it.  I love days when I feel productive!  Behaviors were in check.  Work got done and I didn't even have to raise my voice.

Wednesday I got students who were giggly.  Not in a purposefully trying not to pay attention way, but in a very seriously happy way.  It was the best.

And tomorrow is FRIDAY!

Then there are only two days of school before Thanksgiving break.

today, I am thankful for...(part 7)

My sisters and my brother.

Like I said in my previous post, I start my classes with a question.  In language arts, I do it for the purpose of getting my students to write.  In my social emotional learning class, it is so my students can share about themselves and start relating to each other.

One of my classes pulled the question:  What do you think is the biggest waste of time?

I was shocked by an answer that seemed to get a lot of "oh yeah's" from classmates.  One of my students said her siblings.  She gave reasons like they are annoying and take her parents time when they get in fights, among other things.  It made my heart sink.

I want to say that I am so very thankful for my siblings.

No one gets us like we get each other.  What we went through last year has created a bond that is unbreakable.  We finish every conversation with "I love you."  We can't leave without giving lots and lots of hugs.  We love to dance.  We love to laugh.  We love to watch scary movies.  And we love to be together.  The older we get, the more fun being together is.

They are what I miss most about Utah.  I can't wait to move back and be surrounded by my best friends again.

Sibling dates are the best dates.

P.S.  I can tell you what I think is the biggest waste of time for my students.  video games.  I don't like them.  And that is all they ever seem to do.  Poor Ashton hears me whine about it all the time.  But guess what.  We don't have video games and what is he doing right now?  Reading.  And I love that.

today, I am thankful for...(part 6)

my testimony.

I like to do warm ups with my language arts students.  I start the class with a question and ask them to write a few sentences on it.

A few weeks ago, the question was: What is the thing you fear most?

One of my kids told me that he wasn't afraid of anything so I told him to make something up.  He thought about it for awhile and said, "I have something.  Actually, it isn't a fear, but a concern.  I don't what to believe.  Some people believe in God, some people believe in something else, and other's don't believe in anything else."

These are 6th graders.  I was shocked at how deeply he had thought about this.

He started talking about how he wishes he could just see God so he knew what to believe.  To this, another student responded with, "I have pretty good vision.  I've never seen God."  And I sort of just loved that response.

It was just a brief conversation, but it got me thinking.  I have been so blessed.  When I was in 6th grade, I had a good idea of what I believed and an even better grasp on what my parent's did.  There was one thing I was sure about by the time I was in 6th grade - I knew God was real and that He loved me.

I am so thankful for that testimony that started so long ago.  I am thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I am thankful for the sweet peace and comfort that comes through the knowledge of the gospel.  I am thankful for the examples of my parents, who shared their testimonies often simply by living them.  I am grateful for prayer.  What an amazing blessing it is to pray to my Heavenly Father and know that He hears me.  Prayer is how I know he is real.  I am grateful for the scriptures and the power I gain by reading them.  I am grateful for Joseph Smith.  I know that he was a prophet of God and restored the truth to this earth.  I grateful that we continue to be led by a prophet.  Thomas S. Monson.  What a blessing it is to know that Heavenly Father is still leading us through a prophet.  I am especially grateful to know my Savior loves me.  He loves each of us so much that He atoned for our sins.  He gave His life for us!  And I know He lives.  I often think of that day, the day when I get to see Jesus Christ again.  I look forward to that special moment.

Today, I am thankful.  So very thankful.

today, I am thankful for...(part 5)

Costco pumpkin pie.

Did you know all of that goodness is only $6.00?!!

I have been eating pumpkin pie for breakfast, lunch, and then with whipped cream for dessert all weekend long.

It is definitely the reason my weigh in on Saturday was depressing, but hey, Costco pumpkin pie only comes around once a year.

today, I am thankful for...(part 4)

my sweet dad.

My parents have supported me in every decision I have made.  My dad was a huge part of me getting into BYU.  He encouraged me to do volunteer work while in high school and to find a club that I could make my own.  That is how I found Best Buddies.

Now, Best Buddies is something I am thankful for as well.  Signing up for Best Buddies led me to a career that I love.  It has led me to people who have changed my life and made me a better person.

