Grad School

So as I sit here on a Friday night, doing absolutely nothing, I decided it was probably time to update the blog. So here goes. Nothing much as really warranted a blog post, but I did decide what to get my masters in. Yay! I decided to just do a traditional Masters of Education from SUU. I loved their education program and decided they were the best route for me. Granted it was more because they didn't require the GRE because I had a high enough GPA, but we're not telling them that. :)

I will most likely begin in June. I missed the deadline for winter semester. I will do classes mainly online and through EdNet and get an endorsement in English as a Second Language at the same time for $15 a credit. I'm pretty stoked. I've been throwing ideas about my masters through my head for the past 11 months and am finally settled on a degree. Right now, just a regular ed. Possibly an administration endorsement later or a doctorate degree but right now, masters degree will be achieved by 28!

Here Comes the Bride...

On June 26, we had my little brother's wedding in the backyard. My fourth wedding in a month. Wow! Talk about stress on my mom, along with other family issues, but all in all it turned out well. His fiance's name is Alicia, from Chicago, and they met up in Salt Lake in November. It turned out really pretty and quite a few people turned out to show their support. We had both the reception and the ceremony in our backyard. They plan on being sealed in the temple in a year. Kudos to mom to pulling it off and kudos to them!

Ryan and Alicia

Kissing the bride

Poore family

Mom and Ryan

Me!

Mom and the boys

My good lookin' brothers

Lake Powell

For the first time, I finally got a chance to go to Lake Powell. And it was just what I needed. Relaxation away from life and the chance to meet new people. It was a lot of fun. I drove up from STG, on a Sunday, arrived at 8PM, and stayed through Wednesday morning. We wake boarded, water skied, jet-skied, tubed, lounged around the houseboat, and slept on top of the houseboat under the stars. It was really pretty; although, the sun gets up way too early without any mountains to block it. Wake boarding 8AM

Dancing on the boat...notice the guys behind us :)

Chilling on the boat eating Otter Pops (I ate so many)

I had one of the guys take me out on the jet-ski, and before we were even out of sight of the houseboat, maybe 2 minutes, he dumped me into the lake and himself by flipping it. He ended up partially sinking the jet ski and it wouldn't start. I just layed in the lake laughing hysterically. They had to tow it back to the houseboat with the other jet ski and ended up spending an hour fixing it. I showered while they fixed it :)

I wake boarded again which I was totally stoked about. I hadn't wake boarded since 2008 and was afraid I wouldn't be able to get back up again. I didn't have the chance to get to the lake last year so it had been about two years since I had been; but, I got right up and did quite well the first day. The second day I didn't do so well because I was so sore. I woke up that morning and I swear every muscle in my body ached. But luckily we had enough guys willing to give us massages. :) I spent the entire time with no make-up on, one shower in 3 days, my hair piled on top of my head, and my days spent in a swim suit. Loved it! I hope to be able to do it again next summer!

2nd day wake boarding

My crash....

Mexican Riveria Cruise

Two days after school let out we left to the country. Yes, finally. I left the mainland as I call it. The family took a week long cruise to three cities in Mexico. I thoroughly enjoyed most of it minus the rocking of the ship. My stomach didn't handle it too well. We hit Cabo San Lucas, which I think was the most beautiful place, Mazatlan, the most irritating because of all the vendors, and Puerto Vallarta, where we hit the jungles of Mexico.

Staircase in our dining room

Arriving in Cabo

Just sailing along

In Cabo San Lucas, we walked the streets looking around and then took a glass bottom boat out to a 'lover's beach" and snorkeled. All of us minus Mom came out with battle wounds from snorkeling. After I got thrown into the rocks while snorkeling, I didn't really go back out. I also had a difficult time relaxing with my head under water trying to breathe at the same time. But it was a gorgeous place.

At Lover's Beach

My battle wounds which turned into a nasty scar

Pulling into Cabo

In Mazatlan, we did most of our shopping. There were vendors all over the place, and no matter where we went, we were bombarded to buy something. I felt really bad because I knew this was some of the people's only income, so as my brother's put it, "I got hosed."

