Ending the Year

I promise, I do plan on posting about Christmas and our trip to Eagar. Pictures on currently on my camera and are itching to be placed on a post. However, my computer got a really bad virus on Tuesday and I haven't used it since. Josh had to hurry and save the files that are most important to me and then wipe my computer clean. I haven't used it since and he said that I should give it a break. I'm hoping to put my new pictures on my computer soon... like Sunday. I the mean time I thought that I would blog about the past year because I think that I need a year in review. Maybe it will help a little. Anyway... I thought that I would list the high points as well as bad points of the year. Maybe I'll mention a few of my New Year Goals (a.k.a. resolutions). I thought that I would be a little different with the term goals.



HIGHLIGHTS
* Student taught at Gilbert Junior High. I blogged every week about that. Student teaching was a huge adventure and a lot of fun too!
* Graduated from NAU in May. The trip was disastrous but at the same time a trip to remember.
* First out-of-town trip with Josh... that was a disaster. ***See graduation note
* Received a teaching job that I love. I GET TO TALK MATH ALL DAY!!! It is so awesome.
* Nominated for Rookie of the year at my school. I don't know if I won or not but I do feel very privileged to be nominated. That deserves a note.
* Josh started school and doesn't have to work (unless he really wants too).
* Celebrated the first year in our house. It is slowly being improved which makes me happy.
* Planted a garden for the first time. Well, Josh did everything. We even had a huge surplus of lettuce that we handed out to family and friends from our ward.
* We had a great year in primary learning about families. The primary kids tend to amaze me with how big their testimony is. It seems as though I cry from being about to feel the spirit as they learn. (Mostly through song). I guess that I should also mention that I got another piano player. Now I get to go to Relief Society every other week. It's scary but I'm slowly getting used to it.
* Went to Eagar of Christmas break! Josh and I were able to play in the snow (for about 5- 10 minutes) until I froze. I thought that I would come back frozen but I survived. To me, that is very exciting.
* The evil cactus is gone from our mailbox. Yeah, I got hit by it twice.
* We celebrated our one year anniversary at the beginning of the year.
* I lost about 28 pounds this year. I went down about 2 pant sizes. Maybe I'll post some before and after pictures later.

LOWLIGHTS
* Josh lost his job a week before I graduated from NAU. The good part is that he was able to get more time off for graduation.
* Did you hear about the graduation disaster?
* Cactus's are very evil. It destroyed my awesome blanket that Billy and Hannah gave to us for our wedding. It also got one of my favorite skirts.
* Huge hot water heater leak. It's a good thing that we have a Home Warranty... or did.
* The air conditioning broke DURING THE SUMMER. We didn't have to get it replaced but it was very hot in our house for awhile. We spent the night out at my parents house so we could actually sleep. Thanks dad for fixing it!
* My computer got a really bad virus. It had to be wiped clean (as mentioned earlier). I have had it for 5 years now... that isn't too bad.
* Major car problems. My radiator was really bad therefore making it overheat a lot. Yeah, it happened in the summer so at some points I was driving with the heater on and the windows rolled down. It was about 108 degrees outside at the time. Once again... thanks dad for fixing it!
* I have felt on multiple occasions that I have lost my friends and now I have none (that are not family members). I don't feel included half the time and I am about ti just give up on even trying to hang out with those people.
* Josh's best friend Billy lived with us for a month and a half. It was the worst month and a half of my life. It didn't help that I was stressed about a new job as well as my car falling to pieces.

GOALS
* Fix the garage door. We will have to see what happens on this one. We will wait to see what happens when we get our 2009 taxes back.
* Paint the house. It really needs a new coat of paint. I think that I am going to keep it the same color because I really like it... we are just going to freshen the paint. You'll probably know when that happens.
* Go to Disneyland. Josh and I were inspired by Paula and Evan's late Honeymoon that we decided that we want to take one. So, during Spring Break this year we may go to Disneyland. Once again, it depends on our 2009 taxes.
* Get rid of the cactus in front of our house. They are dieing so why not take them out. We are then going to plant some rose bushes in front of our window. We'll see how well that really goes.
* Stay the same weight that I am now. We'll just have to see about that one. If I lose 7 more pounds I'll be my ideal weight but then again I'm okay where I am at now... so I'm good at maintaining.
* Survive my first year of teaching. Well, I only have 5 months left so that one will be easy to complete.
* Get Josh on the right track for school so that way he can graduate sooner and begin working. Although he likes school, he prefers working full time (I think).

