The Shields

Be Still My Soul

2012-02-12T20:00:00.003-07:00

Today we slept in, ate cereal in bed, then Michael vacuumed the main room while I took a long, hot shower. I tried on a few dresses trying to decide which I was most comfortable in. We slowly got ready for church. Then we ate some yogurt and fruit out on the patio. After that, we left early for church so that we could get soft seats. Enjoyed a good day at church. When we came home, we had a nice picnic lunch in the backyard and basked in the sunlight.

Michael then made a wonderful lasagna for our dinner with his coworker and his family. There's nothing more attractive than a man in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, puppy and I took a nap. (Normally I would never post sleeping pictures, but it's what I do a lot now. It's only fair to document.)

Dinner was delicious. They brought homemade lemon bars from their lemon tree. What a wonderful February treat. I really feel our winters are a reward we get for living here with the intense summers. It was a wonderful day. The weather was beautiful and not having to do anything because my husband took over was the cherry on top. That is why I love Sundays. It's a day for the soul to rest. Even if I feel like a balloon. The clock keeps ticking!

(I know after bragging about the wonderful weather, I should have some kind of tan. But nope.)

Thoughts of the day...

2012-02-07T19:32:00.002-07:00

So I've had a couple of thoughts today.

First off, I'm not sure how this boy...

Became this 14 year old!

He used to be my baby brother. I just don't understand. It's really mind boggling. My sisters birthdays always make me feel like they are getting closer to my age. They aren't, but it's not as weird to me. I guess moving to college when he was in kindergarten will do that. What a fun addition to our girl dominated family he is. Happy birthday to my favorite brother!

Other time zooming thoughts are thinking how crazy it is that in about 7 short weeks, our lives will never be the same. We will have a baby girl that will be ours forever. I pretty much have every emotion possible right now. I'm excited. I'm terrified. I'm tired. I'm happy. You name it. I wonder if we will be ready. I wonder if we will be good parents. I pray that she doesn't come too early because then I'll have to go back to work. I worry that I'm not prepared. I hope that she is healthy and strong. I love her little flips and kicks. And now as we inch closer, I am just so anxious to see her! And my curiosity leads me to also wonder if she will be in this category...

Or this baby category...

*I'm pretty sure this is no one's actual baby, but if it is no offense is intended, it's just one Google Images pulled up*

I know we as her parents will probably always put her in the first category, but you have to wonder...

Sabaka the Hero

2012-01-28T11:32:00.004-07:00

On Thursdays, I work late at an after school program for kids and Michael has school. Since we are gone for such a large part of the day, the wonderful Browns are gracious enough to let our puppy play with their puppy.

This tale happened a week ago when the Brown boys were outside playing in the yard (the dogs were back there too). According to Peyton, Sabaka saved his life. He said a bee was chasing him and buzzing near his ear. But then, Sabaka ate it. When his mom heard this story she was a little alarmed because she doesn't know if he is allergic to bees or not and not quite sure if she believed what our puppy had to do with the whole story. When she went out to investigate, she found a slobbery, dead bee by the back door. So the story seems plausible... What a good puppy!

Here's a picture of her playing with her a toy. Notice the slightly guilty face.

10 More Weeks...

2012-01-21T13:30:00.003-07:00

By then will I have a clue what to do?

Well..probably not. But we are so excited to learn as we go. I have already learned that baby sitting on my lungs and allergies are not good for my dormant asthma. I had an asthma attack at school a couple of days after my last doctors appointment. My class was taking a science test and I started getting really worried since I couldn't breathe. So I started googling asthma and pregnancy, which made me even more nervous because it was talking about how baby needs oxygen. Then I remembered that caffeine is good for asthma attacks. But I didn't know if that was legit or not. So I googled that and found out it is indeed a scientific fact. Then I googled caffeine and pregnancy. It was a lot of research all while I'm trying to stay calm and get some oxygen and making sure my students weren't cheating. Finally, I just left them taking their tests to get some caffeine. It calmed me down so I thought it was just the one asthma attack a year I get. However, I had a few others about a week after that. One night it was so bad, I dug out my old inhaler and noticed that the prescription said to discard by 2004. Seriously?! That's how long it has been since I've used that thing. Don't be jealous, but I got a brand new inhaler the next day and now I'm breathing normal-well as much as a pregnant lady with squished lungs can be. What an adventure!

This is me at 30 weeks...

We have also "started" on baby's room. We cleared out a bunch and I FINALLY got Michael to switch the ceiling fan from this...

To this...

Not a total transformation, but a vast improvement. (Much more baby room appropriate. Plus it's clean so that's a start to my nesting to do list) The list is getting long. But I'm pretty sure this is the color scheme I want for her room...

We have miles to go before I feel like we have things organized. So now, I need some opinions... What are must haves? What brands/types of car seats, strollers, swings etc? Spread the love folks.

Christmas #2

2012-01-11T18:25:00.006-07:00

Christmas Eve morning after opening presents, Christi and her cute family left for Oregon and Michael & I headed to KTown. Christmas Eve is my mom's favorite part of Christmas which is extremely contagious to me.

We had a big dinner and our family recital which is starting to become just Annie and I playing. Will was a trooper to play our opening and closing songs. He's doing a good job staying on track with the hymns. Melanie did a good job practicing some solos. I hope they keep that up!

On Christmas Eve we get to open one present (usually pjs) but since Christmas was on a Sunday we all got something to wear to church that day. Christmas on Sunday is WONDERFUL. I loved waking up, eating breakfast, and going to church for the Christmas program with my whole family. Michael's parents came as well to hear Annie and me play in the program. So thoughtful! It was a very nice morning.

After church we came home and were allowed to open our pjs to open presents in. (Another perk to Sunday Christmas is that my hair and make up were done for presents pictures.) We were spoiled again- especially Baby Girl.

One of my favorite moments was the fact that Melanie had been begging for a puppy all Christmas and then she opened a box full of puppy toys only to be told that they were meant for my puppy. She was so excited then dejected that she started crying. No worries, when all the presents were opened, there was a little yelp from a box behind my grandparents that contained this little guy...

(Although we voted for Jimmer, Mel still insists on Beckham. She is a true soccer fan.)

The rest of the day was spent chillaxing with the family and topped off with a big fancy dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Cook. My mom makes the big dinners look so effortless and taste fantastic. It's amazing. Really.

The day after Christmas, I was able to meet up with these chicas...

Laura, Sharli, and I are all due DAYS apart. AND Janna is still friends with us! Isn't that fantastic!?

The next couple of days we did some girl bonding time at many a store. The boys played many an hour of video games. We went on a double date with my Grandma and Grandpa Cook- love them. We had a double date with the wonderful Crandalls. And I got to meet this sweet baby girl of Alisia's:

One of my favorite days home, we all went to the Bountiful temple. My Grandpa, my Grandma, my mom, my dad, Michael & I and Annie & Victor. Since my Grandpa is a sealer, we did sealings all together and it was an amazing experience Thank heavens Annie took some pictures.

No group shots because we had to hurry, my dad was already in the car ready to go to Cafe Rio. I love my family!

Christmas #1

2012-01-08T09:13:00.004-07:00

We (and in we, I mean Michael) drove through the night so that we could get to Utah ASAP. Michael's whole family was together for Christmas and we didn't want to miss a second. We got to his parent's house at 4:30 AM. After sleeping, we enjoyed just being with everyone. The boys played basketball, the girls played with dominoes and babies. That's my kind of agenda.

Wednesday night we had a big family dinner, Baby Cian's baby blessing, and family pictures since it was the first time all the kids were together since 2009.

Since it was Josh and Laura's last night, they got to open some Christmas presents and they had us this year so we got to open the beautiful, monogrammed picture frame they got us. I cannot wait to fill it. It's already up. We just have to pick the right picture!

Puppy also got to experience her first snow. It didn't stick, but it was funny watching her tip toe across the snow and sniff it, only to have it stick to her nose and she would shake it off.

Thursday morning, Josh and Laura left back to Texas. Michael was itching to snowboard so he and the boys headed out for that, while Christi, Katie, and I headed out for some nice mani/pedis. It was a great afternoon.

Friday everyone went swimming except the big prego lady with no swimsuit. She got some last minute shopping and wrapping finished. That evening, Rebecca had gotten us tickets to Manheim Steamroller at the beautiful Abravenel Hall. It was wonderful! I loved it! We had some delicious pizza and a movie night after.

Saturday morning was a fake Christmas morning because Christi and Bryce were heading out that day. We are definitely spoiled and Christmas is always more fun with babies. Brycen is not much of a baby anymore, but our new nephew, Cian, is still a cuddly, little bug.

It's weird to think that the next time we will see the Walker clan, the boys will be much bigger and we will have a baby girl! How fast time goes!

The journey to Christmas break...

2012-01-02T11:26:00.004-07:00

Now that my Christmas break is almost over, I should probably share all the adventures we had. My school got out the 20th so the plan was to drive straight to Utah ASAP. We decided to drive so that we could take puppy and it's always easier to bounce back and forth between our families when we have our own car.

However, a couple of days before we planned to leave, Michael found out that he had to fly to New Hampshire for a business deal and he wasn't sure when he would get back. Sorry, but pregnant lady is not going to drive the whole drive herself.

Fortunately, Michael was able to leave New Hampshire the day we planned on leaving so he flew into Vegas. I drove that leg by myself, but puppy made me feel safe. Then Michael drove the rest of the way which was great considering I picked him up from the airport at 10:30 PM and we arrived into SLC at 4:30 AM. Quite the night.

The best part of that LONG drive is the fact that I got into Vegas an hour earlier than Michael so Whitney met me fora quick stretch and a welcomed Starbucks break. I LOVED seeing her and I finally got to meet her little ninja. He's adorable and I'm still learning how to work our camera, but it was a fun little stop...

Thanks for meeting me, roommate!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot?

2012-01-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

2011 was quite the year. It is crazy for me to think about how 2012 is going to be so life changing when baby girl arrives! I'm sure it is going to be a phenomenal year but I never want to forget our adventures of 2011...

January brought a spontaneous stay over in St. George with the Crandalls and some New Year's resolutions that involved a lot of bike rides.

(After this picture was taken, I lost about 17 pounds by April)

February included a hot air balloon ride with my family...

And a visit from the Walkers...

March was packed with a trip to Vegas and spring break for me and Michael's family came to visit...

In April, there was prom...

May= My birthday and BALTIC SEA CRUISE: NYC- Iceland- Denmark- Germany- Estonia- Russia- Finland- and Sweden...

June went by too quick but Annie's wedding was perfect...

July was definitely toasty in AZ which is why we take weekend get aways to Snowflake...

August began a new school year and our 4th year of marriage and Michael's MBA and we found out our first baby is due in March. Kind of a big month...

The Crandalls braved the heat of September and visited us...

October brought Fall break in Utah for me and a visit from Annie to AZ...

November is the start of the wonderful holiday season and this year had my family here...

December is so quick with all the Christmas preparations and then Christmas break itself.

There will be more where that came from, so stay tuned.

We are happy and we are blessed! 2012 is going to be great!

p.s.

2011-12-13T21:32:00.003-07:00

Did I mention that the other side of this picture:

Looked like this?

Yikes. I get tired just thinking about cleaning up that mess. I'm not the cleanest baker. And I wish I would have taken a picture, but when I was getting the flour out, I had a full on "Home Alone" moment. (It seemed like this happened on "Home Alone" but I might have made it up.) The giant Costco flour bag slipped from my hand and as I was catching it, it dropped and exploded everywhere. All over me, my face, my clothes, the floor, the wall, you name it. It was classic and flour in the eyes is no bueno.

pps- In our defense, the dishes in the dishwasher are clean. So it's not completely slob land.

Tis the Season to be Jolly

2011-12-11T19:30:00.004-07:00

December is already zooming by. Michael has been super busy with school. He has a bunch of finals before Christmas break. But puppy helped me get Christmas decorations up. I'm sure our little lady will be willing to help me and puppy next year, right?!

This weekend, Michael had a class/final on Saturday from 7 AM- 5 PM, so I got going on the traditional bread making. I made 16 loaves and I am exhausted. Baby made sure I knew she was not happy with me standing on tile for most of the day. I went to bed at 9 PM more stiff and cramped and more uncomfortable than I have been for a long time. Getting our Christmas gifts out to neighbors before it's too late is worth it though.

So I'm a little over 24 weeks which means at the end of the month, I will be in my 3rd trimester! Yikes. So by demand of some family members, here's the belly. After all the bread making, I wouldn't change out of my flannels even for the picture. sorry.

Still Thankful for Thanksgiving

2011-12-02T19:44:00.003-07:00

A little late, but we had a Thanksgiving extravaganza. Wednesday my family (minus Annie) came to town. We had dinner, went and saw "Puss in Boots," and picked Will up from the airport. Thursday morning Will and Michael played in the ward Turkey bowl and came home with torn clothes...jeesh.

My mom and I started getting Thanksgiving dinner ready. Boy, did I feel out of my league. My mom makes cooking a feast for 15 look easy. Finally, everyone was here, tables were set and dinner was ready.

We had both sets of my grandparents, my parents, my uncle and 3 of his kids, Will, Melanie and Camille all at our house! Dinner was delicious if I do say so myself. And the wonderful thing about AZ is that after dinner, we all sat outside to share what we are thankful for and play some games before we had pie.

Thanksgiving day was not the end of our adventures. The next morning we drove to San Diego for Melanie's soccer tournament. It was a huge tournament with lots of college recruiters. It was exciting to see Mel's team advance and win Semis! While Michael and I were driving back to AZ, her team went on to become the "Best of the Best" Champions! She's awesome.

My dad got us an awesome room right off of Torrey Pines golf course. This was seriously our view from our room's giant balcony.

In between all of the games, Michael, my dad, and Will somehow managed to find time to play a round of golf. I'm pretty sure they all felt like they were in heaven that day. My hubby was pretty giddy about it...

