Makes Me Smile

The Gym

2012-01-27T16:03:00.001-07:00

I have been to the principals office more times in the last two months than in my entire life (actually being hired and apologized to are the only other times I've been called in). It is so humbling to be chastised for little issues even when you feel like you're doing a damn good job at a nearly impossible task. It's to the point now where I just feel like I'm being picked on. So instead of putting my face into a pillow and screaming, here I am at the gym destressing.

Working late on a Thursday

2012-01-26T16:21:00.001-07:00

Chocolate cake in the microwave

2012-01-25T19:44:00.001-07:00

1/23/2012

2012-01-24T16:11:00.001-07:00

My drive home from work.

For Mamita

2012-01-22T16:12:00.001-07:00

For a valentine my mama's gonna make.

Tinley The Tiger

2012-01-20T17:52:00.001-07:00

I know she looks like a stuffed animal BUT it's actually filled with rice and lavender. So ya nuke it and voila...a heating pad.

19 Jan 2012

2012-01-19T20:52:00.001-07:00

Nothing like a little manicure before bed!

Tillamook Pepper Jack

2012-01-17T17:01:00.001-07:00

Today I found out I'm not the only one that thinks this job is a joke. That has nothing to do with pepper jack cheese but ya know.

MLK Day

2012-01-16T16:47:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, on your day off, it's better just to stay inside and cozy up in your bed and watch TV.

My Dinner Tonight

2012-01-15T18:39:00.001-07:00

Bowtie pasta with broccoli and pesto.

The View From My Classroom

2012-01-12T12:57:00.001-07:00

Two of my 3 windows. I can see the Draper, Oquirhh Mountain, and Jordan River temples...And on a good day, all the way downtown.

The End Of A Long Day

2012-01-11T21:43:00.001-07:00

Work till four. Errands till 6:30. Unloading till 7. Attaching dryer vent till 7:30. Soap making till 8. Constructing bookshelf and organizing bathroom till 9:40. This is me after a long, crazy day.

Ps. I need a haircut.

Weird Findings

2012-01-10T20:01:00.002-07:00

I found this really, really, really small screw while cleaning out my purse tonight. In case I didn't stress it enough, it's abnormally small.

Sitting here at my dining room table...

2012-01-09T18:18:00.001-07:00

...procrastinating. Wishing I didn't have to make myself go to the gym tonight or clean my room for that matter.

January 8th

2012-01-08T14:49:00.001-07:00

Last night @ the annual mocktail party.

A Photo Per Day

2012-01-07T16:46:00.001-07:00

My new blogging goal is to post a new photo of my life each day. I realize that I'm starting late but that's okay. Now that I have a phone with a legitimate camera I know I'll always have a camera on my person. I'm glad I have the ability to now photograph the funny things in my everyday life.

Today's photos are from a trip I made with my friends up to Green Canyon. We drove up last night and spent the night at Becca's parents condo and then this morning we woke up and went hot tubbing in the snow.

PS I love blogging from my iPhone!!!

Warning: This Is A Rant Post

2012-01-04T01:38:00.002-07:00

When I applied to work at a new school, one of the biggest pulls for me was that I loved the IB philosophy. Which is, "to foster tolerance and inter-cultural understanding among young people through a specific method of teaching. This method of teaching...incorporates critical thinking, problem solving, and exposure to a variety of viewpoints. The IB philosophy emphasizes:

Awareness of the similarities and differences among many cultures, understanding issues on an international scale, and responsible citizenship
The inter-relatedness of various disciplines and issues
A "Socratic" (question-and-answer) form of achieving knowledge in the classroom
Student-centered inquiry and communication"

But the second that I try to get creative and incorporate the use of Spanish around the school there is immediate backlash. All of the open-mindedness crap goes out the door.