All in all we have been greatly blessed by our Heavenly Father. Yes, we have had our rough patches but I think that the blessing out weigh everything else. I couldn't have made it through the year without my family, as well as Josh. Let just hope that this next one is filled with more blessings and more opportunities to serve others!

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... I have had a nice break from blogging over the past few weeks. It was hard to take a break because I enjoy blogging so much but it was great!

2. The truth is... Christmas came and went too fast for me. Now I have to go back to school on Monday and I really don't want to go back.

3. The truth is... making snowmen is hard to do. More on that to come later.

4. The truth is... spending time with Karen's kids makes you not want to have kids. They are really cute but it is the perfect birth control.

5. The truth is... I don't know what to do for my new years resolutions. I know most people try to get in shape and lose weight but I've already lost weight. Does anyone have any ideas of what I can do?

Once There Was A Snowman

When in the "Valley" and you cant build a snowman then you make a snowman movie.

Taking a Break

Last night I decided that I needed to take some time off of blogging. I love writing on my blog and looking at others (to see what other people I don't talk to are doing) but recent events have told me that I need to take a break. So, for all of my awesome readers, good luck without a post from me in awhile. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I do need a break from my online journal. For now, enjoy a picture of our awesome Christmas tree.
** On a side note it feels like our first Christmas in our house and as a married couple. Last year we just barely moved in a week before so we didn't have time to do much. This year (so far) is a lot better.

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... I don't have any ideas for some truths.

2. The truth is... I love my job!

3. The truth is... Josh and I put up our Christmas tree already. I'm not used to having it up so early.

4. The truth is... I was worried that Josh wouldn't have put up lights on the house. He did!

5. The truth is... sometimes in order to get Josh to do something I have to start doing it myself or bother him about it. I thought that he was different from most of my brother-in-laws but sometimes I wonder how much they have rubbed off on him.

Car Show

Every year my dad is able to get some free tickets to the Thanksgiving weekend car show here in Phoenix. We normally go as a family but this year we were unable to. However, I was able to get four tickets and Josh and I went with a coworker and his family. It was a lot of fun! There was not as many cars as I remember but that is totally okay! We got to see a lot of really cool cars and we had a lot of fun!This is me in my one and only Toyota Highlander. I was able to sit in it and really take a good look at it. I cannot wait to be able to buy one in a few years. The one that I am sitting in is the hybrid but Josh and I are okay with getting just the Sport (we like it better and it happens to be less expensive). The Highlanders that they had there had a third row in it so I could see what it would be like with a third row. I LOVE IT! Once again, I cannot wait to get my own!

Me in an awesome convertible! It was really comfortable but difficult to get out of. I want to think that it was a Mazda but I don't really remember. I just thought that it was beautiful.
Josh looking like a giant in this car. Once again, I don't remember what type of car it was.

I told Josh to take this picture just for Kaiden. It is the Bumble Bee Transformers edition of the Camero. It was hard to get this picture because everyone was drooling over the car. However, I thought of Kaiden and I know he loves Transformers so I forced Josh to take a picture. I know, I'm so nice.

Jeep also had a course so you can experience the off-roading feel of the different Jeeps. At first we thought that you could drive them but we were unable too. However, you can ride in them as the Jeep experts talk to you about the different features. It was really cool and very different. It's a good thing we got there when it opened because the line wasn't that long. I tried to get some video and pictures but for some reason my camera didn't take them.

I love going to the car show every year but I always walk away wanting my Toyota Highlander. I'm getting closer every year! Once again, it was a total blast and definitely worth the free tickets!

Thanksgiving Rolls

I was so excited because this year for Thanksgiving I was able to make rolls. Josh and I ate with his family (it was their turn) and so I volunteered to make some rolls. I was so excited because I was able to use my Kitchen Aid mixer for the first time EVER! I started them Wednesday night. I thought that they were going to be really simple but I should have read the recipe before deciding anything. I had seen my mom make them many times so I thought that I knew what to do. Apparently I didn't. I did the yeast part wrong. I guess that you are supposed to activate the yeast then add the ingredients to it. I activated the yeast and then mixed it in with the ingredients later. Not good, I know. I had a breakdown. It's a good thing Josh was home to help me. This is him kneading the dough. As well as the big blob of it. We had a lot of fun cleaning our very large mess when it was all over. After about an hour and a half my mom called to check up on me (she knew about the meltdown) as well as the rolls. I told her that the dough was kind of rising but slowly. She suggested to place it by the oven when it was on warm. That definitely helped a lot! After rolling them out and getting them ready I placed them in the freezer overnight. I then let them rise a second time (to unthaw and rise). They didn't rise much the second time but I decided to try baking them. They turned out good (despite all the issues). I was so happy. Josh's mom LOVED them and has deemed me the designated roll maker for every Thanksgiving. That made me really happy. We had a lot left over so I let her take some and we have a gallon-sized bag left here at home. It was my first time making them but they turned out great. I cannot wait to bake more things with my Kitchen Aid!

