Titanic 3D

After I graduated I went home with my family to spend a week with them. While I was there my mother, little sister Mikala and myself went and saw Titanic in 3D.  We went really early in the morning and there was only five people in the theater. We packed our purses with water bottles, snacks, sweaters, and blankets. When we got to the movie theater I bought a large container of popcorn because my mother loves it but she couldn't eat it because she was having a procedure done the next day. I got a free refill so she could take it home and eat it the next day. Lets just say that I pretty much ate myself sick. It was a ton of fun and it was really good. Titanic is such a good movie so no matter where or how many time you see it, it never gets old. So we put on our 3D glasses and enjoyed a timeless classic.

Graduation

On April 6th, 2012 I graduated from Brigham Young University Idaho. I graduated with a Bachelors degree with an emphasis in Elementary Education. It took six long years to accomplish but I can officially say that I am done with school. My family came up for the weekend and we went out to dinner before the commencement. It was a ton of fun. We headed up to BYU-I campus for the commencement ceremony where the speaker was M. Russell Ballard. I got to graduate with two of my best friends Brittany Palmer and Kaitlin Barrett. I have had several classes with these two girls and we have bonded over lesson plans, student teaching, drama, tests, and many other things. After the commencement ceremony we headed over to the church building by the temple for the convocation ceremony of Teacher Education. This is where I actually walked across the stage and received my diploma. We got to sit on the front row of the new BYU Idaho center. It is hard to believe that I am finally done but it feels great. I am so thankful for my family for their love and support.
My biggest fan that day would have to be my husband Randy. I have been going to school ever since we got married about three years ago. He has put up with my mood swings, frustrating moments, my victories, and my accomplishments. He has been there for me no matter what and said that I could do anything. He helped me plan lessons, write lesson plans, ran errands for me when I needed things for class, let me cry on his shoulder when I got a bad grade and or had a bad day. Now that I am done with school and looking for a job he is starting in on his college career. Now it is my turn to support and cheer him on!
I am so excited to be done with this phase of my life and move on to the next. I am excited to see what is in store for my life and career in the next little while.

 M. Russell Ballard speaking

 Me and Kaitlin Barrett

 My two best gal pals Brittney and Kaitlin

 Dr. Duque and I he was my mentor at school

Baby Bear Cubs!!

On Monday afternoon after I got home from Utah Randy took me to dinner at Olive Garden to celebrate me graduating from college this Friday. Well on our way home we heard an advertisement on the radio about seeing baby bear cubs from Bear World in Idaho Falls. It was free admission so Randy and I were like lets go. It isn't everyday that you get to see seven week old baby bear cubs up close and personal without their moms present. There were six of them and they were so cute. They were mostly playing but there was two or three that were playing and running all over the place and wanting to be held by the lady that works with them everyday.

Good NEWS!!!!

Yesterday Randy received a letter in the mail from his school telling him that he was accepted into the nursing program that begins this fall. He was so excited to be chosen and is grateful to be able to move on with his schooling. He starts in August and he will be going to school full time and he will finish by next summer. Life is certainly moving along and I am so very proud of Randy and all that he has done to work so hard for this to finally be happening for him!!!

CONGRATULATIONS BABE!!!

LAUGHTER is the best MEDICINE!!

Today my second graders made up some mad libs using a website and I have never laughed so hard!!! Enjoy!!

MadLib #1
Some Days Are the Worst


What a day this was! This morning before school, my pencil broke, and I had to eat all the way to school. Then the teacher announced that we would be having a test next week on 678 units of our textbook.
When I was jumping to the cafeteria, I stepped in hard rubberbands. I couldn't get the phones off my shoes! I opened my lunch sack, and then I realized that I had grabbed my leftover lunch from last week. The only things I had to eat were stale apples and stinky grapes. Luckily, Britten had some extra feet, so I didn't starve!
That afternoon we had gym class. The gym teacher told us we would be smiling today, but I'd left my jackets at home. So I had to frown instead.
On the way home from school, I dropped my bag, and all of my pens fell on the ground. At least we had my favorite movies for dinner!
It's been a long day. I hope tomorrow is better. I'm going to put on my special socks tomorrow morning, just in case!

MadLib #2
Field Trip Fun


Yesterday my class took a field trip to Pocatello. We had a really purple time. The guide showed us one phone, at least 57 pencils, and a very sour shoe.
Drake had an accident. He sat over the mailbox and banged into Kaylee. She fell against a big greasy light bulb and put her remote control through the chicken. We all smiled!
The trip was even more soft than a day at school.

MadLib #3
An Odd Animal


The Jersilious is an animal that has red fur with flaming yellow spots on its arms and legs. Its tail is shaped like a(n) stapler which it uses to eat candles. An adult Jersilious may weigh more than 5648 pounds and stand over 2348 feet high.
The Jersilious can be found only in China and Canada. Although its favorite food is crackers, it also likes to eat shoes. If you ever see a(n) Jersilious, be sure not to ever sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” That song makes it disgusting. Instead, give it a few crackers and be on your way.

Rigby District Champions

The past three months Randy and I usually spent our Wednesdays and Friday nights driving to Rigby or around Idaho to watch the Rigby boys basketball team play. Randy's cousing Tanner Chambers plays for them and it has been a blast to watch them play. Well last night we went to their last game where they beat Madison Bobcats 58-43 to be crowned the 4A District Champions. It was a great win for Rigby and they played so well. They are heading to state next weekend where they can hopefully win the state championship. Randy and I have enjoyed going to watch because we love basketball. Congratulations Tanner and the Rigby Trojans! What a year you have had! Good Luck at State!

Valentines Day!!

Randy and I celebrated Valentines Day the Saturday before because he worked late on the actual holiday. He gave me these beautiful roses and then we headed to the movies to see the movie The Vow. It was good but not what I was expecting. Then we headed across town to eat at Famous Daves. It was a really good night until I got sick later that night. So Randy spent his night nursing me back to health. It was a nice low key Valentines celebration and I am one lucky girl to be married to the man of my dreams and one that loves me for who I am!!

Worth It!!

It is notes like this one that I get from my second graders that makes each day, every day, and the five years of college worth it. My second graders are so sweet and they make me smile. I love them so much I am going to be sad when the year is over! I love to keep these notes. I love being a teacher!

Amazingly Awesome

I can't believe how cute and funny my second graders are. Each day one of them or many of them say something that puts the biggest smile on my face. Each day my students fill out a behavior sheet where they have to use good handwriting, complete sentences, and color the smiley face the color they ended the day on either green, yellow, red, or blue.
Today this little girl wrote one sentence that made me smile. She ended the day on green but wrote this sentence "I DID AMAZINGLY AWESOME AND AWESOMELY AMAZING WORK!!"  Oh how I love my class!!

Thoughts

I am now in my fifth week of student teaching and each week we have a cohort meeting to discuss what is happening and a certain topic. I have the sweetest clinical supervisor. She is so supportive and flexible and our number one fan. Each week she brings a quote and a treat for us. The past three weeks have been such awesome quotes that I have tried to incorporate into my teaching or personality. I have to share them with others as well.

"Your students deserve more than your knowledge. They deserve and hunger for your inspiration. They want the warm glow of personal relationships. This always has been the hallmark of a great teacher."
                                                                                           -Gordon B. Hinckly

"You don't have the power to make rainbows or waterfalls, sunsets or roses, but you do have the power to bless people by your words and smiles. You carry within you the power to make the world better."

"I've come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my persaonl approach that creates the climate. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a person humanized or de-humanized."
                                                                                           -Haim Ginott