Here's what happened. We had discussed the possibility of having the kids do the pledge in Spanish once a week. I liked this plan for several reasons. First, it united our school in it's goal of trying to learn Spanish. Second, I believe that allowing the kids to hear the words of the pledge in another language could enrich it's meaning. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have gained insight into a common English phrase or saying through hearing it's Spanish translation. I decided that it would be a nice thing to incorporate into our school's schedule as we transitioned into second semester. I created a plan and spent several hours researching just the right materials and methods to allow the homeroom teachers to go over the pledge with their students...I loved the idea of the teachers learning Spanish right along with their students. I even consulted some of our para-educators at lunch because they have students who go to PHJH to make sure it wouldn't be controversial to the conservative parents. I sent out an email to the staff with several links and some documents to help them accomplish the task (this was around 12:30). By the end of school I had a staff member approach me and talk to me about how they wouldn't participate in it and that the idea probably wouldn't fly in this community.

Now I really respect this particular staff member. He happens to be a veteran and was injured in the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon. I started to cry a little bit when he told me that he believed it was disrespectful to say the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish. Part of those tears were because I don't want anyone thinking that I'm not a patriot, that I don't love my country/respect the flag or that I would want to teach my students to disrespect the flag. But some of those tears were also out of frustration because I know that so many schools in our nation don't even bother saying the pledge at all...so isn't that worse than saying the pledge in a different language?

Being that I actually do try to follow the IB motto: "Other people, with their differences, can also be right" I thought long and hard about the things that he said and tried to consider all of the different perspectives. I thought about it all afternoon and evening. I thought about what I know about the US flag. I know that for many it is a sacred symbol. I believe we ought to take great care with the flag. There is a specific way to salute the flag, there is a specific way to retire a flag and there are all sorts of other interesting regulations about the proper use and display of a US flag. I completely relate to the concept of respecting sacred symbols because of the religion that I adhere to. What I concluded about the Pledge of Allegiance is that there is no official way to make that oath/pledge other than English. There are actually about 5 different Spanish translations, all of which I believe could be said with completely pure intentions and heartfelt commitment to the flag BUT are not a valid official pledge. Part of IB is teaching our students to be good citizens wherever they may live and that means teaching our students proper respect for the flag.

As I arrived at work the next day I had concluded that our school should not have the students MAKE the pledge in Spanish. But I still thought I would be a great learning opportunity for the students to, after making the pledge, remove their hands from their hearts and stop standing at attention and simply SAY THE WORDS of the pledge in Spanish to enrich the meaning of the pledge, get some Spanish practice and help the students see that we learn Spanish school-wide.

Well by mid-day, my principal, who was totally on board with me about doing the Friday pledge in Spanish was having it out with the superintendent and elementary school principal. Apparently a few years before there was a huge commotion at the Elementary school when they considered doing it, parents storming the lunchroom, hour long heated discussion at board meetings etc. I guess my principal was also approached by several other staff members who didn't like the idea either. On my side of things, I received several emails from teachers who expressed how totally on board and pumped they were for the idea.

I was even ok with totally being shut down by the administration without hearing what I had to say about the matter. But I got frustrated at the meeting we had about it after school. Some people's reasons for opposing it were so thoughtless to me. Here I had spent hours trying to consider all sides of the argument and they throw out these ridiculous weak reasons for thinking it's disrespectful. "The kids won't know what they're saying if they do it in Spanish" "It's un-American to say something like that in any language but English".

Newsflash #1: Kids don't know what the word allegiance means anymore than they know what the word fidelidad means. Whether it's in English or Spanish, they have NO IDEA what they're saying until someone explains it to them.

Newflash #2: How is speaking another language un-American? There is NO official national language and there never will be. Call it invalid to say it in another language other than English, call it unknowingly disrespectful or inappropriate but don't call it un-American. It's not the language that you speak that makes you American, it's what you do with the freedoms you've been given.

I think that a large part of my frustration stems from the fact most people were so quick to shoot this thing down without considering a variety of viewpoints. Like consider for a moment that most schools in this nation who deal with issues surrounding the Pledge of Allegiance have to do with the fact that people refuse to say it, and in fact, have the right NOT to say it if they don't want to.