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is..All the hype of Thanksgiving is gone for me. I'm officially on my five-day vacation and the excitement is gone. Don't get me wrong, I want Thanksgiving to be here but for some reason all the excitement is gone.

2. The truth is... I had my students make a Thanksgiving card today. They had to plot the points to create the turkey (which is where the math comes in) and then they colored and cut it out and made a card. I made one too!

3. The truth is... Josh and I are going to the car show with one of my coworkers and his wife. I'm a little excited but nervous at the same time. Maybe I'll post some pictures... if I remember to take any.

4. The truth is... I get to make rolls for Thanksgiving. I'm kind of surprised that Josh's mom allowed me to do so. Nonetheless I'm excited for something normal at my Thanksgiving dinner. Not only that but I get to use my Kitchen Aid for the first time.

5. The truth is... Wendi (my sister) has used my Kitchen Aid more than I have. She's had it for over a year now! (But I haven't needed it until now so it's ok!)

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... sometimes it is hard for me to comprehend the Plan of Salvation. I know it is true it just is a little hard to really think about too long because its hard to see past this world. Is it just me?

2. The truth is... Josh is ready to end the semester. He wants better teachers. I'm ready to end too but for other reasons.

3. The truth is... having last Wednesday off spoiled me. No I don't think that I can make it through this week.

4. The truth is... Cutes (mini oranges) are really good. I don't like the big oranges but I can eat about 3 Cuties in a sitting. They are really tasty, easy to eat, and easy to peel!

5. The truth is... I don't know what to get Josh for Christmas. Does anyone have any ideas?

Zoo Trip

At the beginning of the school year I received some tickets for the zoo from the district. Why? I don't know, but I was excited because that meant a free trip to the zoo! I got three so we have one more (if we want to do again) although we have to pay for the other person. I'll admit I don't care. Anyway, we started out early leaving around 8:15 to eat some breakfast. We ate at Cracker Barrel because it is really good. (On a side note they has a really cute Christmas Penguin cookie jar. He was really cute and fat, but we don't need another cookie jar so we left without it.) Anyway, we finished around 9:00 and went to the zoo. Josh thought that it was weird to be there shortly after it opened but when we left he realized why we went when we did. There were no parking spaces! We spent about 2 hours at the zoo and pretty much walked around the whole thing. Pathetic and sad, I know. We did have a great time and what made it so great was that it was free! We also got some great pictures (not together) but we have some pictures of things that we are doing with us in them. Anyway, enjoy some of the awesome pictures we took!















The person that was pulling this wagon was really annoying us. They walked slow and took up the whole path (it was the children's path) so they really made me mad because we couldn't pass them!















I was really disappointed I couldn't get a picture with the giraffes. They were all at the new giraffe encounter and you can feed them and pet them. However, it costs money and we didn't want to pay any extra. So, I took a picture by a zoo lights giraffe.















This is me hugging Olloch from the book Fablehaven. Josh thought that he was really cool.















Josh feeding Olloch. After you feed him he comes to life and tries to eat you. I'm a little worried about him being eaten now. Not only that but he "gave" him a really good cookie.















This is the wrong was too. Sorry. This is me trying to be a flamingo. I was wearing white and pink so I fit in really well.















Josh had to see the bug turtles so I thought that I would take a picture of him with them. They were far away from the fence so it is a little hard to find them in the picture.















This is a Galapagos Turtle eating his breakfast. I thought that he was pretty cute!

One project done and only a billion more to go. I say a sign like this at my cousin Jesse and Amanda's house in February. I loved it but it was really small so I decided to make my own version. Ten months later I have finally made it and I am really excited about hanging it up in our house! I made another one for a Christmas present but I'm not going to say who it is for because then it will ruin the surprise. Anyway, I hope you like it!

In case you can't read it:
Every love story is beautiful
but ours is my favorite.

Just for Karen...

Karen has been bothering me for a long time to clean my stuffed animals. I've had them for five years and have never washed them. Disgusting, I know. So, after I got sick with the Swine Flu, I decided that I needed to wash them. These pictures are just for Karen... because I love you.

Here they are really dirty. Like I said, five years without cleaning. You can't really see the dirt until...you get a good close-up of Kitty. Yeah, she was really bad.

And here they are nice and clean.

A good clean close-up of Kitty. She was the dirtiest so I had to get a good close-up because she is so cute!