My dad moved to a new office early this summer.  One of the first things he told me about his new office was that the Utah chapter of Best Buddies had an office in the same building.  He was so excited about it and would tell me about his interactions with the people who worked there.  On Saturday, my dad sent me this:

I love how much what is important to me is important to me.  I love that he supports me, supports such an amazing organization, and is excited to tell me about it!  I am grateful for the times he came with my class on our field trip to the zoo and would just lug all of our lunches around.  I am grateful for his strength, his conviction, his love, and his honesty.  I am grateful for his love, his humor, and the way he has always protected me.  I am grateful that he is still willing to help me find the best deals on tires and give me computer advice.  I am proud to call him dad.

today, I am thankful for...(part 3)

my mama.

Grateful that she knows exactly what I need to hear and when I need to hear it!

Grateful that she listens when I just need to vent.  Grateful for her practical life tips.  Grateful for her laugh. Grateful for her example.  Grateful for her testimony.  Grateful for the life she has dedicated to her family. Grateful to call her mom.

today, I am thankful for...(part 2)

I am thankful for my husband.  There are lots of things I am thankful for about him, but today, I am thankful for how he warms up my side of the bed.  It is the best!

I just love waking up to that face.

today, I am thankful for...

...my eyes!

As a kid, doctors were always impressed with how great my eye sight was.  I never thought that would change.

Oh, how wrong I was!

Over the last few months, I realized that Ashton could read things that only appeared blurry to me.  Then, I began to doubt myself while I was driving at night.  Ashton kept telling me I needed glasses, but I was still convinced that my vision was just fine.  Plus, I have never been one to even wear sunglasses, let alone regular glasses!

Last week, I finally gave in and had my eyes checked at Costco.  My eyes aren't too bad.  My right eye is definitely worse than my left.  I still have 20/20 vision when it comes to reading, but distance isn't great.  I have glasses for driving and movie watching - just like my mama.

The eye doctor gave me a prescription, Ashton and I spent half an hour looking for the right frames, and this weekend, the first pair came.

I have been absolutely amazed with the details I am seeing now!  Everything appears a little sharper and colors are a little brighter.  It is like I am seeing the world all over again! I am seriously blown away.

I feel a little silly with them on.  The frames are pretty big! But Ashton really likes them and that's all that matters right?

Either way, I am so grateful for this new power of perfect vision. It feels like I have a new super hero power! It is helping me find the little details to be thankful for like - seeing cracks in the road, lights without halos, each individual leaf, confidence in night driving and no more squinting!

why I love november

November is a magical month.

We get to watch both football and basketball!  We get to enjoy the last of fall before winter sets in.  Everything is pumpkin - pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin pie.  Yum!   Facebook becomes a happy place where people leave daily gratitude statuses.  Thanksgiving makes everyone stop and think about the many blessings we have, all the many things we can and should be thankful for.

I want to join in expressing my gratitude.  Each of my posts this month will be on something I am grateful for.

To start, I am thankful for:

Reese's pumpkins - weakness.

The extra hour of sleep I got last night.

The testimonies that were shared in my ward today.  In fact, I am just so grateful to be in the Bloomington ward.

Minnesota weather recently.  We haven't had our first snow yet and Utah has already had a few snow storms.  Who would have thought?!

My job and Ashton being able to go to school.  Ps.  He got a job too!  He is going to be de-icing planes at the St. Paul/Minneapolis airport.  He is really excited for this adventure.

My wonderful husband.  He does so much for me and I am so blessed to have married my best friend.  Be prepared, I am sure I will have many more grateful posts about this amazing man.

Family.  I am so glad some of Ashton's family was here to visit a few weeks ago.  And I am counting down until we get to make it home for Christmas - 48 days!

The month of November.

I could go on and on, but I need to finish the laundry and make sure I am ready for a new week of work.

trunk or treating

This Saturday was our ward's Fall Festival.  This included trunk or treating.  Since Minnesota is so cold already, families decorated doors instead of cars, and kids walked around the building to collect their treats.

Our Saturday started with a costco trip for an eye check up.  Looks like I need glasses for distance/driving.  Cool.  After that, we thought it would be fun to drive up to the Chick-fil-A in Maple Grove, since the one buy us hasn't opened yet.  It was 3:30 in the afternoon when we got there AND the line was out the door.  Drive thru was just as long.  Super bummer.  We ended up at Olive Garden and before we knew it, it was 5:00.  I thought the Fall Festival started at 7 - turns out it was 6.

We then rushed through a few thrift stores and walmarts, looking for suspenders.  No luck (where do you find suspenders these days?!).

We rushed to get ready and I think we pulled off the Alfalfa and Darla look alright, even without the suspenders!

The Fall Carnival was a success and I am glad we were able to go.  There is something magical about being around kids for the holidays.  It was fun to see all my little nursery kids dressed up.  They weren't too sure about what was going on, but they sure did look adorable!

haunted house

I love Halloween.