It's very disheartening to try and encourage and promote the use of another language (which is a significant part of qualifying to be an IB school) when you live in such a close-minded community that won't support you when it really counts. English isn't going anywhere. Bi-lingualism and tri-lingualism will not take anything away from our country it will give our Nation more depth and make us more capable of interacting with and understanding the rest of the world. It will give us more friends and less enemies.

So many things about my job and how this school would work are the opposite of what I was led to believe. I can't help but feel a little deceived.

Day 59 – Something you could never get tired of doing.

2011-12-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

Walks around Daybreak.

Sitting in front of a fireplace.

Road trips with friends.

Stargazing.

Sleeping (oh the irony).

Day 58 – A quote you try to live by.

2011-12-16T21:48:00.002-07:00

Patience is a willingness, in a sense, to watch the unfolding purposes of God with a sense of wonder and awe, rather than pacing up and down within the cell of our circumstance.

Taken from THIS talk by Neal A. Maxwell (I believe it's around the 11th paragraph)

I love this quote because of the imagery and alliteration. I've never forgotten it since a companion on the mission shared with me. Gracias H' King.

I try to live by this quote, but I have to say that I think I will have reached any amount of perfection I could accomplish in this life when I can fulfill this quote on a daily basis. In other words, I would love to just pause for a moment anytime I feel a measure of frustration/discouragement/impatience and just appreciate the "unfolding purposes of God" and His timing (as opposed to feeling trapped by what I can't control).

Day 57 – Five words or phrases that make you laugh.

2011-12-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

SOME PHRASES

Dead meat

Necking/Petting

Making eyes at someone

Potent Potables

Some Words

Yowzas

Jiggle

Dipthong

Niblet

Cahoots

Comeuppance

Bromance

Something else that made me smile.

2011-12-15T11:17:00.002-07:00

I was teaching this class of 22 sixth grade boys (don't ask me how I ended up with a class without a single girl). JG raises his hand and says, "I'm a little concerned that we will be competing against the 9th graders with this christmas carol. I believe are voices are a little less consistent than the older kids...if you know what I mean?" Picture him with a furrowed brow and his hand on his chin like the thinker.

Day 56 – A photo of somewhere you’ve been to.

2011-12-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

This is a place called El Volcan. It's in San Luis, Argentina. I spent 2 or 3 p-days there on the mission. Of course, I had to go back and visit with the Navarro's when I was in Argentina in '09. These are not my personal pictures, I never could seem to capture what I was seeing on a camera. But this place has always had a little magic for me. I often think of THIS (read verse 30 in particular).

What Makes Me Smile Today? Seventh. Graders.

2011-12-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

How cute are they????

All this when we are trying to learn Jingle Bells in Spanish. We didn't get very far. It's amazing what you can do with some tape, string, gold tissue paper and some ADHD.

Day 55 – What’s in your purse?

2011-12-13T21:46:00.001-07:00

This is a post I've been waiting for/dreading for awhile. My purse is usually chock full of every random thing you could possibly expect. It's nice because I always end up having something that someone else needs. But today actually wasn't so bad. Here ya go, have a looksie...

On purse (l-r) pen, bombilla (straw for drinking mate) and wallet.
On desk (l-r) hand sanitizer spray pen, cell phone, cocount lotion, receipt, lip gloss, pencil, glasses, 2 chapsticks, eyelash wand, mint lotion, forever sunshine lotion.

Day 54 – Things you like/dislike about yourself.

2011-12-12T21:45:00.001-07:00

I like that people come to me for advice and I like that people tell me things.

I like that I can laugh and (when the occasion permits) cry.

I dislike that I have such a hard time sleeping.

I like that I usually have a good perspective and outlook on life.

I like my sense of style.

I like that I'm a likable person.

I dislike that sometimes I lack the patience I need to not get discouraged when disappointing things happen.

I dislike that sometime I can be a real airhead.

I like that I can be an entertainer.

I like that I can handle being a middle school teacher. We are a saintly breed. I really do think.

Day 53 – What you wore today.