On a side note, yes I am weird because I sleep with stuffed animals. I don't think that it is a huge problem!

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. It's Veteran's day so me and Josh have the day off of school. :) I can't wait!

2. The truth is... I might actually have a real post after tomorrow! Josh and I are going to the zoo!

3. The truth is... I need to correct a statement I said last week. I have friends, but most of them are family. It's almost pathetic.

4. The truth is... I am starting to panic about Christmas presents. We are going to draw names for Josh's family at Thanksgiving. For me... that is too late because I make everything and I don't have a lot of time! AHHH!

5. The truth is... Every Sunday while Josh and I are waiting for church to begin, we make a menu for the week. If I don't do it then I don't cook. I feel bad when I don't cook.

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... I'm not looking forward for AIMS. Today we did a district assessment (which took 2 1/2 hours) and I was BORED out of my mind.

2. The truth is... Making students sit for 2 1/2 hours and then trying to teach them something doesn't work well. Even if it is a fun probability M&M activity.

3. The truth is... I love this time of year. To be perfectly honest, I'm counting down for Thanksgiving (not just because I get time off).

4. The truth is... Josh is ready to end the school semester. He doesn't like his teachers so he is trying to find some good ones for next semester. Maybe it will make him enjoy school if he finds some good teachers.

5. The truth is... I have no friends.

Bumper Sticker

" We made history, now lets change the mistake. Impeach Obama."

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... Josh can start registering for spring ans summer this week. I keep bothering him about registering early. He says he is working on it but who knows what goes on while I'm at work.

2. The truth is... I miss taking college classes. It hasn't been very long but I miss it. I have to take one course in order to be fully qualified in a few years (SEI- Structured English Immersion) so I cannot wait for summer when I get to take it!

3. The truth is... I finally feel better after the swine flu. I don't think my students are liking that because I'm my mean self again.

4. The truth is... our Primary Program was on Sunday. It wasn't that bad. My piano playing could have been better but I don't think anyone really noticed.

5. The truth is... I cannot wait for Super Saturday on November 14th! I signed up to make a temple picture, cute wooden snowmen, and a family home evening board. I can't wait! (Although I'm scared because I don't know a lot of people in my ward.)

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... I'm already counting down to our next vacation at school.

2. The truth is... I feel as though I have been slacking in my teaching since we started our new quarter. I FEEL that way. I may not be.

3. The truth is... it takes all of my energy to teach everyday. It has been really bad the past couple of days since I'm still gaining strength back from the swine flu.

4. The truth is... I've been on my diet for about 5 months. I've lost 24 pounds so far. I only have 11 more pounds and then I'm down to my ideal weight. I'm actually trying an experiment, I'll let you know if it works.

5. The truth is... Josh thinks the Matrix movies never should have been made. (Which is probably why I've never seen them and have no desire to.)

The Swine Scare

Is it just me or are you also sick of hearing about the swine flu? I know that I am. The news makes it sound really scary and like it is the worst thing since... I don't know what but they make it sound terrible. I will admit that I'm sick of hearing about the H1N1 virus as every other story on the news. Hmmm... maybe that is why all this had to happen.
I know that I have mentioned I've been sick. I didn't think (and sometimes still don't think) that it will ever end. Well, can you guess what I have? Yep, I have the swine flu. Josh now has it as well. When you say flu... you think throw up and nausea... right? Well, I've never really had that but I have had the swine flu. Yes it sucks and I'm still trying to get through it but after having it... but why are people making such a big fuss over it?
Monday when I thought that I was dieing on the couch I thought that I had the swine flu. Josh just pushed the thought aside and said that it was something else. I kept getting better so I pushed off all thoughts of going to the doctor. Well, after a huge night of coughing I knew that I had to go. He confirmed my previous thoughts on my illness. It sucks. Although I feel as though I should get a shirt saying "I survived the swine flu". I probably won't. I don't mind being sick with it... but on my only week off? Now I have to go back to work on Monday with nothing accomplished... without going to the Arizona State Fair and without going over to Wendi's house. What a bummer of a week.
Although I've had it and yes it sucks my question still remains. What is the BIG deal about the swine flu? I think that the news and government is just trying to scare people... it's pathetic.

When will this week be over?

I just want the misery to be over...

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... I HAD to get sick on my fall break.

2. The truth is... I thought that I got the swine flu, but now I don't because I feel a lot better today than I did yesterday.

3. The truth is... Josh is really sweet when it comes to me being sick. He let me lay on the couch, complain, and sleep all day. He even went to buy me some medicine that Michelle recommended and served me all day.

