BYU Basketball Game

Thanks to our Jensen friends, we got tickets to our very first BYU Basketball game that we've gone to together.  So much fun, even though we spent the game up in the nosebleeds.

BYU won against New Mexico by a landslide!

Decked out in BYU gear and having way too much fun together.

Good friends that we sat by.  We had fun catching up with the Young's and talking about their upcoming baby girl!

So excited for them.

We've loved our Christmas vacation so far!  

Even more fun coming this week...

Retirement

Yep, after a year of teaching, I'm retiring!

Oh wait, never mind.  My husband happens to have a couple more years in school which means I've got at least a couple more years of teaching.

It's actually my old boss at BYU Mail Services that is retiring next month.  We had a surprise retirement party for him over the weekend.  

This man is one of the most amazing men I've ever met.  

Ever.

Brad is one of the funniest, most spiritual, and most humble men anyone will ever meet.  He has a storage of personal stories to help you through any of your trials in life and he gives the best advice when you need it.

He's another father figure in my life and will always have a special place in my heart.  

The whole gang of anyone who has worked at Mail Services (missing a few, of course).  I've missed this group a lot.   

And Addie!  We went to high school together, but it wasn't until we worked together at Mail Services that we really became friends.  We talked about every little thing happening in our lives and she knew more about my dating life than some of my best friends.  We shared a lot of laughs, cries, and spiritual moments together.  I miss her optimism and happy attitude during the day.  

She's had a baby since the last time we've seen each other and her little Gracie is already 9 months old!  That little girl is just darling.  I could've held her the entire time we were there.

Babies are just too darn cute.

It was a great Saturday afternoon and I hope it doesn't take another 2 years to see some of these people again!

It's Love Week

And although my heart belongs to T, if I had another heart to give away, I would give it to the 4th grade.

Seriously.

I love the age the kids are at, I love how interesting their simple lives are, how they make learning so much fun, they aren't quite to the cocky age yet, and they get so excited to learn!

For example, I hated my Physical Science course at BYU that prepared me to teach about rock and minerals. Because of theses 4th graders, I LOVE rocks. I love learning about rocks. I love teaching about rocks. I love seeing their discoveries about rocks.

It rocks.

I also really love my cooperating teacher. And the other 4th grade teacher, a.k.a Jess, (which is how I refer to her when talking to Tyler about her), who is quite amazing also. My mentor teacher is incredible. I've learned so many management, teaching, and learning techniques from her, I don't know what I would do without her. Bekah is my hero. She's the person I want to follow into the teaching world and attempt to become like her.

Did you know that I spend more time with Bekah than I do with my own husband? It's true. She's also the first mentor teacher that I have had that I feel like she's not just my mentor, but my friend and confidant. She celebrates with me when a lesson goes well, she helps me through the ones that fail, and she coaches me through everything.

I honestly love her to death.

On my first day as a student teacher, the principal was convinced we were sisters. We're the same height, we might have the same sense of dry sarcasm at times, and we both do extremely stupid and funny things every so often. It's honestly the best.

Oh, and Valentine's day was incredibly fun due to the fact that all of the 4th grade teachers (yes, they let me in on their fun) dressed up in bright pink cardigans.

Best. Day. Ever.

Doesn't this picture make you want to just become friends with these women? You think they look like they're having fun in this picture? They're even more fun in real life.

Good thing I'm already friends with them.

I consider myself extremely lucky.
P.s Yes, T made me a wonderful Valentines day also. He was a wonderful romantic with some lovely loving cards which made my heart melt. I have the best husband ever.

Happy New Year?

One upon a time there was a girl.
She was starting her student teaching today.
She still did not know what grade, what school, or who her mentor teacher would be.
Is this her fault?

I think not.
It is once again the wonderful BYU's wonderful service for their education majors.
Or maybe they reserve it especially for me.

Lame.

P.s. I love my husband. And I'm really sad that we had to put the Christmas decorations away last night. My house looks bare, bare, and more bare.
Bah Humbug to the New year.

I want Christmas vacation back.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas BYU gave to me...

7 resources due for a research paper.

I'm technically supposed to be doing research for my research paper right now.
Supposed to.

I've been looking up articles and journals and the whole shebang for the past two hours.
I'm not even really sure what I want to write my paper on yet.
I think it'll be something to do with students and technology.
I think.

The only thing that is keeping from throwing this whole paper out the window and going to do something fun over my Christmas break is knowing that I won't have to be doing this English 313 class during my student teaching.
Sigh.

My goal is to finish an entire independent study class over Christmas break.
Crazy?
Yes.
Do-able?
Most definitely.
And because every good blog post needs a picture...

All I have to say is thank goodness for such a wonderful husband who is supporting me through all of this craziness.

I love him.

Wannabe Changes

I've decided one of my life goals has changed.

Instead of becoming a teacher, after I receive my degree I think I'll just be a bank teller until we decide to expand the family.

Sounds like a good plan, right?

Curse BYU and it's stupid education program.