2011-12-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

My favorite red coat! And who care about the rest. I live in this coat all winter. It's been really good to me.

Day 52 – A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.

2011-12-11T21:44:00.002-07:00

In case you haven't figured it out. I'm really trying to crank out the blog entries so that I can meet my goal of answering all 60 journaling prompts by the end of the year.

DISCLAIMER: This "letter" is a little on the negative side, so you may want to skip this one.

Dear ____________,

Let me be brutally honest.

I have no more patience for you. And...I'm done being annoyed at you all the time.

One thing I've learned about myself is that if someone no me cae bien, I just need distance. Physical distance. It's the only way I can get perspective. It's the only way I can feel safe around you again.

Day 51 – A photo of something that makes you happy.

2011-12-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

Riding really fast on the back of a motorcycle (I wouldn't actually drive one myself even if you paid me, but it's fun to hold on tight and let someone else do the driving).

PS. I don't recommend googling "girl riding on the back of motorcycle". It ain't pretty.

Day 50 – Who gave you your name and why?

2011-12-09T21:42:00.001-07:00

I'm actually not sure why my mom and dad chose Amanda. I think they told me at one point that they really liked the name Sarah too. My middle name is Joy and that's because my mom's middle name is Joy too. I didn't like this name as much when I was younger but it has really grown on me. Plus, when people say to me, "Well, aren't you just super happy today?" I can respond, "it makes sense because Joy is my middle name!"

Day 49 – Something you always think “what if” about.

2011-12-08T21:42:00.002-07:00

What if I just up and moved to Argentina? Where would I live? How would I make money? Could I really just pull it off? Would I really be happy living so far away from friends and family? I usually conclude that I couldn't possibly pull it off until all of my student loans are paid for. But it's fun to contemplate. And hey, only 9,000 more dollars to go. Soon it won't be "what if" but rather "why not".

Day 48 – Something you feel strongly about.

2011-12-07T21:42:00.002-07:00

I get very passionate about the way that Latinos (and other darker skinned people) are often treated/misjudged/generalized in this country. I feel like skeezy human beings come from all races, religions, cultures and countries. And yet people in this country show a disproportionate amount of mistrust towards darker skinned people.

And while I'm at it, let me say this: I get tired of constantly hearing illegal immigrants get blamed for every problem this country has. What power do these people have? The illegal immigrants that I know are good people who are completely powerless to do anything to change their situation. People who are dishonest and cheat the system will continue to do so whether they are legal or illegal citizens. Let's talk about the lack of integrity and fiscal responsibility of those people in positions of power for a change. Not that I think placing blame on anyone actually helps any bad situation.

Did you know we educate ALL children in this country regardless of their citizenship? Unfair? Not really. Whatever children are in this country, will most likely grow up to be adults in this country. I think we can all agree that it would be nice to have better educated adults throughout society.

I don't like ANYONE who lives off the government. BUT I don't have a problem if my taxes go to help ANYONE who really needs it. I don't like welfare leaches whether they're citizens of this country or not. I don't like people who steal things, whether it's social security numbers or skeezy business practices.

I guess I get mad when people say that illegal immigrants are sucking up all of our money. I don't see how anyone can honestly determine that. Don't even get me started on how impossible/expensive the process to gain citizenship is.

Ok. I've ranted enough. I'm done.

Day 47 – A photo of you and your family.

2011-12-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Joel is missing from this one, he had to work that day. This was on my 28th birthday at Silver Creek Falls in Oregon. A pretty great place to picnic and hike.

Day 46 – Something you’re proud of.

2011-12-05T21:40:00.002-07:00

Well, I guess if I can only choose one thing to mention it would be this:

I'm proud of the way that I was raised. I think my parents are pretty great people. They allowed me/trusted me to do my own thing and be as independent as I could be as early as possible. They let me make my own decisions (and in many cases, make my own mistakes). My mom would write me sweet notes and tell me how much she loved me (and still does). My dad taught me how to laugh and play and enjoy the simple stuff in life. Additionally, I'm proud of where I was raised. I think Oregon was a great place to grow up.