4. The truth is... sometimes I wish I could be sick more often because then Josh will take care of me. However, I hate being sick so I really don't want to be sick more often.

5. The truth is... I have never been to the Arizona State Fair. We are going to go on Friday because it only costs $1.00 to get in. I can't wait! (Maybe I'll even take some pictures and post them.)

Starting fall break

This next week is my fall break. I have to admit that it is exciting to know that I am getting paid to do nothing for the week. I shouldn't say nothing because I have to write lesson plans for the week we get back but I can survive with that. It will take about an hour.
I have to say that fall break has started off with a bang. Thursday was a half day and we were given time to do grades to turn them in. Well, I was done with grades by 1:00PM so I was able to leave when I finished. It was perfect. Friday was the GAP (Growing as Professionals) conference and it was amazing! Another great way to start break (if I may say so myself). Anyway, back to Thursday.
Since I got off early I went to Albertson's because they were having a great promotion on General Mills products. I went to two different Albertson;s to get what I wanted but it was so worth is. Take a look at what I got!

4 packages of yogurt (3 Fiber one and 1 Delights)- $1.00 each
1 box of Barilla pasta- $0.34
2 Betty Crocker warm delights- free
2 Pillsbury Crescent rolls- $0.50 each
2 boxes Totino's pizza rolls - free
4 Green Giant Steamers - 3 were free, one was $0.50
4 Totinos party serve pizzas- $0.75 each
1 Dryers Loaded ice cream (only the best kind of ice cream)- $2.50

For everything I paid $11.03 and saved $38.66. Isn't that awesome? I got many of the items for free which made it worth the two trips. I will probably go back for more early Monday morning depending on the coupons that come in Sunday's paper. I am very proud of myself for saving so much! I love it when stores have amazing deals like this... it makes me very happy inside! I think that it is a great way to start off fall break. Don't you?

Quotes from Kaiden

This weekend Josh let me stay the night at my parent's house because Karen was in town. That means I got to hang out with Kaiden. I have come to realize that kids say cute things. Here are a few of quotes from the very cute and adorable Kaiden.
"Mom it's ketchup not ranch!"
" Emily, your on your own to change Raegan's diaper."
"What is that grandma? A bug?" (He was referring to the cord that plugs into the griddle.)

Here is a great video of Kaiden playing with Evan. He's so weird.


Karen, Kaiden, Emma, Bryant, Alyssa, and I also went to see Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3D this weekend. It was really crowded. The theater probably over sold on tickets because there were a couple of kids on the floor and Kaiden and Alyssa had to sit on our laps. We only stayed for the first movie because all the kids wanted to go play at Grandma's. So, we left at intermission. I think Karen was a little upset because she really likes Toy Story 2. Here is a cute picture of Kaiden AND Raegan in the 3d glasses. They were HUGE... even on me. Sorry, Kaiden's picture is sideways... I am too lazy to change it. Overall it was a great weekend... now if I can just make it through this week it would be awesome!
Overall it was a great weekend... now if I can just make it through this week it would be awesome!

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... drivers that think they are more important than others really annoy me.

2. The truth is... our ward's Primary program is in less than three weeks. I still don't have the program outline yet. Is that bad?

3. The truth is... my principal wants to nominate me for Rookie of the year in the district. I guess that means I will have a lot if paperwork to fill out. My mentor is really excited for me.

4. The truth is... I have almost survived my first quarter of teaching. That is a HUGE accomplishment for me.

5. The truth is... I am completely stuck on Christmas ideas for this year. I'm half tempted to just buy gift cards (which is so BORING!) Any ideas? I need some major help!

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is.. my principal still likes me after observing me for an hour and a half. That is a good sign.

2. The truth is... We have been working on fractions for about 3 weeks now.

3. The truth is... I'm sick of fractions. Three weeks is a long time and yes they are hard... but three weeks? Really? It's almost pathetic.

4. The truth is... I'm counting down until Friday (the last day for fractions). I will admit that I am scared to see how my students do on the test.

5. The truth is... 6 1/2 days left (with students) until fall break. But whose counting?

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... it is very hard to teach when the air conditioner is not working. Yes, the AC has been out in my classroom (more like the whole wing) for a couple of days. It was off all day on Monday and it finally turned back on today at noon. Around 1:00 PM yesterday it was so unbearable in my room we had to go to the library. It is very hard to teach in an environment that is not normal for the students.

2. The truth is... my principal is observing me next Monday. Let's just hope that she is still impressed with me after Monday.

3. The truth is... I started a new cross stitch. I'm not far because I don't have a lot of time to work on it but I am already excited to finish!