While the boys were out golfing, my mom, Melanie, Camille and I went for a hike to the beach. At first, I thought it was a quick walk. Luckily, I changed into comfy hiking clothes because it really was a hike. 3.4 miles to be exact. It was beautiful though. We were walking through pretty foliage and around cliffs that dropped us off on the beach at sunset. Picturesque? I think so.

One night after dinner, we stopped at the San Diego temple. Man, it is so beautiful. We were bummed they hadn't turned on their Christmas lights yet though. We missed them by a couple of days.

On our last night there, we went to Old Town and had some nice Mexican food. We also did the Mormon Batallion Visitor Center. I'm pretty sure it was my first time going there and I thought it was so fun. Michael liked seeing the footage that was filmed at his old job and we all loved our family picture!

It was an amazing weekend! This week was definitely rough to come back to reality, but we have a lot to be grateful for. That makes the tough days not as hard.

Pregnancy-isms

2011-11-21T16:40:00.003-07:00

I'm almost 22 weeks along! That's more than 1/2 way. It feels weird that it's almost December and that I'm on the down hill to baby's due date. Life can be so surreal sometimes. I feel like as we get further, I get more excited about being pregnant. So far, we have had pretty crazy/funny pregnancy moments that include but are not limited to:

-Having zero control over my gag reflex. As far as "morning sickness" goes, I don't feel like I had it bad. I had minimal actual throw up moments. But my gag reflex was super crazy and I was nauseous if I didn't eat every 2 hrs. Now that I'm further along, I will forever be grateful for having control over my gag reflex!

-Snack time. Because my gag reflex was out of control and I was nauseous, I cannot tell you how many ritz, saltines, and wheat thins I have eaten. Those were for the most part, my snacking basics. There were a few times in class where I would be in the middle of the lesson and I would have to have crackers right then or get sick in front of my whole class. Which would then result in the conversation why I was the one who got to have snacks in class and the others couldn't. To this, I always respond, "If you go to college and graduate, then you can have snacks too."

-Cravings. I don't feel like I've been too cravings crazy. There have been a lot of things that I DO NOT want to eat. But some things were REALLY good in that moment like Steak, Gala Apples, Cafe Rio (yum), Chocolate Milk, Chinese food- one night, I had to have it. I also like spaghetti noodles (not any other kind of noodle), Granny Smith apples, and tuna fish. One night I had pickles and waffles for dinner. That's all I wanted. I'm sure this list will continue to be super bogus. I cannot wait!

-Hormonal Psycho. So this one is pretty recent. I can cry and laugh and be super grumpy in 2 mins. Prime example, we went to Cafe Rio (yum) which is 40 mins away. It is definitely a treat when baby get's her Cafe Rio. So we get there. Michael and I share a salad and have found that it's the perfect portion for us. Except he gets beans in one corner because I do NOT like beans on my half. As he says beans in one corner they splatter the beans EVERYWHERE. I was in the bathroom as he was ordering (see below) and when I got there he felt so bad about the beans he asked if we should get me a salad of my own. But I was too upset to talk. I started crying and had to go back to the bathroom to avoid a scene. Crying over beans? Really?!

-Potty Breaks. I have to go a lot. It's a new concept for me. I usually don't have to go that often. I'm sure this will be more fun as we get further along.

-Zero Memory. This one has been pretty recent as well and it DRIVES ME CRAZY! I would ask Annie a question. She would respond. I would hear. Two minutes later, I would ask Annie same question. She would ask if I were on crack. There were many incidents very similar to this. I hope this is not permanent.

-Belly button. I have never seen my belly button this wide before! It is quite the surprise every time I see it! I'm worried it will become a VERY obvious out-y button soon

-Off the wall dreams. Last night, Michael was the one who birthed our baby because I was busy doing something else. I asked him if he got an epidural. He said heck yes. Very interesting. There's more where that came from too, but due to zero memory (see above) I can't remember them all.

So many good times! I'm sure glad I got Michael to agree to eternity with me. We are both grateful baby girl is growing strong. This little profile (that looks less and less alien-ish) makes all the crazy stuff worth it, right?

Pretty in Pink

2011-11-16T19:32:00.002-07:00

Today we are seeing things in 99.99% pink! We went in for our official ultrasound which they wouldn't let me schedule until now- I'm 21 weeks!

From day one, Michael has said it's a girl. He kept saying, "Why are we even going to the Dr.? We already know what it is." He calls it his father's instinct. I guess he's right. It is pretty funny because before we got pregnant, I always thought we would have a boy first. When we found out we were pregnant, I had this overwhelming thought of, "...OR it could be a girl!" So when Michael kept saying it was a girl, I would secretly agree and stubbornly say if it's a boy, he's not going to be happy that you called him a girl.

We did have a sneak peek at week 15 because a friend's brother is an OBGYN so he invited us in to see if we could see what baby is. Baby was coy and the umbilical chord was between her legs, but the dr. said he was 90% sure it was a girl. Which was perfect because I flew into Utah the next day and was able to give our moms these gifts...

Michael's mom craved ice cream when she was pregnant.

(I can't tell you how many lemon meringue pies we ate when my mom was pregnant with Mel)

But it is nice to have the verdict go from 90% girl to 99.99% girl! When I told my dad it was a girl, he said, "Of course it is! That's what we do in our family!" Well, we are carrying on the tradition!

I'm pretty excited about it and still a bit shocked. I'm going to be a mom to a little girl! That's a bit of an overwhelming feeling sometimes! But then I feel her move and see her pictures, and I just cannot wait!

Tally-Ho Taliesin West

2011-11-04T17:43:00.005-06:00

Annie (click here for her fun blog) was here for a week and it was sure fun! I felt bad that I had school and the blow out, but I was sure glad she was there. We went shopping where I found Forever21 maternity jeans for $15. (Best day ever.) We went to the ward trunk-or-treat and Annie gave us the best idea to decorate our trunk. (Too bad we left our cameras at home but it was awesome.) We had a huge bbq. We went to some fun restaurants.

And on Annie's last day here, we went out to Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and architecture school- Taliesin West...

(her camera is awesome...thanks for the photos, Annie)

The weeks before I was married, my family took a trip to see Falling Water which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

They really are amazing places especially considering he designed them in the early 1900s and during the depression.

Annie and I had a lot of fun. Here is us being posers of Frank Lloyd Wright's favorite pose in his dinner theatre room...

Annie was also good at being my baby bump monitor. She says I'm still in the "Is she fat or pregnant" phase. Looking at some other pictures, I realized she is right. But, this one looks like a real baby and not just too much ice cream. (Yummm, Ice cream...)

It was a fun week even though I can't tell you how many times we were asked if we were twins. I can't see it, but I'm glad Annie came.

What nerve...

2011-11-01T21:18:00.003-06:00

I actually had the nerve to recently say I didn't have anything to blog about. Life's been getting into a mellow routine. Or I forget to take pictures of the fun stuff. Or I get too tired to type. Which is not completely a bad thing. But the second the thought of 'I have nothing exciting to write about' crosses my mind, life is like 'Want a bet?'

Yesterday, Annie (who is visiting from VA which is awesome) and I were driving home from school. We were on our way across the valley and Annie was taking pictures of this:

And the next thing you know, she started taking pictures of this:

My tire had a blow out on the freeway and it was pretty scary to me. It wasn't the worst it could be and thank heavens we were back in civilization and that our insurance has road side assistance. The tire messed up my front side of the car a bit.

Good News: Annie was there keeping the psycho, pregnant lady calm. Michael was able to leave work and rush to my aid. And we were right by my house so I didn't have to drive far on the spare.

Bad News: We bought 4 new tires today- OUCH! And we haven't even fixed the body of the car yet. Spending money on cars isn't exactly the way I pick to spend my money. Do you know how many outfits you could buy for the cost of tires? What a wonderful treat!

(PS Don't you love my teacher Halloween shirt since costumes aren't allowed?)

To Be a Teen Again...

2011-10-21T17:40:00.003-06:00

Don't be too jealous, folks. But, my hubby and I are off to her concert tonight...

I'm actually really excited. Hubby surprised me with tickets for my birthday and now it's here. I've heard her shows are actually really good and the teacher in me loves that she is actually a good girl. I also like that she writes her own songs. That's a talent that I wish I had. Anyway...we will see how much squealing teens we get to sing with tonight. Don't worry though, Michael wants to get binoculars for me just in case our seats are really far away. (That's what he says.) I think he wants to get a good look of Taylor. It's ok. She's cute. I approve.

Happy Friday!

Grumpy Gills...

2011-10-11T12:57:00.003-06:00

I like to pretend that I'm a pretty positive person that doesn't get upset too easily. Sometimes this is more true than other times. However, I became very frustrated yesterday. It's my fall break! I'm in Utah with my family! Why would I be SO frustrated? Well, I will tell you. It's because I had only been in Utah for a few hours when my throat started to burn. My brain became cloudy. My nose started to run. And there was major sinus congestion. I was getting sick! Yep. By the end of the night, my headcold was in full force! Therefore, my wonderful fun filled Fall break has turned into me feeling like death and my mom taking care of me with hot lemonade and other mommy tricks. (Being babied by my mom is nice, but still not what I had planned.)
So, pray for a miracle that I will be able to not be sick anymore so I can play. Until then, I will keep on blowing my nose! Hooray!

Two Beautiful Sights...

2011-10-04T20:54:00.002-06:00

1: Me not having to cook...

Plus, he's pretty good looking.

2: SERIOUS meat...

Come to mama!

For the record, we split the steak, so I'm not completely heading to obesity. Also, I don't feel like I have real "cravings." It's just really amazing to me how NOTHING will sound good and some things just hit the right spot. This was one of those moments! Well played, Michael!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning...

2011-10-01T10:13:00.006-06:00

It's here! It's really here! October is very welcomed in this house...

Best way to start off this wonderful month:

We are having some technical difficulties today and I threw a mini temper tantrum about getting to watch Conference. Luckily, husband got it semi up and running. It's so satisfying!

In October, we get to spoil this guy...

He's totally worth it!

I get a full week off of school to fly back to this beautiful place...

We get to finally find out what color will soon be dominating our lives. And yes, there is only one color. Michael's dream of having both didn't work out for him this go around.

October is finally the start of average temperatures in the 80s. It's a very welcomed cool down. So visitors can start coming anytime!

I just can't tell you how excited I am!

Even Baby is looking super festive for Halloween as a skeleton this year...

If you know me, you know my baby should have plenty of calcium. In our last ultrasound, the dr. said that the calcium is starting to strengthen certain bones and that's why it's "glowing" in the picture.

What a great month!

The Life of a Princess...

2011-09-25T16:08:00.005-06:00

To start, thank you for such nice comments about our big news! We are pretty darn excited. It still feels a bit surreal, but some things keep it very real. Like the fact that I'm super tired but for the most part, I haven't been too sick. Last weekend was the worst that I have had which made me a little nervous to go out for the best night ever. I was afraid it would be ruined by visits to the toilet, however, baby likes baseball games as much as me and no nausea!

Tuesday evening, I was planning on being home alone (since Michael had class) and watching Netflix, cleaning a bit, and blog stalking. You know, the usual. But that would not make the best night ever. On my way home from school, I got a message from a friend in my ward that she had Diamondbacks tickets for that night. Given the previously mentioned schedule, I jumped at the chance.

When we got to the game we went to the SUITE level! AWESOME! We then asked the friendly usher man which suite was ours. He informed us that our suite is called the Batter Box Suite meaning we needed to go much lower! Like, this low...

(Inside the box. Behind the batter. Get it?)

Seriously! This next picture was not from our game, but it was to show you how elite these seats are. My head was directly underneath the Fireworks Friday banner-which scrolls to different ads throughout the game- just so you know. Awesome!

This was my view...

The writing on the red strip says to avoid distractions like excessive waving and cell phone use. I could easily see why that would be there since every time I saw myself on camera, I wanted to wave so my dad and the rest of ESPN watchers could see me. Plus, I was taking pictures on my phone and sending them all to my dad so he could appreciate the awesomeness! I will admit, at this view, it was a lot easier to pay attention to the game because you could really tell if those 78 mph pitches were balls or strikes! Awesome!

On top of that- yep. there's more.- The company that had given my friend the tickets had an open tab during the game! Furthermore, to avoid distractions of people coming and going into the batter box, they had menus for us! That's right, MENUS! So we could order and a few seconds later a worker would bring us our order from their secret entrance. I had a bottle of water. Pink Lemonade. A cheese burger with fries. (We all split up our entrees so we really had cheeseburgers, chicken strips, supreme nachos and taquitos.) Then I got popcorn in the souvenir helmet that I got to keep for my neighbor boys. (I didn't eat much of the popcorn because of how full we were by this point.) But to top it off, we got Coldstone Ice Cream after the 7th inning stretch! It was AWESOME! Totally worth all the calories!

And for the cherry on top. I got to spend the evening with my girls from the ward! It was simply the best.night. ever! I slept so well that night and was very grateful the next day at school was pajama day so I could wear my comfy pants after eating all that food. (I had a student point that out to me right after I told them about my night. He insisted he wasn't calling me fat or anything but was sure I was grateful- ha!) I am positive that is what royalty feels like.

Metaphors vs. Similes

2011-09-16T17:30:00.003-06:00

My class and I have been discussing the difference between metaphors and similes. Similes are easy because they have the words "like" or "as." Metaphors don't. I like that it took me actually teaching to complete understand and feel confident with this concept. Lately, I have been feeling a lot like this poem...

Metaphors

I'm a riddle in nine syllables,
An elephant, a ponderous house,
A melon strolling on two tendrils.
O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers!
This loaf's big with its yeasty rising.
Money's new-minted in this fat purse.
I'm a means, a stage, a cow in calf.
I've eaten a bag of green apples,
Boarded the train there's no getting off.