Day 45 – Five items you lust after.

2011-12-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

1. Okay, I mostly lust after clothes...and comfort items.

2. It's just that I love dresses. So much. So so much.

3. A bed with this kind of frame/headboard. Please oh please. It's like a couch. But it's a bed.

4. I own this makeup and I still lust after it. Is that possible?

5. I love all the Ralph's. It's so much more that just another perfume, I say.

Day 44 – A TV show you’re currently addicted to.

2011-11-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

PARENTHOOD

Okay, I love this show! I love the acting, I love the writing, I LOVE THE MUSIC. Me and this TV show are music soul mates.

Day 43 – Your favorite musician and why?

2011-11-24T21:35:00.001-07:00

Alejandro Manzano and his brothers of the band Boyce Avenue. I'm not sure how well known they are throughout the country but I was introduced to their music by my friend Andrea about 2 1/2 year ago. I've loved them for a long time because they do some amazing covers. For example THIS one is better than the original in every way. Boyce Avenue is kind of a youtube sensation.

They also came out with an original album about a year (maybe year and a half) ago. I hadn't really listened to it much until recently. I absolutely fell in love with THIS song! I just thought the lyrics were absolutely beautiful. In fact, I discovered that the lyrics from every song on the album were awesome. So, here's an explanation of the lyrics to the song:

Day 42 – Five ways to win your heart.

2011-11-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

1. Smell good.
2. Surprise me...with anything. One thing that wins my heart is when a person surprises me by being quite different from who I thought they were before I got to know them.
3. Love good music and share it with me.
4. Look me in the eye.
5. Tell me that I've won yours.

Day 41 – Five weird things that you like.

2011-11-22T11:05:00.002-07:00

1. Quinoa (read about it if you don't know what it is)

2. This youtube video

WATCH THIS!

3. Seeing the inside of my ear canal on a computer screen. This one is thanks to my friend Kim who is an audiologist and brought a bunch of her equipment over to our house the other day to look in Ashlee's ears. Of course we all wanted to look. Did you know ears have hair on the inside? Gross.

4. Sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth graders. They are weird. Smelly. Strange. Awkward humans.

Redheds are a personal favorite.

5. Mate (read more about it)

Day 40 – A photo of your favorite place to eat.

2011-11-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Favorite place to eat??? Well, maybe that's stretching it a little too far, but it's a new favorite. The mole is incredible. Read more about it HERE.

Day 39 – A photo of the item you last purchased.

2011-11-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

This is how you know I'm getting old...

So I couldn't sleep and I took this quiz...

2011-11-06T00:04:00.002-06:00

You can hover over the boxes above to see what each character trait is.

Not sure if this is me or not...

about you

you are a director

As a DIRECTOR, you combine an unusual openness and passion for beauty and style with confidence and a down-to-earth sensibility that allow you to realize your vision.

You are practical and pay attention to the details that others tend to miss.

By focusing on what is real and concrete, you achieve more than those who always have their heads in the clouds.

When it comes to what really matters in your life, you are confident in your ability to succeed.

Having beautiful things in your life gives you pleasure and satisfaction - you have a keen eye for style.

Even when problems present themselves, deep down you know you will overcome these challenges.

When routines get too familiar, you become bored and start looking for ways to spice things up.

You are open to new types of experiences – you are not afraid to take a risk on something new.

You have a highly developed sense of taste – you know what looks good on you, in your home, and in the world at large.

You tend to believe that things happen for a reason, and that not everything is under our control.

If you want to be different:

Occasionally let yourself dream a little more, even if it doesn't seem practical or efficient.

how you relate to others

you are considerate

You trust others, care about them, and are slow to judge them, making you CONSIDERATE.

You value your close relationships very much, and are more likely to spend time in small, tightly-knit groups of friends than in large crowds.

You enjoy exploring the world through observation, quietly watching others.