4. The truth is... Josh and I decided that he isn't going to work and go to school. He's going to take about 18 credits a semester so he could push through school. (We are hoping that way he will finish within 3 years).

5. The truth is... Josh makes about half the amount I do (a month) for going to school... thanks to his benefits. I wish that I got paid to go to school. That is my dream job! (Besides teaching math.)

Thoughts for Thursday

I've had a ton of ideas for this post. At first I thought about explaining about parent teacher conferences. Then I thought that I would talk about people that drive and who think that they are better than everyone else. I think that it is annoying. However, I think that I am going to tell of the events that led to Billy's dismissal. It all started with me.

BILLY'S LEAVING

I want to first start out saying that I didn't mind the idea of Billy living with us. He actually moved in two days before I got my job. It worked out perfectly. Josh actually thinks that I got my job because we were doing a service for Billy. Um.... sure. Anyway, at the beginning it was okay. Everyone got along. However, Josh spent most of his free time with Billy. Although I was working, it annoyed me. A few weeks into it, he got a lot better and started to pay some attention to me. However, when I was home he was at work and vice versa. It sucked because I saw more of Billy than I saw of Josh. Anyway, things started to go downhill after he got comfortable in the house.
He stopped trying to help and just did his own thing. I was okay with him doing whatever pleased him but he should have put in some effort to help around the house. Not only that but after about every sentence he would say "you know". What happens if I don't know?
The final straw was on Tuesday night. I couldn't take the fact that he was using Josh's phone to talk to his girlfriend and that he was pretty much living there anyway. He came "home" to eat and shower. Yes, he even slept over at his girlfriends place. Yeah, I know, he should just live with her. Anyway, Wednesday morning I was so angry that I couldn't take it any longer. Before class I text Josh and and told him that I was going to come home, grab some clothes then stay at my parents house until he left Saturday (D-Day for not paying rent). I'm not sure if I could have actually done it but I didn't have to. Josh told Billy he couldn't be here anymore. Yes, my guts gave Josh the guts to kick him out sooner. I know he only had a few days left in our house but I really don't think that I could take it any longer. I think that he was bringing a bad spirit into our house. I feel bad and it is weird to not have him here but at the same time I LOVE IT! He came and picked up his things today while Josh and I were gone. I can definitely tell the difference and like I said... I love having him gone (even though it has only been a few days).

Billy is gone...
need I say more?

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... I'm looking forward to Friday and not because it is the weekend.

2. The truth is... Billy still owes us $120 for rent. He still does not have a job.

3. The truth is... Friday is D-Day for Billy. I wish him the best of luck when he has to move out (only if he does not pay us).

4. The truth is... parent teacher kind of stinks. I'm in them right now so I probably shouldn't be posting. However I'm in a dead spot right now... no one is here to see me.

5. The truth is... I didn't know that decimals were really hard. I guess they are.

Thoughts for Thursday

I guess that I should admit that I don't have a whole lot of random thoughts today like I normally do. My main thought is trying to make it through the day. I have a long one. Tonight is curriculum night so I am really nervous and I probably won't be home until around 8:00PM tonight. Tomorrow I have a school dance. YEA! I'm only joking. Something has been on my mind. Here it is:

HELPING AROUND THE HOUSE

Since Josh isn't working he has been a really big help around the house. Of course he should be, he is now home a lot more than I am. However, I still get annoyed, and it is because of our extra person: Billy. Let me tell you a little story about Billy.
A few weeks ago he found a job. Well, that only lasted a week. None of us are quite sure what happened. After his first week they said that they would call him if they need him next week. (I guess that is what you get for working with Mormons.) Well, you probably have guessed it, they didn't call him. So, he started looking for another job. He got one, but he didn't have an interview and come to find out that after his first day (which was Monday) he totally hated it! Go figure. So on Tuesday he went looking for other jobs, got an interview, and got another job. He starts Tuesday. Guess what he's doing right now (besides maybe sleeping).. you probably have guessed it... he's looking for another job. So, he sits in my house all day, uses my money to pay for the power and water and doesn't have a job. You know what else he doesn't do? HELP! Thank heaven Josh is doing something or I would probably never go home.
SERIOUSLY! WHY CAN'T HE DO SOMETHING BESIDES PLAYING ON THE COMPUTER? Can he put his dishes in the dishwasher? NO! Can he help clean up dinner? Why should he when he has servants?
Needless to say he still has to finish paying us rent for the month. He has until next week to pay us $120 then he's gone. I don't think he'll make it. Do you?