This boy was walking around the beach looking for people to pay to take pictures with his iguana. As he walked away another vendor said, in broken English, "quick, take picture now." This got the kid's attention and Jeremy snapped it right as he turned around. Notice the disgusted look developing on his face...the other vendor then laughed and said, "he got picture; didn't have to pay." lol

Puerto Vallarta was the most fun place for us. We did an outdoor adventure in the jungles where we rappelled and zip-lined through the jungles, It was so much fun. The guides we had were hilarious and we had a great time with them. Mom was sure she was going to die on this excursion but she made it through!

Funny story about this: I ended up kicking one of our guides in the shoulder as he shook me on a zip line so to get back at me, he dropped me 15 feet into the water. So as he was helping me up, the girl taking the pics told me to pull him in. So I did and here's both of us in the water.

I had trouble on this one; I get slipping and slamming into the rocks...

First Zipline

I have decided I prefer air and land travel due to the lack of liking all of the rocking on the boat. But I highly recommend a cruise once in a lifetime. Our attendants and servers were so nice; and he food was amazing. All you can eat! We had a great time.

Mother's Day

I did forget to write about this. I had Mom send me some pictures that we had uploaded to create a DVD of Dad for the funeral of pictures throughout his life. I had her send me one of the day I was blessed when I was a baby and one of their hands when they were married showing their wedding rings. I turned both of them into black and white and touched up by a friend and then made 8x10's of them on the computer and gave to her for Mother's Day. The one of their hands really had special meaning for her after an experience she had with his wedding ring in the temple. I'm grateful for my mom and everything she is and has become for us. She's stronger than she realizes and is such a strength to each one of us kids and I don't know what I do without her. She is my strength, my mother, and my best friend.

"School's Out for the Summer"

All I have to say is hallelujah! It has been a long year and I can't exactly say 2009 was fun. I have enjoyed the majority of my classes and will miss quite a few of my students this year. I have enjoyed having a lot of them and the laughs I get each day. I always say, after I go to work, that I never have a dull day and each day is never the same. Although I teach the same stuff sometimes 5 times a day, each period is different. Sometimes I get to the point where I can repeat the handouts I have, but overall I really do love teaching. My goal one day is to get to the high school level. I student taught at Dixie High and loved it. And probably starting in 2012, I will begin my masters in administration. I am starting in the fall to take some classes working towards my social studies composite endorsement which will allow me to teach geography, history, sociology, psychology, government, and economics. 21 credits and then I can attempt to pass the Praxis test :)

I do have some fun things planned this summer. I'm going on a cruise Sunday to Mexico with the fam which I am so stoked about. (I'll make sure to post pics) Ryan is getting married at the end of June so I'll be spending some time in STG. Texas is in the middle of July; my cousins live there so I'm going for a week, and then right when I get back, on to Idaho to visit Grandma and Grandpa Lords. So needless to say, I'll be traveling the West this summer and I'm excited!

Single Mess

My roommate sent this to me and she had found it on one of her friend's blogs so I wanted to post it because it's totally how I feel! We love you married people and are happy for you, but quit bugging us about marriage! :)

Common Misconceptions About Us Singles
(mostly the Mormon kind)

By Taren and Julianna (Check her out. Cause she's my roommate and she's awesome. And single.) Oh, and the many conversations had with Katelin (Hi Katelin!) concerning the topic of our single mess have been the source of much inspiration... just thought I should throw that out there... um, okay.

1. When we say we're fine -- we're doing great, it's all a clever ruse. In fact, we don't keep knives or other abnormally sharp objects around the house because by the time we get home after a long day we're just so gosh darn lonely and down in the dumps that the temptation to end it all is JUST TOO GREAT!

2. We define ourselves by our relationship status. Quite the contrary. You define us by our relationship status.

3. If we could just become the right person, then we could find the right person. Let's kick that theory in the butt right now, shall we?

4. That anyone with half a brain thinks or acts anything like those DB's over at Mormon Bachelor Pad, or the losers they "date".

5. That we are incapable of progressing past a 17-year old level of spiritually and/or responsibility. Adult supervision is necessary at all times. Even ward activities would take a turn for the worse, and mass pandemonium would ensue if the old marrieds weren't around to mold our feeble young minds. How can a single person possibly be expected to calculate the correct amount of rice krispy treats needed to feed 30 equally troubled youth? In all seriousness, it's like I've been attending an never-ending EFY session... for the past 7 years, and this time there is no guarantee that I will ever be able to get the hell out.