Sylvia Plath

We may not be able to get off the train, but we sure are excited for March 30, 2012 in this house!

(Little Squirrel's first picture 3 weeks ago.)

A Widow's Wallow...

2011-09-06T20:16:00.004-06:00

So... Michael just started his MBA program at Arizona State University. We are super excited that he is accepted and working hard and going back for an even higher education! I'm not going to lie, the concept of going back to school and studying and tuition and tests is not something I would volunteer for. But I do admire Michael for getting on board because he knows that it will be better in the long run.

After we found out that he was accepted, Michael kept saying that I needed to find a hobby. At the time, I would reply that there are many, many things I could do while he was at school for only two nights a week. I mean, I have school work, I can clean, I can read, I can shop, I can watch chick flicks that I can't get Michael to watch with me. The possibilities are endless. I love my husband, but having some alone time is never a bad thing...Now that he has been to a grand total of 4 classes, I realize I NEED A HOBBY!

I am so bored! I have tried many different recipes. Most of which were recommended by you all. They are delicious by the way. But that's only the beginning of the evening. He's gone all night. I get sick of correcting. Doing housework doesn't exactly count as a hobby. Shopping alone doesn't last that long. Although it's embarrassing for me to admit, I have had a few TV shows that have kept me afloat...

Oh how I LOVE Design Star! I love it! I love it! I love that they have it online so there are limited commercials and so I can watch all seasons over and over again. I feel like this season there is a lot of talent. Most seasons I don't have 5 that I want to win. It's my favorite HGTV show because I love the across the spectrum ideas and inspiration. So thank you design star for keeping me sane on Tuesdays. However, that leaves Thursdays wide open!

What's an MBA Widow to do the rest of the long nights and meetings with study groups?

Summer Eats...

2011-08-23T19:56:00.005-06:00

One thing I miss about my summer vacation is that I had a desire to cook/plan out meals. When school starts, dinner becomes a quick/ what do we have/ what do we feel like/ how fast can it be made.

This summer's ingredients of choice were:

-tomatoes

-fresh mozzarella

-fresh basil

I just like how light they are. Perfect for the heat. So I made chicken sandwiches with the mozzarella, basil and tomatoes with balsamic vinegar drizzled on. I got the concept from "Real Simple." I thought it turned out nicely.

When my family was here in February, my mom, Camille, and I went to this little restaurant that we just seriously stumbled upon. I got this pasta dish that had none other than mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. It was amazing! I, sadly, have not gone back to get some more but one summer evening I thought I would have a go at recreating this dish that I have placed on a pedestal.

Here's my take....

Michael said there were too many tomatoes. (Waaah) But I left my plate on the coffee table to get a glass of water and came back to our puppy devouring my food. So, since she liked it so much, I let her finish off my plate and I got a new plate and fork. If she likes it, that's a compliment, right?

...Even if she does eat grass sometimes.

So now, help a girl out. I need some school year worthy/basic meals. Any tips?

Ramblings of Randomocity

2011-08-21T14:18:00.005-06:00

So I feel now that school has started our lives have hit a new boring level. True we had our anniversary. That's a pretty exciting event. But, that was two weeks ago and I had lost my voice and caught a cold from the first week of school. (I know- my school year starts super early. But, we get out for summer May 15- so fair trade.) We were pretty bummed because we had to miss one of Michael's cousin's wedding and a family reunion because school had just started and Michael has no more days off work. So that was a let down! That's a sign the summer is truly over when we can't just go and do the things we want. Ouch!

The heat hasn't been as bad as it was last year and my class has been a lot better than the start of last year. Both of these are major blessings. However, the heat is hot! I think I've built up some tolerance because I know that September isn't going to be any cooler, but I'm sick of sitting inside bored or standing outside sweaty! Something's gotta give!

Michael's been loving inexpensive golfing rates in the heat and he's been doing really well. He's also starting his MBA with Arizona State this week. So we're pretty excited about that, but man, weren't we just finished paying tuition and books and studying? C'est la vie!

Friday, I made Michael watch, "Beastly" with me. Quite the gem...

I think he's going to hold that one against me for awhile...Totally worth it.

Saturdays are now SUPER lazy. Our house usually looks like a wreck by the end of the week so It's nice to actually do the dishes, make my bed, clean my clothes...you know. The basics that I was so good at staying on top of during the summer that are now making me feel like I'm drowning in my own house. Bless Saturdays!

And today, all of my nursery class was 18 month olds and only one 3 yr. old. That meant the 3 yr old said a lot of prayers as she is the only one who can talk. There was a lot of drooling and chewing on toys today. And a lot of spills during snack time as they are used to sippy cups. It was quite the adventure.

And that, I do believe, sums up our random dealings this week. Here's hoping that now that I have been teaching four years my immune system steps up and covers the germs this fresh batch of students brought. Bring on the Orange Juice!

PS I got to see, "The Help" with Alicia last weekend! LOVED it! Go read it! Go see it!

Happily Ever After...

2011-08-06T07:53:00.002-06:00

Three years later and our happily ever after continues to be a lot of fun. We had a lot of adventures this past year, and I'm sure our next year will not disappoint!

Well, it's here...

2011-08-02T21:56:00.002-06:00

The final sunset of my summer freedom has come...

Good thing it's a beautiful one! Now let's hope all the nightmares about my students, me forgetting to sharpen the pencils and me forgetting certain articles of clothing do not come true. Oh boy...I'm nervous!

Snowflake 3.0

2011-07-26T10:00:00.000-06:00

This weekend was time for the third annual Snowflake, AZ trip. It is a very welcomed escape from the valley heat. We are glad the Baers could make it with us again this year!

The agenda...

Wake up really early. Drive 3 hours. Avoid overheating the car. See the beautiful, Snowflake temple on top of the plateau as you drive over the hill.

We did a temple session which is perfect because the Mesa temple is closed.

After the temple, we had lunch at none other than the Skillet. For the past two years, we pretty much could pick any seat in the house at the Skillet, but Saturday was quite the different story! See the crowd we had to fight to get our sweet table? (That's why the bottom three are blurry.)

Lesson learned last year, the hamburgers are good!

Up next was the golf course. It's such a fun course. And this is coming from the non-golfer. I did take some fun swings though. Look at me keeping my eye on the ball.

Maybe one day I'll be a golfer...

Everyone else did great though...

Good form, sweetheart!

With colors like these, who wouldn't have jumping pictures?

Sorry for the tank top showing...

Best Picture of the Day...

I enjoyed my Big Bikkie imitation. Then we enjoyed the ride home. It was great being with friends and taking in the view!

Dear Snowflake,

See you next year!

Love, The Shields

Sad, sad day...

2011-07-25T15:38:00.003-06:00

So yesterday was free spay/neuter day and so we took our puppy there. Michael found out that they don't do that many so he woke up at 3:30 AM to take her there and there were people already there! He dropped her off and came home around 7:30 AM. Then we got ready for church. (Sorry for the blurry pic)

Our puppy didn't get home until 9:00 PM. There were complications and she ended up having to go into two more surgeries. I was there from 2:30-4:30 and watched all the other dogs walk on out of the clinic. Except ours. Michael stayed until she was finally able to go home. Even then, she couldn't walk.

The vet didn't think she would make it out of the second surgery but after the third, her vitals were looking better. It was a VERY long day. And a VERY, VERY long night thanks to her pain and the HUGE monsoon storm.

Fortunately, she was able to sit up this morning and waited for Michael to wake up so that she could go to the bathroom. She is walking, eating, taking her meds, and even wagging her tail sometimes. So we hope she is permanently getting better. Poor girl!

I'm telling you, it's amazing how close these crazy pooches are to us. It felt like my own baby was having all these surgeries. It was a sad day!

Foreboding, isn't it?

2011-07-18T19:27:00.005-06:00

Not only are the weather reports reporting 112 degrees with 20% humidity foreboding, but so is seeing this coming your way...

This, my friends, is a haboob. Yep that's what a giant wall of dust and crazy wind is called. You can tell how dusty it is from the haziness of the pictures. It's our second one this season. Our last one...

...made some national headlines. That's pretty sweet, but clean up/dusting afterward is not my favorite.

Sunshine on one side...

and this from the other direction...

Monsoon season 2011 is definitely here!

Summer Reading Lists

2011-07-16T08:04:00.000-06:00

What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't do some reading during my summer vacation? Luckily, I have had some phenomenal reads...

Including refalling in love with this classic...

"Pride & Prejudice" is definitely timeless. I can read (and watch the BBC version) again and again and I still anxiously wait for Darcy & Elizabeth and Bingley & Jane to fall in love. Not to mention Austen's clever wit that makes everything still connectable to our time.

I also read...

This book had an intriguing plot, however I was disappointed with the "worldly" things that were unnecessarily thrown into the book. That's why I usually only read kids books. I'll bet the movie is good though since it won't be as detailed as the book.

Next came one of my new favorites...

I CANNOT wait for this movie to come out. I had heard about this book awhile ago, but because of my anti-adult literature mind, I didn't start it until now. And just like many characters in the book, I did not know what I was missing! It is such a good book. I absolutely LOVED, loved it. In case you didn't catch that, there are TWO Loved(s). Unlike the rest of these books, I didn't read, "The Help" on my kindle because I was hesitant to buy it, but I'm probably going to purchase it just so I can read it again and again! (Thanks for letting me borrow it, Jenni!)

Next came this sea breeze...

"Turtle in Paradise" is written by one of my all time favorite authors. There are not many literary works that have made me fall in love as much as Holm's "Boston Jane" trilogy. SO GREAT! Although "Turtle in Paradise" didn't have a love story, it was still a breath of fresh air from the Florida Keys. I started and finished while I was waiting for my car to be fixed. The back window wasn't rolling up and in the az heat- that no work. So it was definitely delightful to take a trip to the beach with the Conches while I was waiting.

Today I read...

"We're lucky some people are so full of goodness."

My wonderful, librarian mother told me to read "Turtle" and she has been asking me daily if I had finished "Because of Mr. Terupt." Today, I could tell her that I had. It was a quick read, but boy was I bawling! This one will definitely pull the heart strings of any teacher or anyone who has had a good teacher or anyone who has seen the genuine innocence of a child. It definitely helped me get my teacher engines going again. Just a few more weeks...

Have you read any of these? What's next? I need some suggestions....please.

Food, glorious food...

2011-07-14T12:12:00.000-06:00

So I really don't like going grocery shopping. I just don't. Sadly, neither does Michael. That means we get pretty resourceful when it's meal time and we don't have milk, eggs, bread, chicken, fresh produce, canned veggies...anything. Michael and I had crackers for breakfast yesterday! Haha! Lame! I guess that's one plus about us not having kids yet. Otherwise we'd be border line negligent parents. No worries, we've promised each other to go grocery shopping tomorrow. or Saturday. Maybe Monday. We'll see.

This lack of desire to grocery shop has made me remember our lives at the beginning of the summer where we had an endless supply of food at our finger tips or just a room service call away. All inclusive. Seriously. Cruise ships are the dream. And I really mean it when I say food brings people together. We were on a ship that promoted freestyle dining so we could go to dinner whenever we wanted. We enjoyed going to the sit down restaurants with all 6 of us.

Michael enjoyed eating at the buffet and then going to our 3 course dinner AND THEN ordering room service!!! Seriously. I had NO idea my husband could handle that much food. THREE Dinners! Yowzers.

I enjoyed being able to have hot chocolate on brisk, rainy days.

We had two days at sea over our trip, which was nice to be able to sit, relax, eat, read, etc. We also had beautiful weather. This was my view... nice crowd eh?

Of course, the towel animals are the cherry on top...

Guess how old my husband is? He hearts shuffleboard!

We had so much fun!

And we enjoyed riding off into the sunset!

Now we have been back for over a month, we need to go grocery shopping and my contract time starts again in two weeks...BUMMER! Talk about a reality check...

Mom! Look what I drew!

2011-07-10T21:36:00.003-06:00

My little neighbor boy who is 5 said, "Sister Shields, may I do this dot to dot."

(He really calls me Sister Shields and he really says may I. He's super refined.)

I said, "Of course you can!"

(It's the back of an old Better Homes and Garden Magazine.)

He did a great job and his counting was superb.

But when he said, "Mom! Look what I drew!" We realized why that magazine would have a dot to dot on the back. It was an ad, of course. An ad that might be a little too spicy for a 5 yr. old.

As it didn't phase him at all, you could tell he only has brothers!

Nynashamn [ni-na-saw-mmmn]

2011-07-08T12:32:00.000-06:00

Our last port of call was in Nynashamn, Sweden! It was an hour outside of Stockholm, so we were debating to take the bus excursion from the ship, but Michael & I ended up deciding not to. We wanted to see the little town of Nynashamn. We had to take the little boats to shore...

such pretty places!

When we got there, we realized it was a Swedish holiday so NOTHING was opened, however, there was a train going into Stockholm. So we thought- why not? Better yet, since the ticket office wasn't opened yet, the train conductor just said we could get on! Sweet! Free ticket into the city an hour away!

So we got into the city and quickly tried to piece together what we wanted to see. We found a museum by the sea that had quite the history. A giant ship was created to symbolize power in every single way possible. In 1628, the Vasa started it's maiden voyage and 1300 meters later, it sank. Just off of Stockholm's shores is where it stayed until 1961. Then the ship was pulled up, restored and a museum was built surrounding it right on the water. In 1990, the museum was finally opened and on June 2, 2011 we got to enjoy it!

Here's the outside of it, you can see the masts sticking up in the back.

Here's the ship in all her glory

It is an amazing story and a really intriguing museum since the ship is soooo old and the museum is soooo new. It's amazing what the restoration process was.

We spent the rest of the morning seeing the city and getting a lunch from street vendors.

Have I mentioned how much I love cities on the water? Good thing we live in Arizona!