Relating to others so well, and understanding their emotions, leads you to trust people in general, even though you're somewhat shy and reserved at times.

Your belief that people are generally well-intentioned contributes to your sympathy regarding their problems.

Although you may not vocalize it often, you have an awareness of how society affects individuals, and you understand complex causes of people's behavior.

You like to look at all sides of a situation before making a judgment, particularly when that situation involves important things in other people's lives.

Your close friends know you as a good listener.

If you want to be different:

Because other people would benefit immensely from your understanding and insight, you should try to be more outgoing in social situations, even when they make you uncomfortable. Others will want to hear what you have to say!

Thought

2011-11-03T23:26:00.000-06:00

Why do all guys disappoint me? The only man that hasn't let me down is my dad. Seriously, how am I ever supposed to believe or trust what one says to me.

Dream Man

2011-11-01T23:01:00.000-06:00

Since we talked about my dream wedding...pintrest has also got me thing about what I find endearing about some males. Here you go...

Cute Nerdiness

Scruff and Sweaters

Ok, so maybe I like beards. Don't be a hater.

It might just be a phase I'm going through.

(Also, the hair on his head is nast...try to disregard)

Day 38 – A song to match your mood.

2011-10-30T21:48:00.001-06:00

When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Day 35 – A photo of yourself two years ago.

2011-10-29T19:37:00.000-06:00

This is actually 2 and half years ago, April 2009 I'm pretty sure. Did a road trip with Claud and Ash down to San Diego. Good times. Sunburns. Yogurtland. Bonfires. Beaches.

Day 37 – Your dream wedding.

2011-10-29T19:33:00.000-06:00

Well, I would get married here...

The reception would obviously be here (it's a barn, hello)...

There would be some awesome flowers and colors like these...

Or maybe these...

There would be something fun on the tables,

I like it when olders and wisers give me advice...

And if I'm gonna have people sign a guest book,

I don't want it to be a book at all...

This could maybe be my ring?...Yeah, I think so.

I don't think I want a long dress....

It just wouldn't be right if I wasn't wearing some rose earrings,

but maybe a bright yellow, turquoise or green instead...

THE END.

Thanks to pintrest for getting my obsessed with weddings when for so many years I couldn't have cared less.

Day 36 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet.

2011-10-29T00:02:00.001-06:00

Day 34 – Your favorite photograph of you and a friend.

2011-10-27T12:01:00.000-06:00

This is Aileen and me. Aileen is a cool girl. It's unfortunately been years since I've seen her, but I will never forget what a great friend she was to me when I needed her most. Without her, I never would have experienced "party weekend" and other great post-mission-still-in-college-memories.

Day 33 – Your idea of the perfect first date.

2011-10-26T23:57:00.001-06:00

Oh, well, let me tell you.

Pick me up at my house with a cooler (filled with drinks and sandwiches) in hand. Then let's walk a few blocks down to the lake. Lets sit on the dock and dangle our feet in the water while we are having a picnic lunch. Then let's walk around to the other side of the lake and rent a canoe and paddle out on the water and feed the ducks leftover pieces of our sandwiches until the sun sets.

I love where I live!

Inclement weather plans/wintertime:

Play board games in my living room in front of the fireplace and bake some banana bread or something else delicious.

Day 32 – A photo of something you ate today.

2011-10-25T18:22:00.000-06:00

This is not the actual BBQ chicken I ate, but it pretty much looked like this. It was a school lunch. It wasn't that great. But it wasn't that bad either.

I'm feeling somewhat ambivalent about life lately. There's a song by Augustine that goes, "bad news doesn't hit me like it used to." So maybe it's not ambivalence necessarily but lately some dissapointing things have been happening, but I'm not as affected and discouraged as I would have been in the past. Yeah, these bummer things in life happen but I have to keep on moving through life, I might as well forget about the dissapointments rather than dwell on them.

Day 31 – A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.