I like scary things. As a kid, my friend, Ari, and I, would sit and read scary stories together - I don't know how we ever fell asleep.  My family watched X-Files together.  In fact, for one of Kelsey's birthdays she got a whole season of X-Files on VHS.  I enjoy watching Ghost Hunters and alien type documentaries.  Once, I even chased a UFO.

And then I married Ashton, who does not enjoy any of these things.

After we went on a few dates, back in 2009, I tried to get him to go to a Haunted House with me and some friends - he wouldn't have it.  Well, this year, we are married and that means, we were able to go to a Haunted House together!

We went with the Day's and it was a pretty good Haunted House.  They did a good job of turning lights off and  then jumping out at you when the lights turned on.  Ashton handled it well, though his face in this picture may say otherwise.  We finished the night with some Culver's custard just to make sure everyone was happy.

Throwback Thursday: how i studied for finals

My sophomore year at BYU, my roommates and I decided to have a study party in the library.  It was the best.

We spent the last hour dancing.  Here is the proof:

I hope you enjoyed the video, because it is one of my very favorites.

Dear Robi,

Today wasn't my best day.  To simply put it - I was off.

And then I realized what today was.

Robi,  I still think of you often.  I can't believe it has been four years.  I talk to Ashton about you all of the time.  I still see things that remind me of you on a regular basis.  Through you, I still make new friends.  Because of you, many of my relationships with old friends are continually strengthened.  And all of these things make my heart so happy. 

There was another day last month, where I felt much like I did today.  Just couldn't get into the groove.  As I was heading home from work, I heard "Party in the USA".  Now, Miley isn't my favorite, but I had to blast the song because it made me think of you and smile, a lot.  I spent a few minutes throwing my hands up, nodding my head, and moving my hips.  The best part was that I could see you dancing too.  The rest of the drive, I reminisced on our adventures.

Later that day, I realized it was your birthday and that me listening to that song was not a coincidence.  

I have realized a pattern, one that I am not proud of.  I tend to wake up on September 28th and October 23rd not in the best of moods - and I often don't realized what day it is until that evening, after I have spent most of my day grumpy.  You would never approve of that and I know it!

So, here is my new goal.  September 28th and October 23rd are going to be celebrations!  I will wake up on these days with a special smile, one that will be there because of you.  I am allowed to get emotional, because I still miss you, but I am going to make these two days yours and be Robi happy.

I am saving a gigantic hug for you.

falling in love with minnesota

Friday was the most perfect fall day we have had.

People kept mentioning apple orchards, so I thought it would be fun to go check one out.  We took the scenic route to the orchard and I fell in love with Minnesota.  I have learned to like it and call it home, but this is the moment that I fell in love and realized I enjoy being here!  Kind of a big deal.

We drove by lakes surrounded in vibrant fall colored leaves (and sadly, I didn't get any pictures).  The lakes reflected the colorful trees.  The clouds in the sky were big and beautiful.  The sun was out, and while it was a tad on the chilly side, if you stood real still, you could feel its warmth.

While I didn't get pictures of the scenic drive, I took a ton at the orchard.

 Handsomest guy I know

 Apple doughnuts and Brats covered in apple. Yum!

 The boys.

Tire swing photo op

 So much beauty

 Muddy corn maze

More beauty

 "CHEESE!"

He loves when I give him kisses...obviously. 

love at the apple orchard

So fun to have family in town! 

 Cartwheels!  Ashton lands them perfectly.

 And that is how I land my cartwheel - beautiful huh?

It was a perfect fall day in Minnesota.  Probably one of my favorites so far.

mall of america & mirror maze

On Thursday, we went to the Mall of America.  I have only been once before and it was Ashton's first time.  Casey was so excited about Nickelodeon Universe!  Coree had a paper for school to finish, so while she found a quiet place to work, we walked around the mall.  That place is huge!  My goal was to find some real snow boots and I found them! After lunch, we went through the Mirror Maze.  I had no idea it was there, but when Casey was doing his "research" of things to do in Minnesota, he found it.  We had so much fun, but our heads were spinning for a bit when we got out.

 Double Casey's

So many Ashton's.

After exploring the Mall of America, we took a drive through downtown Minneapolis.  We were going to stop and walk through some of the skyways, but the Mall had taken it out of us.  We were exhausted and decided to just look at the skyways from the car.  Ashton and Casey went and played some church basketball later that night while us ladies stayed in and watched Hocus Pocus.