We then took the train ride back to Nynashamn (and barely made the one we wanted by one minute-phew!- this may or may not have involved some running through the station.) When we got back Nynashamn looked completely different. It was no longer a ghost town! It was a delightful, nautical town! (And their visitor's center had free internet! -cherry on top!)

It was a great day with beautiful weather! It was a calming, last stop for our cruise.

What the Helsinki!?

2011-07-07T10:28:00.004-06:00

After St. Petersburg, we had two more cities to stop at. They were nice because we didn't have any tours, we just walked and enjoyed the cities by the sea. We are pretty spoiled because after the elaborate Russia, everything seemed a lot more 'plain' and redundant. How lame is that? Here we are in Europe and we're saying there's no gold in here or there's another mural. Haha!

Luckily, Helsinki is a beautiful city and the Finnish people are super nice. We got into the city and thought we had gotten onto the wrong train...

Gotham City anyone?

I think this was their inspiration.

Then, we took a ferry to an old fortress that is now this sweet little town. It was very quaint and a beautiful day to walk around. It kind of reminded me of Antelope Island, minus the stinky brine shrimp and all the gnats.

After the fortress, we walked around the beautiful city seeing the cathedrals and cobble stoned streets. We are in Europe after all...

Now that we are back in the desert, I sure do miss seeing green trees,

ancient cathedrals and the pretty seascapes.

The Rumors of St. Petersburg

2011-07-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day two of St. Petersburg was just as jammed pack as day one. We started with the Hermitage!

The Hermitage was formerly the winter palace of the imperial family (aka Anastasia) but it is now a museum that competes with the Louvre on how many pieces of art each has. They said that is you were to see every piece of art in the Hermitage for one minute, from opening to closing you would need 11 years! I doubt I could give every piece a minute but that's pretty insane.

I loved it!

After the museum, we saw a few more cathedrals.

Including the cathedral that has the tombs of all the imperial families including Anastasia's (pictured above.) I still LOVE the cartoon "Anastasia" and all the songs were stuck in my head the entire time we were there. However, the film is far far from what actually happened. I guess it was Anastasia's sister and brother who were missing and so they just found their remains and will bury them with the family as well. It's just an interesting mystery.

That afternoon, we went on nice boat ride around the city.

When we got off the boat we had a real Russian lunch with a bunch of other tour groups. A man in our group was very happy to find out that all six of us don't drink so that he could get our beers that came with the meal. Good thing he wasn't our driver!

After lunch, we went to the Tsar's cousin's palace. That's right- even the long, lost cousin got a sweet palace. The size of it was nothing compared to the Imperial Family's palaces, but it did have a theatre room. (compliments of google image)

It was a beautiful palace, but so are they all. This one also had some crazy history to go with it. There was a certain 'medicine man' that's influence over the Tsarista had the family worried so this cousin invited the medicine man over to his palace's basement for lunch that had been poisoned. But the poisoned lunch did not kill Rasputin so the cousin shot him. He went to get guards to help and when they got back, Rasputin was not there! He was running away so they gunned him down again and wrapped him in a rug and threw his body into the freezing river.

When they found his body and gave him an autopsy, there was water in his lungs! He died from drowning! Not the poison or the gun shots, but drowning. Seriously creepy stuff. Because of all this history, they have a diorama set up in the basement to tell the history. And we got to see it all!

It was completely surreal to actually be in Russia and see how unbelievable and different it is. But it was a beautiful two days and I loved my babushka scarf that husband bought for me using all that Russian speaking of his!

Have you heard...?

2011-07-01T09:27:00.011-06:00

There's a rumor that we went to St. Petersburg, and it is absolutely TRUE! We were in St. Petersburg for two days from May 30-31.

I always joked with Michael that the only way I wanted to see Russia is on a Baltic Sea Cruise. Flash forward three years, and here we are, docking in St. Petersburg! What a city! Russia is one where you either have to have a paid tour or pay a hefty sum for a visa on top of all the entrance fees to the museums. We therefore went with option #1 and had a tour. Which I am so glad we did. Our tour guide was super on the ball and pretty intense. We were going, going, going both days.

I have NEVER seen so many extremely ornate and elaborate buildings. We started out by visiting the summer palace- you read that right-the SUMMER palace of Catherine the Great.

You'll have to forgive my camera, but there was NO possible way to fit the whole palace in one picture. The palace kept going on and on and on! So you get to see parts of it.

I just cannot believe how much details, carvings, paintings, and GOLD there is EVERYWHERE!

We had to wear booties to protect all the pretty wood floors.

Seriously, I felt like I needed to go through all the buildings three times. I wish we could have!
1st time for the walls-

Below is the Amber Room. You are not allowed to take pictures inside so thank you Google Images. Every panel of the wall is made of thousands of Amber stones in different shades!

2nd time through for the ceilings-

and 3rd time for the pretty floors-

It was unbelievable! After Catherine's summer palace we went to Peterhov Palace. We were waiting outside for our tour guide and I asked if we were going in. She quickly replied no. We had just seen Catherine's Palace, there is no need to see the inside of this palace. Haha! That statement sadly sums up much of Russia compared to other cities- it's just so ornate. But the Peterhov is known for its fountains. There are hundreds. It is amazing!

Including this sneaky fountain...

After these two palaces, we stopped for lunch. And I literally mean stopped. We pulled off to the side of freeway and before we could figure out what was going on, our driver hopped out and met up with another man getting out of his car. Seriously shady. Then the guy handed our driver a bag and the driver brought it back to us and started driving again. It was our lunch. It was delicious. But very interesting means of getting it. Oh Russia!

That afternoon, we drove around the city more and of course stopped at some Russian Orthodox Cathedrals. Recognize this architecture?

All mosaic! Unbelievable!

It was a beautiful first day in Russia!

It's called a lance...hello!

2011-06-27T09:56:00.006-06:00

That statement was stuck in my head the whole time we were visiting Tallinn, Estonia because it reminded me of "A Knight's Tale" so much! The city is seriously a medieval town that still stands. I felt like I was walking through a movie set. It is a VERY picturesque city.

We started out with a tour of the country side where we saw a summer palace of Catherine the Great....

and the beautiful grounds...

I think it would be sweet to see a concert here by the sea.

Seriously old buildings!

This is Old Town from the upper town view. Upper is where the super rich/royalty lived and lower town was where the merchants/townspeople lived.

What a beautiful city! I really liked walking through streets that are so much older than the country of the US. It's remarkable!

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

2011-06-23T16:50:00.005-06:00

A few awesome things about cruises...

1-The food- we'll talk about the food eating machine man later...

2- Not having to carry around luggage anymore because your hotel comes with you...

and 3- You go to sleep and wake up in a new country!

Our first stop on the cruise was Germany!

We were in a town that was three hours out of Berlin, so we signed up for a tour with Michael's grandparents. The bus ride allowed for a much welcomed, long nap.

I must admit, Berlin is a city with some major history, but also a lot of scars. It was kind of grim to see a city still restoring from WWII, Nazis and Soviets. It's just amazing how much this city has seen. Our tour was on a bus for most of the trip so most pictures were taken from the bus window. Sadly, I did not capture the nude sun bathers in the park. Sorry. Maybe next time...

Recognize this building from "Valkerie?"

Hitler's bunker where he killed himself is under there...
Check point Charlie...
Where the wall used to be...
A part of the wall
WWII Memorial
Brandenburg Gate
Germany's Parliment Building

Good times...there's a few more pictures where that came from. But i'm doing my best to condense the amazingness!

May I Introduce...

2011-06-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

Mr. & Mrs. Castro

My sister has tied the knot and in a very royal way! On Friday, she married her prince. Everything went so well! Thursday night was the family dinner. It was so great to get to know Victor and his family a lot better. They are amazing people. Victor has an incredible testimony of this Gospel and I know he is going to take care of my sister.

Annie looked beautiful the whole day and I think everything went exactly as she had planned. They were married by my grandpa in the Bountiful Temple. That evening they had a tea party reception at the Lion House. They served crepes- which my husband enjoyed into the double digits! I'll have to post more pictures when we get them, but everything was darling.

My favorite part was the sword send off from all of Victor's military friends. It was so cool! Then the new family got into the horse drawn carriage and rode off into the sunset. (Doesn't Victor know my sister so well?)

Those Great Danes are Hueggely

2011-06-11T21:32:00.015-06:00

Our next stop in our vacation extraordinaire was...Denmark. One of my personal favorites of the trip. We met up with Michael's grandparents who kindly got us a beautiful room at the Marriott. It had a beautiful view of the river.

I loved going to these European cities that were on the water. Copenhagen is beautiful. I loved the old brick buildings and the picturesque cobblestoned streets. (Even if they did break my luggage.) I also loved that there were bicycle lanes and so, so, so many people riding bikes everywhere. Among those bikes, were free ones that you could rent and ride around the city. LOVE!

We rode the train out to a summer castle of the Danish Royalty. It's now a museum, but it was so pretty. A girl could get used to calling this home...

and having this for a view from her room...

I enjoyed walking around the grounds and was so glad it wasn't as cold as Iceland. Therefore, I wanted a jumping picture. Michael refused to play along.

After the castle, we went back into Copenhagen for my most favorite activity of the trip! We met up with Michael's mission companion, David Kofod and his adorable wife, Camilla.

They took us and Michael's parents on a boat tour around the city. It was so fun to see all the sites in such a relaxing way.

One of the many narrow bridges we went under.

After the tour, the Kofods took Michael and I to the Danish LDS Temple.

It is so beautiful!

You would think by this point in the evening the Kofods would be sick of us, but no. They took us to their home and fed us quite the feast! Everything was so delicious! We chatted the evening away and enjoyed wedding pictures and mission stories. It was an extremely delightful evening. We can't wait until we can get those awesome Danes to visit us in the states.

The next morning, our adventures continued as we hauled our luggage to the ship yard and loaded "The Norwegian Sun."

Iceland- "It's quite fashionable"

2011-06-05T12:08:00.013-06:00

Well, our crazy jaunt to Europe started with a bang. Literally. We were at the airport in NYC waiting to board when we found out about the volcano that erupted in Iceland. We were so worried it would be like last year where the volcano shut down everything in Europe for weeks. But we were able to fly into Iceland just fine. Right after we got there, the airport was closed! Good thing we planned on being there a few days before flying to Copenhagen.

Iceland is hands down, one of the most picturesque countries we've ever been to. Although the climate is a little different from Phoenix, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. To me, it's a fabulously cooler version of New Zealand. The people are incredibly friendly and speak English and the landscapes are breath taking.

We had rented a car so we were able to drive around the country a bit- all the while praying that we would be able to fly out on time. The first day, we went to a black sanded beach.

You can tell it was a bit hazy from the volcano ash.

Most of the country is either volcanos or glaciers, so

everywhere you go is incredibly beautiful, mossy, lava fields with heaps of spectacular waterfalls from glacier run off. So pretty!

The second day, we went to the "Golden Circle." It's a trio of locations that were so cool.

1st the . This is right on the fault line where Iceland is literally being pulled apart by 2 cm every year!

2nd the Geysers. These definitely were in competition with Old Faithful. To my memory, they went off more frequently than Old Faithful, were higher, and you could get closer to it because there aren't as many people. Pretty cool.

3rd the Waterfalls. It was simply unbelievable how much water and power these falls had. Wouldn't it be so incredible to be one of the first people to find these?

The whole second day was SO windy and cold. It felt like your face was being scraped off. We were SO cold, but we kept telling ourselves that we had prayed for this wind and if that's what got us to Denmark on time, then that's what we would have to put up with.

Fortunately, Iceland is so geothermic, they have hot pots EVERYWHERE. (They really don't have to heat the water in their homes.) We talked to an Icelander who said that there are hot pots right on the beach that spill over into the ocean and so it was "quite fashionable" to swim in the ocean. We settled on swimming in the Blue Lagoon. I have never seen water so beautiful. We all know photo shop and cool photography tricks are not my specialty so that's exactly what the natural water looked like.

If I was good at photo shop, I might have changed my face or skin tone, but now you see how sweet the Blue Lagoon was. They have it super set up like a spa with a hotel and an actual spa on sight. It really was so relaxing and very nice to be warmed up after such a windy day.

That night we stayed at an AWESOME guesthouse by the airport. The owner is a genius and an artist so he designed it phenomenally. We slept in the treehouse room. My 4 yr old self was on cloud nine and my 25 yr old self loved it too!

The next day we went to the airport with some apprehension about whether we would be able to fly out. (Secretly, we were ok if we didn't fly out because we wanted to go back to the treehouse guesthouse.) Fortunately, the only flight that was on time, was ours. There were heaps of flights that were delayed/cancelled, but there were no hitches for us. It was a miracle! The Church is true, prayers are answered and Iceland is awesome and very fashionable!

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

2011-05-20T14:22:00.000-06:00

Won't be back again (for awhile)

I wrote a flowery paragraph about school being over, but Blogger and I are still fighting and it deleted it all. So I will leave it at this:

Prepare for the Sunglasses Game.

I'll be in Utah June 6. Let's play.

And any last packing advice?

PS No pictures thanks to Blogger.

Has the battle begun?

2011-05-18T16:59:00.000-06:00

I am not a very technologically savvy person. But I mess around and find a way that works and do that over and over again. Well, Blogger and I have gotten along quite nicely until recently. Why is it being mean to me and not updating properly? And why is it not letting me upload pictures? Usually I click the add image icon and it's ok? Now it won't let me. Any ideas? Because I have a feeling in the next couple of weeks, I am going to have a few pictures I want to upload. Help me please...

It's the Final Countdown{s}...

2011-05-10T18:56:00.003-06:00

Well, first, I wanted to mention that I had an amazing birthday and was surprised in many ways including finding out that my hubby even knew the password to our blog. When I mentioned this to him, he said that's what I get for having a familiar password. To this I responded "Touche!" Thank you for all the nice birthday wishes!