6. That we worry. Without constants reassurance and wise advice from 22 year-old newlyweds we would surely be lost in the valley of the shadow of death, unable to perform our day-to-day activities, always thinking in the back of our minds "WHEN? WHEN?! WORRY!!!" But here's the thing married people of the world: you're still not sure about a lot of things in your life, but you know that everything will work out. That things will work out according to God's timetable. Single people have this same assurance. Genius!

7. We're just so darn sexually frustrated. Grrrrrrr. At any moment we might A@#$@#$!!!!!L;KSJDFAOIEJNFDJ%&%*ADPIUPEWNVPOQWPOI##$##AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

8. I'm approaching 25 and I still enjoy such activities as miniature golf. Bowling. Nicklecade. Laser tag. Classic Skating. Scavenger hunts. Mafia. Disney Scene It? WHEN WILL IT END? I don't know of any married person who enjoys scavenger hunts. Why does my lack of husband make me any different?

9. Both of the single people you know will of course be perfect together, based on their singleness alone. If nothing else, at least they can bond over their love of miniature golfing and their lack of sextivities. As single as your bald and greasy, 36 year-old Dungeon and Dragon's playing co-worker may be, I just don't think he's the right guy for me.

10. That we don't want to get married. If leaders and concerned citizens didn't constantly remind me that I should be married, the thought would leave me and I'd sit alone in my apartment all day, surrounded by empty twinky boxes and Cosmopolitan magazines, glorying in the eternal singlenss of it all and lack of obligations. As much as I do love a good Twinky...

11. That we must be turning down opportunities right and left. That we turn up our nose to every potential suitor. That we don't "try" hard enough. Believe me, I could get married tomorrow if all I wanted was to be married. The bottom line is I don't want to marry just anyone. I want it to happen for me the same way it happened for you. Should I have to "try" to fall in the love with someone because I'm 24 and my biological clock is ticking? The only reason you're married is because you met the person you wanted to marry. It's a simple as that, really. Wouldn't you agree that it might be possible for someone to make it all the way to the rip old age of 27 without that opportunity ever presenting itself? Well? Do you?!


The biggest misconception of them all:

All hope was lost until the Ensign brought me this picture of anxiously engaged young adults from various ethnic backgrounds, who prior to posing for this picture weere, no doubt, singing hymns at the local nursing home.

Nothing brings hope like knowing you are counted among the likes of such exemplary individuals.

The End.

(Clever title? Eh? Anyone?... It's like singleness, only singlemess. Bahahahaha. I kill myself.)

New Puppy!

My mom is a grandma again...well, with puppies. She says she's destined to be only a grandmother to puppies because all her kids are slacking on the marriage and baby thing. She is a little brown and black chihuahua named Roxie. She is four months old; the family has only had her for a little over a week, and already she is a spoiled little princess. She gets kinda skiddish around new people but feed her some yummy food and she will be your best friend. One of her favorite things to do is burrow under the blankets and take naps. We had a pitbull puppy visiting with one of Ryan's friends this weekend and she DID NOT like her at all. Towards the end of the weekend, they kind of got along; but she would yip and bite at the other puppy. I think mainly she was just scared of her. Every time the pitbull would come running down the stairs, she'd run towards me or mom to save her. I'm already in love with her and am ready to take her home. Though the allergies and asthma haven't fared so well this weekend...

Spring Has Finally Sprung!

I have been waiting forever for the snow to melt and get warm. I feel like this winter has been so long. I spent the weekend with the fam in STG for conference and my spring break and when I left, it was snowing. It's not as warm as I would like it to be down here right now, but it's tons better than snow. When UVU was on there spring break, I spent some time with my friend Sydney and we went and flew kites! I can't remember the last time I flew kites and it was so much fun. I think the last time I flew kites was sometime when I was in high school. There are a couple of pictures of us flying our kites. I got a princess kite :) It makes me happy. Sometimes, it's just fun to revert back to being a kid. I don't do that very often because I teach kids for my career. Below are some pictures of me and my kite-flying experiences. I actually did get it stuck in the tree once and had a time getting it out. But I got it out without me ripping it! SUCCESS! We spent some time playing on the swings as well. I used to spend a lot of time a park called Vernon Worthen Park when I lived in STG. I would go there during my breaks from work and when I needed to think I would go sit on the swings. I think I need to start doing that again...

me on the swings!
Sydney and me on the swings

my kite stuck in the tree :(

me and buddy the dog