I just thought that I'd let you know, I had to do this at work, I'll be here all day. I should probably prep for class, but I believe I'm ready. I just need my students!

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... I almost forgot that today was Tuesday.

2. The truth is... there is only 3 more days left until the weekend! YEA!

3. The truth is... people are very inconsiderate.

4. The truth is... if you ever get the chance, you should go to The Breakfast Club. It's an awesome restaurant in Scottsdale.

5. The truth is... I told Josh that I am never going to try to go out of town with him again. Although I hold no expectations everything tends to get ruined. Even staying "in town" for a short trip doesn't work. Yes, it sucks!

Five Years

I thought that I should mention something on my blog today about me and Josh being together for five years. It is really hard to believe that we have been together for that long. Well, it is our five-year dating anniversary anyway. Most people didn't think we'd make it. To be honest if I would have known five years ago that I would be married to him five years later then I probably wouldn't believe anyone. Some people in my family didn't want me to date him after our first year together but that didn't stop me. I still sometimes wonder if those people don't think we should be together but you know what I don't think that I could have found a better eternal companion.
For our five year anniversary Josh is taking me to Claim Jumpers (this is where we announced our engagement to our parents on Josh's 20th birthday). We also got a hotel room so that way we can spend some time away from home and away from Billy. It will be nice to spend some time with Josh away from home and without Billy there.
I think that I knew all along we would get married. I didn't want to think it though because we were still in high school. Anyway, I have a ton of pictures of us throughout the five years. I hope that you enjoy.

Prom in April of 2005. The theme was "Our Night in Time". I agree, it's a little lame. I could have thought of something better.
My high school graduation in 2005.
Goofy Golfing. Josh is "teaching" me how to play.
I think that this was taken at Alyssa's birthday party. I think it was her second. It kind of like the picture.
Hagning out at my parents. We did that a lot.
Our engagement picture.

Of course I have to throw in a couple of wedding pictures. By the way, I finally got my wedding dress from my moms and I tried it on. I can still fit in it but the arms are a little tight. You can probably guess why.
Family picnic is the spring of 2008.

Camping at the Baker reunion; Summer 2009.

Both of us at my NAU graduation in May.
Us today. Aren't we so cute together? I think so.

Thursday Thoughts

I thought that it would be a cool idea to do a Thursday Thoughts post ever week. I have a lot of random thoughts so I was thinking "why not do a Thursday thoughts post. I think that it will be fun because then I can post things that I am thinking and have a reason to.. good luck! Today's thoughts are about the following:

Comfortable Shoes
I know, it's random, but it has been on my mind over the past four weeks. As a teacher, I am constantly walking and on my feet. My principal doesn't like us to sit much; she says that she wants to see us roaming the room when she walks in. Because of this, I will not wear heels to work. Who in the world can walk in them for a long period of time. (Everyday I walk about 2 miles in my classroom, which is a lot when you wear heels.) I wear flats. I have three pairs in brown, white, and black that look like this:

Now normally these shoes are really comfortable and very cute to wear. However, when you are walking 2 miles a day in them, the bottom of your feet hurt really bad at the end of the day. I have started to notice that my brown shoes like this are able to talk.. which means I might want to start thinking of buying some more brown shoes. Naturally, Josh and I went shoe shopping. We went to Payless and I found the most comfortable brown, flat shoes. They are a little more casual but they still work. I wore them today and you know what... MY FEET DON'T HURT! I am in love. I got them for $10.00 which is awesome since they are normally $17.00. Since they have a BOGO sale I also found a new pair of white shoes that are really cute. They are not as comfortable but they are cute and once I got the half off they were only $3.50! Those were originally $23.00. I'm so excited about my comfortable shoes. Now my feet don't have to hurt everyday! :)

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... I love my drive into work. Twenty minutes is the perfect amount of drive time. It's an easy drive too!

2. The truth is... I am a little too excited about this weekend! (It is my first three-day weekend.)

3. The truth is... Josh and I got a hotel for Friday night. He's planning on taking me on a nice date too! I cannot wait. That is also a reason why I am looking forward to this weekend.