In other news, I know I am very guilty of looking ahead too much. But when you get this close- I cannot help it! I have exactly 9 days, 7 school days, 2 Thursday & Fridays, 1 Monday, 1 Tuesday and 1 Wednesday left until the last bell of this school year rings! I am way too happy about this. No worries, I love teaching still. But, I sure am thrilled with this countdown. Not only because it means I get my needed summer break, but also because it coincides with another countdown that I have had for some time.

Because in that exact same amount of time, we will be getting on a red eye to NYC! From there, we will spend the day in the Big Apple only to board another red eye to Iceland. Yep, Iceland. We stay there for a few days and then skip on over to Denmark! Yep, Denmark! We will then get on our cruise ship to see Germany, Estonia, Russia, Finland and Sweden! Is it really here? Is this really happening? Yep. I'm just too excited.

Anyway...these are just a few things that have been on my mind for quite sometime-173 school days to be exact. Now I don't know what to pack. What to wear. Any suggestions? It's time to pack! Yay!

Jenn's 25th B-day!!!!

2011-05-02T08:45:00.005-06:00

Dear Wife,

Today is a special day for a special girl. Yesterday in Elder's quorum, we were asked to introduce ourselves and then share how we had met our wife. I flashed back to June 26th, 2007. I accepted an invitation from a friend to play a pick up game of Volleyball. I remember three things in particular about the first time I met you: 1.) Dang, this cute girl has some mad volleyball skills. 2.) Harry Potter shirt - Really? 3.) How can I fit myself into the rotation so that I'll play next to her without being too obvious. The rest is history...

Thank you for a wonderful marriage and for being an incredible wife. You are the most thoughtful person I have ever known. I love your surprises and how you know how to make me feel like there isn't anything I can't do. You are incredibly supportive and refreshingly witty. I've loved our adventures together and look forward to many more!

I know you'll probably find this public homage slightly embarrassing and nauseatingly sentimental, but I want the whole world to know how I feel about my beautiful woman on her birthday! You are my best friend and I'm so glad I get to keep you forever.

Love,

Your Husband

Kate and I could be friends...

2011-04-30T08:41:00.003-06:00

Here are some reasons why I am pretty sure I could be good friends with Kate...

1) We share a love for her wedding dress. Long sleeved, v-neck, lace. 3 of my favorite words too, Kate.

2) We both wanted a Lilies of the Valley bouquet. I would have loved to have Lilies of Vally in my bouquet. They weren't in season. I bet it smelled incredible though!

3) We both had tiered cakes.

4) And, we both have a thing for princes.

These are just a few reasons and you can see that they are all very substantial and very specific commonalities. Naturally, it means we could be friends. I would invite her to my birthday party, but I'm sure they will still be on their honeymoon. Maybe next year.

A Night in New York...

2011-04-24T21:25:00.007-06:00

...Stake Center style.

This weekend we went to prom. You read that right- prom. Our stake puts together a big prom for the youth. It's become a big deal. They go all out decorating the stake center to the different themes. It's gotten so big that they make a night just for the adults. So you better believe I took full advantage of that.

It was fun. Some girls from the ward got together and did hair and make up. I personally loved how my hair turned out. I love having my hair done. It feels so good.

We had the fantastic Baers come down and we all went to Olive Garden- like prom goers do. Here's the gang before the Baers got there.

After dinner, we went to find out what all the hoo haw was about and we were not disappointed. The entry was a subway tunnel with fog machines, construction zones, bums (mannequins) warming by the fire, and a pile of garbage that had a rat (fake) going around on a train track- this kind of grossed me out. (Sorry for the blur-it's the fog machines)

Then you walk into beautiful Times Square of New York, New York. Our ward had helped build these awesome sky scrapers. I loved the "Sleepless in Seattle" reference.

They were very meticulous and made sure there was room for the beautiful Manhattan Temple.

It was all pretty intense. I also helped decorate the bathroom to look like a 5th Avenue dressing room. However, I didn't take pictures because I thought that might make me a creeper. But, you get the idea. (I made my shoes part of these window displays later in the evening.)

And, of course, there was dancing...

Although is was cliche and nostalgic, I loved every second of it. And in the words of Eliza Doolittle, "I could have danced all night." Thanks for indulging my little girl fantasies, Baers.

Stress for everyone. Anyone?

2011-04-22T08:48:00.003-06:00

Well, this week was a bit stressful to all parties involved at school. It was end of level testing this week and I have never felt so much pressure before. It's amazing how much these tests matter in our world today. That's how my school gets funding. Test scores! Multiple choice tests! Wow. Another great decision made by people who have never taught before.

Anyway...I do hope my class did well. I feel their scores reflect my life this past year. It's sad but true. I've worked so hard so that they could feel confident answering basic questions (in my mind) about what they have learned/ what I have taught ALL YEAR! So don't even get me started about how many students came and said "I'm tired and I didn't eat breakfast this morning!" Seriously!? Or how I truly avoid looking too closely as I was monitoring the room because I am positive that answers were circled when the question was not even read all the way through! How do I know this? I saw it ALL year long as I tried to help them!

Overall, I just had to take deep breaths give my students life savers, pretzels, granola bars, fruit snacks, and jolly ranchers and say, "Ok. You know this. Do your best." I try to tell myself that I've done all that I can. Like I said, stressful!

Because we depend on these tests so much, the school made it a well oiled machine with plastic totes that have everything needed including the testing materials, sharpened #2 pencils, erasers, sample fill in papers so the students knew exactly how to correctly fill in their forms. The tote also included this helpful page to hang on our classroom doors...

As you can tell, teachers who know how to spell were really stressed too. It definitely made me laugh a little to see these signs up all over the school! And I really did laugh when I saw other signs after testing...

If you build it with air conditioning, we will come...

2011-04-19T17:54:00.004-06:00

...especially if we get to sit by the Baers!

I love baseball season and I still love that this stadium is air conditioned. Even though for this game, we didn't need it since it was so beautiful outside. Just look at how that moon is as bright as the lights.

Maybe soon we'll have a sports team worth going all out for, but for now, I'll continue to enjoy the baseball atmosphere and stadium hot dogs! (I liked this pic because Andrew's corn dog made it to the picture and it looks like the baby's head is on my hot dog. That's serious photography skills.)

(Michael ate his before I could even take a picture...nice)

Even though they lost, it was still a wonderful outing. I can't wait for the games with fireworks this summer and for more dates with my handsome guy.

Spring Fever

2011-04-15T20:24:00.004-06:00

I will give Arizona credit for stepping up to the plate when I feel like it should be spring, it joins in and gives me beautiful weather instead of snowing on me. And because it has been doing this for me, we enjoyed the evening outside the Mesa Temple watching the Easter Pageant.

It's amazing how huge the production is! I honestly loved being right outside the beautiful temple. Looking into the visitor's center windows and seeing the radiant Christus statue and then seeing the grand stage depicting the miraculous Easter story. It really is a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by people who share my love for the Gospel and the monumental event surrounding this Easter holiday.

And for the cherry on top, we tagged team with the Campbells. We got the seats. They picked up the Cafe Rio. Ah... I love perfect Spring evenings.

And I also loved the many comments the sweet, old man behind had for Michael's shirt. Every time he thought of a new funny, he told us. It was hilarious.

The Transition Continues...

2011-04-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

I had another first in Arizona!

I went to my very first Suns game.

My Uncle took me! We had pretty nice seats. And man oh man, they were super comfortable seats. I guess that's what's nice about having casinos help sponsor things. Seriously! Look at those...

Those seats definitely helped the sorrow of watching Phoenix getting spanked. It was also a great perk to be able to see my cousin dance at half time. I do love having family near by and having all these sports teams to see. It was a great time!

Hidden Treasures

2011-04-08T18:38:00.005-06:00

Monday was great! Especially since we had a wonderful General Conference weekend. We had Family Home Evening with friends. They told us about this place just 5 minutes from our house. We climbed over a few small sand dunes and roasted mallows and hot dogs right by the river. Who knew my desert abode had such a retreat?

I know the picture quality is hot, but you get the picture.

PS Instead of using Hershey's for the s'mores, we used Reese's! How come I never thought of that before?! Brilliant!

Back to the Future

2011-04-01T22:04:00.005-06:00

Flash forward 7 years and I hope our house will look like this...

I wouldn't mind a girl thrown in there somewhere. But I won't be picky. Until then, we will have to enjoy these adorable neighborhood fellas. Look how cute his binky smile is.

And you can acknowledge how professional our child proofing of the cupboard is. Thank you newspaper boy for the rubber band.

Pizza, Sprinklers, Games, and "Megamind" on the air mattress- bring on the future!

They may drive me crazy but...

2011-03-30T18:06:00.005-06:00

...every once in a while I'm reminded why I love teaching.

Their assignment was to assemble a "Gallon Man" which has 16 cups, 8 pints, and 4 quarts -fyi- in it. I didn't give them many more instructions except that they can make whatever superhero they wanted. I thought I would have 25 of the same kind of gallon man that they quickly slapped together. However, I really liked how they turned out...

They had a lot of personality in them. Did you catch some of the details...

Like the "Cheer Liter"- I totally thought she had spelled it wrong until I got it.

You've gotta have a knight with a sword when you're in Mrs. Shields' class.

Teenage ninja style:

Bat Gallon's awesome bat cut out:

Did you notice Weight Man's muscles?

or the blacked out tooth and 3D gun holster

or the school pride

Come on now. You have to admit those are pretty clever. Which one's your favorite?

A hitch hiker's guide to the southwest...

2011-03-21T18:28:00.006-06:00

As previously mentioned, I experienced the wonderfulness of Spring Break. Vegas was only the start of my adventures. From Vegas, I headed up to Utah. Now, remember, gas prices are no bueno right now which means that flight tickets are really really high. So, I didn't think it was going to happen. However, fate- and a lot of wonderful people- made it possible.

Gray's parents took me from Vegas to Provo. I'm sure glad we got to enjoy a weekend earlier at their cabin, otherwise I would feel super weird being a strange girl getting a ride with them. They were really great to let me tag along! Annie took me from Provo to Orem so my mom didn't have to go in too far from the freeway. My mom then took me from Orem to Kaysville. I made it home!

I loved being home. I got to visit my mom at Knowlton. (I know I'm a dork to use my spring break to go to another elementary school- but I like being there.) I was able to help her get the millions of books organized and put away. We enjoyed many great lunches together including the Bun Basket and Cutler's. And of course, we enjoyed dinner at BC Chicken. Yum! Bless the local grub. Ultimately, I just loved being with my mom. I got pretty darn lucky in the mom department.

I'm glad Tricia lives close because we got to enjoy delicious Noodles & co and catch up time. I also got to see the roommates for PI day. (3.14) It's a tradition and involves lots of great pie, so naturally, I loved it.

Wednesday, I drove out to Mapleton and I got there right as everyone was at recess. I saw most of my 5th graders from last year and boy did that make me homesick. I had such a great year last year. It made going back to school that much harder. I guess that's what happens when you had the ideal job. I really miss it.

Luckily, I had Angela to cheer me up after my sad realization. She's pretty good at that. We then continued my good food of Utah tour and enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Kneaders. I feel pretty thankful I have so many great friends.

I wish I could have been home longer to visit more, however, my hitch hiking habits started again the next day. My mom took me down to St. George because my brother had a baseball tournament. We watched a few exciting games and had fun with Camille. The next morning, Camille took me all the way to Vegas so that I can then meet up with my in-laws.

The Shields were in Vegas so they could visit Michael's brother and were willing to go the extra 5 hrs to visit us! It was awesome because we got to stop at the Hoover Dam. I don't think I have ever done that before. It is unbelievable! I got this picture from the new bridge they built for traffic. It's so huge!

A few hours, later, I was back in the AZ.

And that, my friends, is this hitch hiker's guide to a fantastic spring break

What happens in Vegas

2011-03-13T15:50:00.003-06:00

My spring break is finally here! We started it out right by getting on the road for Las Vegas. (After Michael dropped the dog off at our neighbors house- of course.) I was in a car with Michael and Gray who found three stations playing the BYU game vs New Mexico. So no worries, we heard Jimmer's 52. That got the boys in chipper moods. After we got checked into our hotel, Gray went to pick up Jenni from the airport. She's still living in Utah until school gets out. Talk about a long distance relationship! But, we are sure glad we got to party with them for the weekend.

We started our Saturday by going to the temple. It was so pretty! It's the perfect way to start our trip.

Isn't Jenni one of the cutest pregnant ladies ever?

After the temple, we got ready for the show I have been pining to see again for quite some time now...

That's right, we went to the 'Lion King!!' I saw it in New York when I was little and I have been telling Michael about all the awesomeness. I probably talked it up too much because the Vegas version was a lot smaller than the New York. However, it was still incredible. I love the costumes, the beautiful songs and how they make the cartoon come alive. If you haven't heard the song, "Endless Night," you need to google it because it is simply powerful.

After the show, we went to dinner at an amazing Mexican restaurant that was very randomly found. Score. We played games and relaxed.

Sunday morning was funny because both Gray's parents and my family were in Vegas. Gray's parents were down for a tennis tournament and Mel had a soccer tournament so in the morning we split to see our families.

Although it wasn't the "average" Vegas weekend, it was delightful. After that, I started my hitch-hiking adventure to Utah...

What's in a name?

2011-03-06T13:26:00.003-07:00

Well, a couple of weeks ago, Michael was coming home from some meetings. He saw a dog wandering around a neighbors yard and stopped to get the dog so it wouldn't go out in the streets. The neighbors weren't home so he brought the dog to our house. Then when he took the dog to the neighbors, it ended up not being their dog. So, what's he supposed to do? Just let it go back to wandering the streets?