4. The truth is... Friday is mine and Josh's five year anniversary... for dating anyway.

5. The truth is... this week is actually going by fast. Let's just hope that it continues in the same direction.

Left Behind

I'm not sure why I am posting this but I figure that I would anyway. This thought in particular has been weighing on me for awhile. Over the past couple of months I have heard that many people are pregnant. Most of them are family members and there are a few friends but because of this, thoughts are starting to come. I guess that you can say I want to have a baby but no, it's won't happen for awhile. I made a promise to Josh and I'm going to keep it... no matter how much I want to start my family. Anyway, here is my thought...
I'm more scared that when Josh and I are ready to have kids I'll be the last one. Everyone knows that I'm the youngest in the family and Wendi has five kids (I would say that she's pretty much done but we won't know for awhile), Karen is on her third, and Paula I'm still wondering if she'll even have any. (Sorry Paula but it is true.) Yeah when I have kids I'll have a babysitter built in because of my nieces and nephews but I also want someone to raise my kids with, I want them to have cousins that are their own age. I know that I still have cousins that are newly married and young that are not having kids yet but at the same time, but we don't see them that often. I don't know, does anyone ever feel that way, that they are being left behind and not just because they are not having kids right away? I'm sure that there are other things that make people feel that way, but am I the only one?

Tuesday Truths

1. The truth is... this is my 100th post.

2. The truth is... Josh cleaned the bathroom for me today. That is a first.

3. The truth is... Billy got a job. Therefore he is still here.

4. The truth is... I love hanging out with my friends and planning things but I don't like it when they never reply back and they cancel last minute or show up 15-30 minutes late.

5. The truth is... I was wanting to do something for Saturday with my friends but I canceled because I didn't want crap to happen like it normally does.

Summer Improvements

I was going to title this post crafty creations but I decided against it because everything that I am going to post really isn't a craft. I do count all of it to be an improvement to our house though... which makes this post so exciting. We are very slowly improving our amazing house. Josh has been a big help over the last few weeks since I started working. He said that we now have switched places and that it is his turn to take care of the house as I work full time. We'll see how well that really works out since he starts school full time on Monday. Anyway... here are some of the great things that we were able to do over the summer. First, I'll show all my projects so far.

I actually made this picture over a year ago. My mom got it framed for my 21st birthday. However, I just had to show it off because I am so proud of it. It is a cross-stitch and I love it to death. It is probably my favorite one that I have ever done.

I actually made these curtains from a sheet. The sheet was only $4.00 at Walmart. I cut it in half, sewed the edge so the fabric wouldn't fray (and to make it look nice) and then I used the casing at the top to make a decorative edge and a place for the curtain rod. It took about 30 minutes total and was a ton of fun! The curtains are in our family room and when closed, they can keep out a lot of light.

These pillows were made to match the curtains in the family room. I made these out of pillowcases. I took the original stitching out and then cut them to the size I wanted, sewed them, stuffed them, and then stitched up the stuffing whole. These were really easy too! I like to use them for naps but most of the time the end up on the floor. I don't know why.

I made these pillows to match the curtains in our bedroom. I figure we needed something in our window seat so I took the curtains that Karen gave me and took out the stitching. These were just as easy as the other ones and they add some cute decoration to the window seat. I love to read in this area when I want to be by myself. Oh! I also hemmed the curtains.

This is actually a coaster. I made these one day when my friends and I were hanging out and making crafts. Underneath the little mirror squares is a 4x4 piece of cork board. I think that they are really cute and were very easy to make! (Along with everything else I did.)

I've made a TON of cards. SHHH! They are for Christmas presents... but I'm not saying who exactly they are for. These are my four favorites so far. I am still working on others. I have about 10 of each and many different baby, wedding, and birthday cards. I hope the people that I am giving them to will like them.

This is a pencil jar. It isn't very elaborate but I still really like it. I actually made two, one for the kitchen and the other for next to the computer. The can was a former green bean can and then I stuck it in the dishwasher and decorated it very cute. I'm proud of my creation.

This really wasn't a craft. However, I had to show it off. Josh cleaned up the living room and since I got a job I was able to buy a curtain rod and put up the curtains that I bought several months ago. I love the living room because of this area. By the way, the chair was free, my dad got it from a friend. The table was repainted black thanks to Josh and a can of spray paint. I will admit that I am almost not ashamed of the living room. I still want my piano but that may have to wait awhile longer. (Go figure.)

Oh yeah, we also put in a couple of other chairs. When Josh got fired back in May he was able to take these front office chairs and table. They have come in very handy. However, now that we have moved things this wall is very blank and it is starting to bother me. I haven't decided what to do with it yet. Hopefully I will decide soon!

Here is a picture of our shelves that are now in our garage. The shelves aren't in them yet but they are still useful. My dad got them from free. He's always finding cool things like this and giving them to his daughters. You have to love my dad because he is always thinking of us when he can get something for free and is still usable.

The last two pictures that you just saw was our garage. Josh cleaned it out. It looks a lot better than it used to although it is still pretty messy. If things are maneuvered around a little I will be able to park my car inside. Well, after moving things around and getting the garage door fixed I will be able to park the car inside.