We took her around our block looking for her owners. (We have met more neighbors these past couple of weeks than we have since we moved in.) She brings people together! We posted on craigslist and put up signs. However, no one has claimed her yet. We are definitely dog people, but I didn't wanted to get one while I was working because of potty training, loneliness etc. When I came home and saw this dog, I was VERY worried. 1st because she is a pit bull. I've never wanted a bigger dog because of how big their turds are. 2nd she is a SHE. I've only ever had boy dogs so girl dogs are unfamiliar and kind of gross me out. Is that weird/ironic? 3rd I value my sleep and a dog barking all night is not ok with me.

I have to say, this dog is one of the sweetest dogs ever. She never jumps up on people. She is potty trained. And when she does have turds they are on our grass around the edges so she's not dropping land mines everywhere. The only time I have ever heard her bark is when my family came. She was in the bedroom with Michael and it was really really late. When she heard other voices in the house, she barked. And it was a bark that would make any burglar need to change their pants. I have to admit, I was impressed. I guess there was another time she barked when it was, again, really late at night. Every one was asleep including Will out on the couch. He was talking in his sleep and when she heard a voice, she barked. She's a guard dog!

We had neighbors over for dinner one night and they brought their little boys. It was so funny to see her reaction to kids. Because she is eye level with most of them she immediately started licking their faces and the boys would just push her away and say, "Stop dog!" The 2 yr old would say, "Come get me puppy!" and run down the hall with her chasing him. He was giggling like crazy and that kept him entertained for about 5 mins. Then later, he (the 2 yr old) was crawling around on all fours barking and the puppy would follow him and kind of push him over with her paw. It was hilarious- until he bonked his head on the tile. Then he wasn't too happy with the game. But, the puppy's good with kids!

So, for now, we have a puppy. We've been trying to find a name for her. I liked Ugly Betty. My family liked Sweetie. My neighbor girls thought Brown Eyes works. We used Delilah and Back-Up. Michael likes Shenolk, Oksana, Devushka, and Sabaka. Yeah, those are Russian names. We'll see what fits. Any suggestions? Votes?

PS Her floppy ears are definitely my favorite part about her.

*retraction

2011-03-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Ok. Davies?! Really!?
I hereby retract my words that "these boys don't disappoint." I am disappointed. But, my bracket stays the same.

Counting chickens...

2011-03-01T19:28:00.004-07:00

Michael and a person in our ward were talking about how exciting March is because of March Madness and brackets and all that. I was positive that brackets are overrated because I always put BYU going all the way and usually that puts me out in one or two rounds.

I'm trying not to jinx anything or count my chickens before they hatch, but I'm feeling like my faith is going to pay off a little more this March. At least this year when people down here see my bracket they won't say BYU who? And if you are reading this and not knowing why I have such faith in my cougars, turn on the news!

BYU is doing awesome! They are #3 right now and there's more where that came from. Jimmer and the boys are not disappointing. If you do not know who Jimmer is, shame on you. He has been scoring an amazing average of 27.3 points per game which includes so many three pointers. If you have seen any games, you know that he is pretty fly for a white guy.

These boys are not disappointing! So I say... bring on those brackets!

We got carried away...

2011-02-19T17:33:00.007-07:00

...by a hot air balloon!

My family got into town Thursday night at 11 PM, 12 PM and 1 AM. We were so excited to see them we didn't let them rest long. At 5:45 AM we left our house to take a sunrise hot air balloon ride. Super early. But I am so glad everything worked out that we all could go.

Hot air balloons are so cool! They are so huge! I was so fascinated watching them get all set up then inflated. Take off was nothing like I thought it would be. You cannot even feel it. All of a sudden you just see the ground getting farther away as you get carried away.

We kept saying that our ride felt like Soarin Over California only it was real and really awesome. I will admit that even the desert landscape has some beauty to it- especially from the air. It was a very relaxing ride and I love how picturesque everything is when a hot air balloon is involved.

The landing is a little bit more rough We landed upright after a few bumps. But then the winds started picking up and our gandola tipped over which made getting out a little more spicy.

It was still quite the adventure and I loved being there with my whole family. (Annie was there in spirit) It was a great way to start a weekend.

Saturday is a special day...

2011-02-13T12:51:00.004-07:00

...it's the day we get ready for Sunday.

I love productive Saturdays. It feels so good to see how much can be accomplished. Yesterday was one of those days. We have been working hard on a few projects around our house and it's so fun to see some of those efforts paying off.

We were so excited a few months ago when we got four trees for our backyard because it added some green to our dirt. Well, Michael has been working his little tail off to take our backyard from this:

To this:

I'm positive it is not easy to dig those trenches.

And finally...

Michael paved that patio himself, installed the sprinkler system, planted the grass-stinky job, planted the plants, hauled the rocks, etc. etc. etc... I love the way it turned out!

Granted, most of these projects took more than just one Saturday. But, now that it's Sunday, I can just rest on my own patio and as our nursery lesson today says, "I can be grateful for all the beautiful things Heavenly Father and Jesus created for me."

An affair to remember

2011-02-09T17:07:00.007-07:00

This weekend we went to the Glendale Chocolate Affair Festival. Great title. Great concept. Not as exciting as I thought, but we had these folks with us to make it and the rest of our weekend special.

We felt so bad because we have been talking up our beautiful, warm weather and we finally got the Walkers to visit and lo and behold it ends up being the coldest weekend Arizona has seen since the 1800s. Highs in the 40s?! Really?! Luckily, it warmed up each day so it wasn't as bad.

We had some great movie nights including "Moulin Rouge"- classic and "Step Up 3D"- not as great as the first or second- major bummer. We also enjoyed SO much good food. Bryson enjoyed bath time.

Saturday morning we recruited our guests to help us get this tree:

End up like this:

It meant that Michael and Bryce ended up looking like this all morning:

Brycen was such an adorable helper. It was like an Easter egg hunt for him. After awhile, he couldn't take the temptation and had mommy peel at least 4 to snack on right then and there.

Even after all that Brycen ate, we still ended up with 42 grocery bags full- from just ONE tree!

After a little over an hour we were pretty chilled, tired and a bit scratched up so we were ready to pack up and go. But Christi couldn't leave without getting herself some grapefruit too- no matter what. Mama's gotta have her grapefruit.

The rest of the weekend was spent playing games, exploring Arizona, eating, eating, and eating. Brycen spent a lot of time watering our plants.

We had so much fun with the Walkers. It was definitely a weekend to remember!

Can't help lovin' that man of mine...

2011-01-31T19:16:00.005-07:00

As previously mentioned, when I'm sick I get super whiny and out of it. It feels good to be getting back on track with my new years goals, catching up on my correcting and being able to think again. Now that my brain is thinking clearer, I feel a bit remorseful for not acknowledging some big news about this guy...

He is pretty amazing and one of the hardest workers I know. He really is a go getter. He really wanted an internship, so he went out and searched and found an amazing one with Honeywell. He worked his tail off all summer so that he could get a job offer. I'm a pretty lucky girl to have a husband who had a great job offer before his senior year even began!

Now having worked less than a year , he's going big! He applied to ASU for their MBA program which is in the top 10 in the country for his area. We worked super hard to get impressive GMAT scores and good contacts and references. And...he was ACCEPTED!

So just when I thought paying tuition was over, we are sucked back in! Woo hoo! Just the same, I'm very proud of that husband of mine! I need some good time consuming hobby ideas for those evenings he has classes...

Come What May and Love It

2011-01-23T22:20:00.002-07:00

I found myself waking up today (Sunday) groaning that the next time I woke up it would be Monday and I would have to go to work again. I couldn't believe that I was letting myself think that. It was very clear that I needed an attitude adjustment. Boy, am I blessed that I was able to go to church today and have some great perspective reminders. The real thought that came to me over and over through the day was from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin's talk, "Come What May and Love It." There's a great summary of it here and you can listen/watch/read the whole thing here.

"I know why there must be opposition in all things. Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives. We can learn to love it.

As we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure hardship and trial. We can say, as did my mother, “Come what may, and love it."

I guess that can include Mondays... :)

Blah...

2011-01-19T19:47:00.004-07:00

"I cannot go to school today. Said little Peggy Ann McKay. I have the measles and the mumps. A gash, a rash, and purple bumps."

-"Sick" by Shel Silverstein

Definitely one of my favorite poems still. And definitely true for little me today. I wish I didn't have to go to school tomorrow. I am so congested and foggy. I got hit with a cold and I so do not like it. I'm so bad at being sick too. I'm whiny and dramatic like little Peggy Ann McKay and I don't care who knows it.

Sad thing for me is that my poem does not end in it being Saturday and me going out to play. It doesn't even end with me not going to school. Because the real truth is that as a teacher it is far easier to go to school than it is to call in sick. Teaching isn't a job that you just "call in sick." You have to write sub plans which depending on the sub means that you basically need to script out your entire day so that your class still learns something- hopefully. You also need to include as much as you can about your students so that the class behaves well. You need to get your copies all ready. All of this with a head that feels like a watermelon is on it? I don't think so.

Here's hoping this is gone by Saturday.

The Spontaneous Life

2011-01-17T14:55:00.003-07:00

I forgot to tell about our way home from break. We made some lovely stops in Orem and Springville to see the Hardys and Pricketts. We saw our old house and the sad, Provo Tabernacle. Then we got on the road for real. We got to St. George and decided to stop for lunch at in 'n out. When we pulled off, I joked that we should stop at Tai Pan Trading and Michael actually said ok. Weird event #1.

Weird event #2 occurred when we actually got to In 'N Out after our Tai Pan detour. It's crowded- of course- and I found us a table for two so I sat down but Michael didn't. He was still kind of looking around the room which I thought was so odd and a bit frustrating because it's not easy to get a table.

Then weird #3 happened when Michael finally came over to me and said that we needed a bigger table. What?!

Well, luckily I looked up before I got frustrated with Michael's confusing behavior, because Keith and Tricia were standing right there! They had been driving back to Salt Lake from San Diego. So I guess they had been texting Michael back and forth since Beaver and found out we would both be in St. George around the same time. It was a fun surprise. So after we talked forever, we decided why don't we just stay and hang out?

At first, all of us were thinking the adult way and thinking that we should get back on the road and get home. But then, we thought- seriously? When would we ever be able to do this again without having to worry about kids? finances? you name it. So we found a fair priced hotel room, checked in and headed out for our St. George adventures. We went bowling in probably the oldest bowling joint I have EVER been to.

*Seriously- Acknowledge the ball return on the side of this picture of my husband's amazing bowling form...

We went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse- my first time ever. We enjoyed the hotel's indoor pool and hot tub and I got a new swimming suit since I hadn't packed mine. I guess that's a nice perk. And we enjoyed a red box movie from the comfort of our hotel room. When we woke up, we ate breakfast and got on the freeway going opposite directions. It was a short, incredibly spur of the moment trip, but so much fun.

PS It's 80 degrees here as I type so if anybody wants a spontaneous trip to visit, let me know!

I'm spoiled...

2011-01-12T21:39:00.003-07:00

When we first found out that we were moving to Arizona, more than one person talked about how awesome Arizona is. One of the most frequently used reasons was because if you get a bike for Christmas, you can actually go outside and ride it. Unlike wintery places like Utah. (This was never a real dilemma for me growing up in Utah because my birthday is in May.) But still, this year, I have been able to experience what bike rides in January feel like. And let me tell you they feel great. Especially since I get to cruise around on this totally awesome, vintage, 50s cruiser that Michael's dad restored and gave me for Christmas! Me gusta!

Absolutely adorable

2011-01-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

I read the book, "Flipped" by Wendelin Van Draanen a few years ago and I thought it was so charming. It's a darling story about a boy and a girl who were neighbors. Each chapter or so flip flopped sides of the story. One chapter from the girl's point of view, the next from the boy's. I thought the author did a good job keeping the story flowing. It was cute.

Now, I know I am not a true movie critic but I like movies. I do. I do. When I first saw that they made a film called, "Flipped," I wondered if it was the book. And if it was, I was VERY skeptical about it being as sweet as the book. So I didn't really pursue viewing it. Luckily, Will gave it to me for Christmas. I absolutely loved it. They changed it from the book to be set in the early 60s. I actually liked that it added some old school charm. It is just an endearing feel-good movie.

I encourage anyone who needs an enchanting movie to watch it. Let me know what you think of it.

The Holiday...part ii

2011-01-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

Having TWO weeks for Christmas break was a nice amount of time. We spent Christmas Eve with my family so we could have our traditional big dinner and our family's talent show around my mom's Nativities Christmas Tree. It was definitely nice to have Annie back for that this year since she and I play the most songs. I'm definitely glad Will and Melanie are getting better at the piano too. It makes the program a lot more varied. I don't have any pictures, but it is a tender tradition.

Christmas morning we woke up at the Shields house and opened up our presents. We were super spoiled this year by our families. We liked seeing Brycen open his presents this year. Opening presents is so much more magical with little kids.

The rest of the break we spent staying warm by the fireplace, eating, sleeping, Michael played WAY too much Mario Kart with Will and Victor. And, of course, what would visiting my family be if we didn't have some sibling's sports games to watch.

Mel-Mel is really good and fun to watch. I just think it is so funny that an Ostler girl is on the high school basketball team. We aren't exactly known for our height. But, Mel breaks all the similarities the rest of us have. She's awesome.

We also got to go on an awesome double date with these two...

and see these folks play...

It was so fun and I'm glad people will still double with us even though we're married.

We had a lot of fun over the break and although it went by in a flash, we loved every second we had. And now that I am thawing out in my warm state, it feels good to be back in AZ.

Fare Thee Well

2011-01-05T00:29:00.000-07:00

New Years 2010

Valentines Day Surprise- Vegas

Annie home from Romania

Michael Graduated from BYU

Chesterfield, ID

Home Owners

Leaving Provo

Awesome baseball games

Huntington Beach

Teaching at a New School

Chicago & Utah for fall break

It really was a great year last year and we are blessed that we enjoyed it with family and friends.

2010 has been nice to us. It's going to be hard seeing it go. 2011? Already? Really?

Introducing...

2011-01-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Tim Tam Slam.

Dear Americans,

You have been missing out. Never fear! In honor of the beginning of my New Zealand adventures exactly 4 years ago today, I am here to educate you about one of the finer things in life.

While I was in the beautiful country-

emphasis on BEAUTIFUL, they introduced me to the amazing biscuits (cookies) called Tim Tams. Obviously essential to the Tim Tam Slam. Normally, the fact that they are cookies in New Zealand would pose a problem to us in the states almost 7,000 miles away. Fortunately for us, Pepperidge Farms has made it possible for us to own without having to pay for international shipping. Woo hoo!

And now, for your tasting pleasure.

Step #1: Acquire said Tim Tams at Target. Santa also put a few packs in my stocking!

Step #2: Normally you would need

But, Hot chocolate can be substituted.

Step #3: Bite off a little bit of the cookie at each end.

Step #4: Suck the hot chocolate through the Tim Tam cookie. This melts the amazing goodness inside the Tim Tam. And makes it an awesome chocolate-y straw.

(I know it looks questionable, but it's worth it.)

Step #5: Slam the Tim Tam cookie in your mouth before it melts apart.

Step #6: Repeat and savor each Tim Tam Slam!

Fellow Americans, I have felt it my civic duty to enlighten and sweeten your lives with a little piece of heaven. Enjoy!

Respectfully yours,

The Kiwi American

PS While looking through New Zealand photos, I came across evidence of my very first Tim Tam Slam ever!

Awwww! Precious! I can't wait to see your Tim Tam Slam photos!

Oh there's no place like home for the holidays!

2010-12-29T18:12:00.007-07:00

Well, I did not get a white Christmas. But New Years is starting to look jam packed with fresh white powder! We sure are getting snowed in tonight. I'm glad we have these two weeks to share with our wonderful friends and families! We have been packing in the fun.

To start out, we surprised our families coming up early. The timing on that was awesome because it meant we had more time with them. We also were able to party with my roommates. (Yes, I am aware that I am married and have only one roommate now, but these ladies will always be called my roommates.)

Sorry not the best picture of Jason, but the point was about the girls and we're all smiling. Still love them!

We went to Zoo lights this year with Michael's fam. Our blood must be thinner because it was COLD! Thank heavens for two scarfs, a million shirts and a coat borrowed from Katie because Michael and I both didn't bring coats! Genius!

We met Dasher before his busy night.

I don't think antlers suit me.

I am a fan of Zoo lights. They did a good job with the blend of tree lights and lighted decorations. We saw some animals and they had hot chocolate and conveniently placed heaters. Highly recommended!

Our next adventures left Veronica looking like this:

I'm very impressed with the storing capabilities. You are looking at one bin of ski clothes, five pairs of skis and poles, two snowboards, two pairs of snowboarding boots, six pairs of ski boots, and a partridge in a pear tree. This car is definitely paying off.

We had an amazing day on the slopes. I have really missed my Wasatch mountains. Look how pretty!

There is more where that came from-

to be continued...

Winter Activities

2010-12-19T14:00:00.003-07:00

What CAN'T you do in AZ in the winter? Seriously we have been having some fun adventures that keep me thinking is it really December? We went to a drive in movie with friends one weekend. I love driven ins. It was the perfect weather to just sit outside and cozy up during a movie. I haven't done that in December before.

We also have been on a Co-ed softball team with a coworker of mine and his friends. We have had SO much fun. We've had two games every Friday night since the last week of October. Our first couple games were so hard because my legs felt like they were going to fall off- I swear they should not have been that sore. This past Friday was our league's championship game. Our win in the first game put us in the semi-finals and then we lost. We were super proud of ourselves for making it that far. I loved that we got to be on their team. I'm not used to softball being a winter sport!

Here's a picture of our team minus a few that couldn't make it. Team Yahtzee!

After our 8:30 game, we got on the road for Utah. We left our house at 10:00 PM. At about 2 AM Michael parked in a casino parking lot where we slept for about 3 hours and then we were back on the road. We told our parents we were not going to make it until next week so their faces were pretty priceless! So although I kind of miss the 70s temps we left, I'm glad I could possibly get my white Christmas afterall!

Tis the season...

2010-12-15T16:40:00.003-07:00

...to bake! I have to admit publicly that I really love the awesome goodies people can create over the holidays. My taste buds have not been disappointed this year. I wish I had some of the amazing creativity and patience and talent some folks have for their Christmas treats. But for now, I will stick to tradition.

These loaves take quite awhile to be finished. They aren't fancy schmancy and I don't wrap them in any adorable wrapping. But, I must admit I love the smell that fills up my house when those are in the oven. I love that I hand made them. And ultimately, I love that I got the recipe from the VERY worn 3x5 card of my mom's who got it from my grandma who got it from her mom. Talk about a family recipe!

Growing up, I was constantly walking over to my neighbors' houses to deliver my mom's freshly baked bread. This is my third year delivering my hot-out-of-the-oven-bread to our neighbors. I don't know why but this year's batches have not been the most gorgeous. I'm seriously having a fight with my yeast. Because of the ugly loaves that I've had to deliver, I called my mom in frustration. She reviewed my recipe gave me some tips. The second batch was better but still not out of control fluffy like I'm used to. She said call grandma. So I did. The whole conversation I kept thinking, man, I'm sure glad I have my grandma that I can call and ask her for advice. She sure is an amazing, sassy lady. I'm not going to lie, she and my grandpa are definitely one of our favorite couples to double with.

Moral of the story.... I love this time of year. I love traditions. And I love that I have so many amazing examples in my life.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2010-12-09T21:10:00.006-07:00

...well sort of...I'm not use to being able to enjoy old fashion ice cream while at a Christmas party in the backyard. Nor do I usually get in a swimming suit in December, but Arizona is changing lots of things!

At least our house looks like Christmas time. It sure felt different putting up Christmas decorations when the sun is shining, the grass is growing green, and it's a high of 76. Even though I don't have a fireplace to hang my stockings with care on, I still like having some.

It's been fun to find places in our house for our decorations this year. Even though we can't take weekend trips to see the lights at temple square, my parents sent a piece of Utah to us! The trees light up and everything! And I don't freeze my fanny off enjoying the splendor. Not a bad deal!

The first year Michael and I got married, I went to the wonderful Tai Pan and bought a ton of Christmas ornament balls. Michael thought I was crazy, but I sure love using them everywhere around our house.

What a wonderful time of year!

Time flies when you're having fun?

2010-12-01T17:24:00.005-07:00

Alright, I know that I am super guilty of always waiting for tomorrow and I count down to Friday starting Monday and sometimes Sunday night instead of enjoying the present. Weekends are just so good. I guess it is because of this that I have no idea what happened to November. Seriously, that went fast!

To be fair, I think the weather is still throwing me for a loop. It has been the coldest weather in Arizona for the past 75 years, but still, high of 60s and 70s is not December to me yet. So that might add to it.

Whatever the reason, Michael and I both have no idea where November went. We were trying to think of some of our "accomplishments" and things we did. The only big stuff we could think of was Thanksgiving and we were baffled about what happened to the previous 24 days of the month.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We were brave and had our first Thanksgiving without our families. Mine was in Vegas for a soccer tournament and Michael's went to California. Michael played his turkey bowl game and I thought how thankful I was that I didn't have to watch in 15 degree weather. Thankfully, we were not left without food. Friends from the ward invited us to their first Thanksgiving dinner without family.

It was wonderful and we sure are grateful that we have a good ward and good friends that include us. The Binghams did the big cooking and we brought some fixings. The food was so great and Amy had so many fun touches like our delicious place cards. Amazing holiday!

We had a big surprise on Saturday when the doorbell rang and we found Michael's family on the doorstep. I'm pretty sure that Phoenix is NOT a pit stop from anywhere so, boy, was it a great surprise! We played, shopped, and bbq-ed. (That's right, we're still bbq-ing down here.) After church on Sunday, they took off for Utah. It was short, but fantastic!

And now- December, here we come!

Thank You x 365

2010-11-25T11:22:00.004-07:00

I love that we have a holiday dedicated to being grateful. I read an article about a book that's coming out soon. The author was in the middle of a divorce, with a struggling business. Instead of dwelling on his misfortune, he decided to embrace an attitude of gratitude by writing one thank you note every day for a whole year. I'm kind of intrigued to read this book because I honestly feel that gratitude and humble service help to overcome any of life's challenges.

We really feel so blessed. We have so much to be grateful for. We have jobs, a house, a free nation, functioning cars, amazing friends and unbelievably supportive families. We are super thankful for the amazing food we get to eat on this holiday. We are also so grateful for the knowledge we have of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Our gratitude list goes on and on. And I'm really going to work on being aware of that list 365 days of the year and write a few more thank you notes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

did you know...?

2010-11-23T18:32:00.003-07:00

FYI- It's not Thanksgiving yet. I've been holding strong to my belief that I won't put up Christmas before Thanksgiving. I don't know why, but this year I've been super tempted to pull it out.

Maybe it's the fact that it's a high of 71 this week that keeps throwing me off. If the Christmas decorations are up, maybe it will FEEL like Christmas time- even though the weather is far from the white Christmas time I'm used to.

Ok, I'll admit, I have started listening to some Christmas music on the radio even though it's not Thanksgiving, but I'm still staying strong on the decorations and the wonderful movies. The amazing Christmas movies are what get me the most. So... to fight the intense desire to watch the "Home Alones" and "It's a Wonderful Life," I have been watching movies that remind me of Christmas time even though they are not entirely Christmas movies.

For example, "Harry Potter." Why do I feel Christmas-y watching those movies? I do not know. But I have been watching a few of those- including HP7! I still love my Harry Potter!

Another Christmas-y movie but not a Christmas movie that I watched lately is the wonderful "Meet Me in St. Louis."

It's absolutely wonderful and a musical. The best part is it has all the seasons in it, so I kind of crave watching this movie all year long. Did you know that "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" came from this musical? Because it did. So if you are in need of a great movie that can go with the awesome Christmas Classics, I seriously suggest you add "Meet Me in St. Louis."

...looking on the bright side...

2010-11-21T08:46:00.004-07:00

Never fear we have a Cafe Rio here. (It's only 40 mins away instead of every 10, but hey- it's still good.)

I think eating there for dinner after going to the beautiful Mesa Temple was pretty darn good medicine for the crappy week I endured. How blessed we are to have a place as wonderful as the temple to go to to escape the world and be reminded of the things that really matter. I'm grateful I know these truths.

We had a great day yesterday with the Baers. We went to an Art Festival in Scottsdale. We had gone to one in Litchfield Park a few weeks ago and LOVED it but we hadn't been able to stay very long. So we were super excited to hear about another one. Scottsdale's was much bigger, but more on the pricey end. I still loved being able to sip my strawberry lemonade as we walked around enjoyed some booths, people watched, avoided some awkward booths, and were creeped out by some- huge paintings of dogs in human bodies?! Really? Of course, my favorite part of the festival was the food. We had these amazing chips after I watched a man take out two real potatoes and put them on this awesome screw machine thing that cut them up in the awesome curly shape. Definitely worth it.

I think the amazing food throughout the day definitely helped my mini-golf game later that evening. I totally won the first 18 holes. And I got a hole in one as well as a few 6 putt maximum scores on the last 18- not as hot. But, still a great weekend.

"Always look on the bright side of life."

2010-11-18T16:51:00.002-07:00

I need to be honest. Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. I played school with my siblings and stuffed animals. I always said I was going to be a teacher. I took any class I could to be a teacher. And now...I am a teacher.

I love my job. I do. I do. But, boy oh boy, I sure do get sick of putting up with crap all day. I don't know if it's just one of those groups of kids or if I'm a burnt out teacher at the age of 24 (can that happen?!) or what. I swear I used to be able to not give reactions to my students, but this year, some of the students can really make my blood boil. I have had a few occasions where I get to the point where I feel like I'm either going to scream or break out crying. That's when our class has a heads down on our desk and think about the better choices we could have made time.

I promise I want to be a good teacher and I try to be a good teacher. I want my students to be able to make the decisions on their own without someone telling them exactly to do. Which is what most of my students this year are used to. I want to be able to help them. I have one student that is completely banned from saying, "I don't know." or shrugging his shoulders at me. He's done it so much that now if he does it, he has to say three nice things about himself. I have two other students who have officially and completely changed my perspective about medication and students with A.D.D. because they are totally different kids without their medicine. I have a student who calls out and argues with me about everything so much that they now have to take away a minute of recess for every call out and two minutes for every time they argue. (That adds up quite quickly) And for the ultimateness of crap I put up with each day, I have a student who will roll her eyes at me and have mini temper tantrums and get all huffy. Sometimes she's just great with no problem but then she'll start pouting about heaven knows what. I'll say in a very nice teacher voice, "student, (name omitted) you need to get on task." MANY times and she'll huff about something over and over and over again and say, "I can't". This happened so many times, that I finally had to say, "What can you do?! Problem solve. What CAN you do to figure it out?!" All the while trying not to scream or pull my hair out.

I feel like my lucky eternal companion gets the brunt end of my patience level. If he taps his toes or clicks his pen, I automatically ask in probably not the nicest tone, "CAN'T YOU JUST SIT STILL!?" Or he and I will be having a conversation in which he will politely say something and I will word vomit something like, "WHY ARE YOU TALKING BACK TO ME?!" Or he will ask me a perfectly harmless question and I will respond in teacher voice, "YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION!" I may or may not say a few other very teacher comments to my full-grown husband!

I know this is a super vent-age post, but it's just a bit frustrating. I guess weekends and Thanksgiving break can be added to my list of things I'm thankful for this month.

Like ants to a picnic...

2010-11-12T18:31:00.005-07:00

I'll tell you what- lately the streets around here have really looked a lot like this:

Because of the races that are going here this weekend:

And it's really starting to remind me of this movie:

Apparently to get to the Phoenix International Raceway, you have to drive down the main roads around my area.

People in our ward have warned us that sometimes traffic gets so bad on Sundays that we might not be able to just get across the main road to get to church...Really? We'll see how that goes.

All I have to say is I hope I don't see any of this:

11.11.10

2010-11-11T08:19:00.003-07:00

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest

appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

I saw this today and I think it really hits the spot on this special holiday. I'm very glad that my school recognizes the holiday so I can have the day off and because I honestly feel it makes me appreciate it more. It's definitely a holiday that can easily slip by without the recognition it deserves.

Thank you veterans for defending the freedom that I enjoy.

It's going to be legen-wait for it-dary!

2010-11-09T17:30:00.004-07:00

We may or may not have just booked a little trippy poo to here:

Here:

...here...

And other places in this region:

It's going to be pretty unbelievable... Thank you tax benefit.

The Out-of-towner

2010-11-07T09:43:00.007-07:00

Last weekend, we had our first official out-of-towner house guest- my mom! I LOVED having her down here. Some coworkers started making fun of me because all week I kept saying my mom's coming to town! My mom's coming to town! Well, I don't care what they say because I love my mommy and I don't care who knows it!

She flew in Thursday. Michael was able to pick her up from the airport.

His work is 5 mins away- so convenient. I raced home from my work to meet them at home. We were able to show her our house. She and my dad had a 2 hour lay over in Phoenix in July so they were able to see the starting of our house, but it was fun to show her our projects and our rooms without boxes everywhere. She spoiled us to dinner here:

It was delicious! What a great way to start out her visit! We then ran some errands- including an infamous jaunt to Wal-Mart as previously mentioned.

The next day, she came to school with me. My class was amazed that my mom was there and that she had a different name than me. (Mrs. Ostler vs. Mrs. Shields) I loved having her there because she can now fully understand when I talk to her about having a rough day. She was a big help with our Halloween party. She took on the hardest task of the donuts on a string. It was awesome.

Friday night she came and watched our first co-ed softball games. I felt bad because going and watching sports games is very much part of her daily routines, but I loved having her. And I don't want to talk about how sore I was the next day just from two softball games- yikes!

Saturday we dragged her to the nursery to help us pick out some plants for our backyard. She knows her stuff! We got all that we needed. She even spoiled us and got us some of these beautiful plants:

They are Gardenias and they are going to look beautiful! We then enjoyed the afternoon in Mesa with my uncle and my mom's college roommate. We finished up the evening with the Baers and the perfect scary movie for Halloween:

Sunday, she got to enjoy my Nursery class with me and all that that entails. Bless her for being there. Monday, I took work off and we went out shopping. Then the time came when we had to drop her off at the airport. Saying goodbye is definitely not my favorite thing to do, but it had been such a good weekend. I loved having her here. I loved being able to talk to her about anything and everything. She is one amazing lady. When I grow up, I want to be just like my mom!

money, money, money

2010-10-30T08:27:00.003-06:00

Let me tell you a little lesson about American currency. The twenty dollar bill looks like this:

A few years ago, my family went to the US Mint in Washington D.C. It was so fun and interesting to see how these valuable pieces of paper are made. The security features and everything. The other night, I learned a new security feature. Let me tell you about it...

I had a class party the next day so I needed to go get some donuts. My mom's in town -Hooray! More on that later- and she didn't want to go into the store with me. Michael didn't want to go into the store with me either. So they sent me alone. Michael gave me a twenty and I headed into the store.

24 donuts later and a few long lines later, I was in the express checkout line. I get up to the front, give the cashier my donuts and my twenty ready to go. She then takes the twenty Michael gave me and says, "I'm sorry. I cannot accept this. This is counterfeit money."

Seriously. What do you do when someone says that to you? All I could say was, "Are you serious?" The reason why I asked that was because when I was in line forever, I had the cash out and noticed this weird corner that kind of looked like someone had cut it weird. I thought to myself that would be weird if this was counterfeit... Nah that doesn't happen in real life.

Then I get to the cashier and that's what she says to me! Well, that was only money I had, so I had to call Michael to come in and use a credit card. She then informs us that she was able to "classify" our cash as counterfeit because Mr. Jackson didn't have any ridges on his jacket. Who knew?

The cashier then informs us that it's store policy to confiscate the "counterfeit" money. Michael is now a bit grouchy because my donuts were now $34. It was quite the disappointment. I was really worried because the only time we get cash is either from the ATM or money people give us because we sold something to them. Recently, Michael sold a cell phone on craig's list so he was worried that he had over $100 in counterfeit. However, he then realized that this particular twenty came from a birthday card sent to him by relatives!

Michael was worried that his relatives might have a bunch of counterfeit so he called them to tell them about the situation. He had to keep telling them, "No, you don't need to send me more... That's not why I'm calling...I just don't want you to have more counterfeit."

What a lesson! Now that you learned so much about the US currency, go check your twenties today! And I'll keep you posted on whether or not the secret service starts investigating us counterfeiters.

Fabulous Fall Break part 2

2010-10-20T18:53:00.007-06:00

The rest of Fall break was not disappointing. It was NOT easy to leave those beautiful FALL colors. I'm sorry, but AZ does not have seasons. Unless you count hot, hotter and hottest. It's currently hot season so if anyone wants to visit 80 temps, I have a place you can stay...

During the rest of the week we watched her:

(yes, that's my sister. and no, I don't know why she got the long, skinny legs, and yes, I do love their way cute jerseys)

Wednesday I was able to go to the elementary school I went to and talk to my amazing 4th,5th, & 6th grade teacher who is still there. Seriously, I still want to be her when I grow up. I got to spend the day with my mom. She is the best librarian ever. She really knows her stuff and I love all her book recommendations. (I know, mom, I still need to read, "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.") While I was there I also got to visit with one of second graders! He is now a 5th grader and goes to my elementary school! What a small world and it's starting

to make me feel old.

We were able to see some friends. I wish we could have seen everyone that we miss so much in Utah. Boy, do those few days fly by.

After 5 years, a marriage, a mission, a few graduations, lots of loving conversations about our outfits, we finally took some new family pictures. This is the only one I have so far. Michael took the picture though so it's not the complete family.

We also got to celebrate Michael's birthday here:

I wish I could have gotten a picture of my dad's face. He loved the go-carts a little too much. He did not love waiting for the workers to come and get him unstuck and he did not like his score in lazer tag. I guess we'll have to practice that later. It was great. And boy, did Camille not like being spun out! She's just not as great a driver as others. : ) Grandma had fun though...

I do love that our tokens were able to purchase these beauties:

It was a fabulous fall break and it nearly broke my heart to leave. I'm

sure glad the holiday season is right around the corner...

Fabulous Fall Break part 1

2010-10-17T21:19:00.005-06:00

After Chicago, my picture taking skills seriously deteriorated. But we had a great rest of the week nonetheless.

Monday we flew into SLC! It was great. We were coming in from our layover in Denver and the plane crossed into Utah Valley right over my dear Mapleton. It turned North and continued right over beautiful Hobble Creek Canyon, the Y on the mountain, our little Provo house (I swear I saw it.) We then continued flying along above I-15 where Michael and I counted the temples as we saw them. It was the perfect way to be bring me home. So thank you Southwest Pilot.

That night we had a great birthday dinner for Michael with his family. The next morning- DEMOLITION. Michael enjoyed ripping out A LOT of walls inside because the kitchen is getting updated.

My HGTV self loves watching the unbelievable project the Shields are undergoing. I wish I had before pictures, but their house used to have a flat roof. It was custom made in the 70s and all that that implies. They added the slant roof, cornices and a big family room/ master suite addition to the back. And they are going to put windows in the front and update the facade. It looks awesome.

Everyday we were there included drastic changes!

It was so much fun to be there and help. (Michael obviously was more crucial than I.) It was a great addition to our Fall Break.

...and all that jazz

2010-10-10T14:07:00.009-06:00

1st adventure of Fall Break takes us to...

Seriously...what an awesome city! It is a gorgeous skyline.

It was so fun. We're glad we had these folks to show us the town:

This is how I felt about being on Fall break finally! (Have I mentioned that I've been waiting for fall break?!)

The city reminded me of so many wonderful movies...

While You Were Sleeping:

My Best Friend's Wedding:

Ferris Bueller's Day off:

(I'd like to think this is where the parade was.)

Return to Me, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Fugitive, Home Alone, Sleepless in Seattle, This list goes on and on. No wonder I like this city so much!

We ate here:

(So cool looking!)

We had REAL Chicago pizza!

(SO amazing Michael used good manners.)

We saw amazing sites:

(My childhood dream!)

Lots of artwork:

("If you're going to commit to this you are going to have to open up...bare that beautiful soul...let me see your teeth.")

It was a delightful day!

It's finally here

2010-10-01T08:48:00.000-06:00

Black nails October is finally here. I have been waiting for October for sometime. Reasons for this include:

-My fall break starts next week. 7 Days and counting...

-Trip to Chicago next weekend

-Trip to Utah for a week- yes!

-Hubby's B-day

-Halloween

-Hopefully cooler temperatures in the AZ

-CONFERENCE!

-Black nails

-Seeing family and friends

-Starting out the holiday season

-And a whole bunch of other adventures

Black nails October has been a roommate tradition for some time now and it's fun to look forward to. It's a great way to bring in October!

Bummer Summer

2010-09-23T09:11:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to lie, with temperatures still above 100. I officially say good riddance to summer. It was taken early from me anyway with school starting Aug 2. So now that I am 35 days into the school year, I say the heat can leave as well. I'm still waiting for those temps that make people like living in AZ. Start convincing me...

Homesickness

2010-09-22T20:12:00.000-06:00

So I will confess that I am usually a bit homesick for this place:

(Go Figure)

However, lately, I have also had a bit of homesickness for this heaven on earth:

Especially since when we were in Snowflake (as previously mentioned) I found this beauty:

That is the closest thing that I've found to this beauty in America:

(The Big Bikkie)

It's so wonderful. We ate many of those. We even played many rounds of "Big Bikkie. Oh yeah. Big Bikkie #1. #1 Big Bikkie." Classic.

(I love everyone in this photo! So many stories could be told just from this photo.)

The American version wasn't as good, of course, but it was a good tide me over until I get to have my beloved Big Bikkie again.

Double your pleasure, double your fun...

2010-09-21T21:33:00.000-06:00

Almost a year ago, Michael and I enjoyed a trip to Snowflake, AZ.

Year two, we doubled the fun with these folks:

We're glad the Baers joined us for our secret escape from the still 100+ degree weather. (It's September- Does it really have to be that hot?!?)

We enjoyed serving in the temple.

Dining at the Skillet. They had the BYU game on- thus the boys couldn't be bothered to look at the camera. This was also at the beginning of the game, otherwise our faces wouldn't be so chipper.

The boys enjoyed some golfing.

The girls enjoyed the cart ride. It really is an awesome course and that's coming from a non-golfer.

So many, many pictures.

We took the scenic route home that has incredible cliffs and the boys just couldn't get golf off their minds.

It ended up being a very good pit stop because we realized that the Baers' keys were left in Snowflake. We're glad we noticed before we were all the way back. Luckily, it's such a small town that we were able to get a hold of the chief of police who conveniently knew who runs the golf course, thus enabling us to get the keys back. Good times!

PS I love the weekends!

Coming soon...

2010-09-19T21:49:00.002-06:00

I feel a project coming on...

The house that Craigslist built...

2010-09-06T17:27:00.006-06:00

This is the room craigslist built...

Entertainment Center- Really came from KSL but close enough- Our movers were not happy moving this solid piece around...

32" TV to fit in the entertainment center-

Our coffee table (I love the legs)

... and our end tables

Plant stand- I don't like this plant on it, but it works for now and even though it seems so simple, new plant stands are REALLY expensive. This one's vintage from the 40s too- cool story.

REAL leather chair- And yes, it's as comfy as it looks. Don't believe me, come try.

We needed something BIG and not bulky but 8' fake trees are $300+ in stores. Woot for a fraction of that!

It's fun piecing things together and finding good things that are affordable. Craigslist sure has a lot of crazy things, but if you keep your eye on it- there are some great things on there.

Wonderful Date Night

2010-09-03T12:05:00.006-06:00

This is one of my favorite restaurants:

This is one of my favorite past times:

Date night is my favorite night of the week:

On Thursday, Michael won a gift certificate to Macaroni Grill at a raffle at his work courtesy of Honeywell. On Friday, he won tickets to the movies by being caller number 12 on the radio station KNIX Country. So now we get to go on an amazingly-inexpensive, wonderful date night!

That's my husband!

Happy long weekend everyone!

Playing with Fabric

2010-08-31T22:00:00.004-06:00

We have been having some fun going to JoAnn's lately. We started with a headboard that I'll show some pictures of later. But, that project led us to this project...

Before:

After:

We got this new kitchen table after lots of really picky hunts. I just wanted a little bit more flavor. The project was actually pretty painless. The fabric was on sale, plus I got a 50% coupon and a teacher discount (SWEET!) so to cover all 8 chairs it was under $20. Which is great because I won't feel guilty in a few years if I want to change it again.

We just took the seat off of the chair legs. Then we covered the cushion and used a staple gun to keep the fabric there. And voila! We have new kitchen chairs! What do you think?

seriously not cool...

2010-08-24T17:32:00.003-06:00

In anticipation of the release of this book:

I pre-ordered it with a gift card from here: (Thanks Julie!)

Knowing very well that I would have to have slept the night before so that I could teach. Thus, not getting the book at midnight.

I was able to bear my students' incessant chattiness and general disregard for manners all day because I knew that waiting for me at home would be this book:

However...it is STILL not here. Come on certain mail carriers that wear brown...where are you?! I know you are in transit because I have been frequently checking my tracking number. The only thing brown can do for me right now is get me my package!!.....please.