2011-09-22T23:14:00.001-06:00

How was my day? I lectured 2 of my 7th grade classes and 4 of my 6th grade classes today about putting their first and last names on their assignments. After 10 minutes of talking about all of this, I then said, "so what do you think you should write on the top of your homework before you turn it in right now?" "Our names," they all said. 'Cept then after school I still found 10 papers that either had no name or just the first name written on it. Do you know how many Madi's, Gabi's, Kaden's, Taylor's and Addi's I have????

Tag I Found On A Dress I Bought This Week

2011-09-10T12:59:00.001-06:00

"The irregularities and variations in the color and texture of this fabric are characteristic of the fabric adding to its natural beauty, and is in no way to be considered as defective."

It was plain black fabric.

I wish I could have a similar tag on myself: The irregularities and variations in the personality and appearance of this person are characteristic of this person adding to its natural beauty, and is in no way to be considered as defective.

Day 30 - Anything you want to post about your day.

2011-09-04T17:53:00.000-06:00

Today I got to go see Asher Jacob Loveland's baby blessing. Then I got to see Claud's family. It was awesome because both of her parents and all of her siblings were there, for some of them it was the first time they'd seen Asher. Pretty cool.

Of course, very few things could have made that experience any more awesome, but having some delicious Mexican food afterwards didn't hurt.

Day 29 - Ten life goals

2011-09-01T23:55:00.001-06:00

*I have to post a disclaimer and say that I feel like I've already accomplished so many things in life that I've wanted to accomplish, it's hard to come up with TEN WHOLE GOALS that I haven't already achieved. Hopefully this doesn't sound cocky, I don't mean for it to be, I'm just happy with the opportunities God has given me.*

Here they are in no particular order:

1. Go to Mexico.

2. Accomplish/see miracles in my family history work.

3. Have saved enough retirement to send my kids and me and my spouse on missions.

4. Temple sealing.

5. Raise kids.

6. See my siblings make good choices and be happy.

7. Become a "Master Teacher"

8. Own a hybrid.

9. Live in the south or mid-west or east coast.

10. Fulfill the measure of my creation.

The Sweetest Thing

2011-08-31T00:41:00.000-06:00

I guess a tender mercy right now in all of this craziness of life is that today I had student after student leave class today and give me the most sincere thanks. One boy in particular came up to me today and said, "thanks for teaching me today." At the moment I was in a little bit of a rush to make sure all of the kids got out on time and mentally prepping for the next class, but for just a second I FELT SO GOOD. I'm so grateful for my cute students who appreciate their teachers!

Day 28 - Career goals

2011-08-30T23:54:00.001-06:00

My very most current (short-term) career goal is to remember all of my students names. While this is a short-term goal, I realize that this will take me quite a long time, probably until December (and then hopefully I don't forget over the Holiday Break.

A couple of longer-term goals that I have are to get all of my IB training/certification and help my school become completely IB official. At that point I would love to teach in another country (I think you all know which Spanish-speaking country I'm dreaming of living in again). Another goal I have is to get my masters at some point. Thanks to my super cheap ESL endorsement I'm 1/3 of the way through a Master's program @ SUU and it would be cool to finish that--but not until I get my undergrad student loans paid off. To be honest, I feel like right now, getting my Master's will cost much more than it will actually benefit me salary-wise, which is another reason I'm holding off for now.

I guess another career goal I have is to stay in contact with old students and go to their High School graduations and missionary farewells and all that good stuff. I suppose this is more of a hope than a goal.

Day 27 - College you are attending or want to attend

2011-08-29T23:54:00.001-06:00

BYU-Idaho was absolutely my dream college. Going to school there was one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my life. I think people think I'm weird when I tell them this (by-the-way, isn't weird a weird word? I always spell it wierd, thank goodness for spell check). It's hard to explain to someone who didn't attend school there. But if you're a current or past student, you know what I'm talking about. You can't go to BYUI and not LOVE it.

*DISCLAIMER* I'm sure there are a few people who might have something negative to say, most likely because they either hated the honor code, broke the honor code and got in trouble, or both.

BTW my school made the top 20 list of of best value for your dollar...came in at #9.

Day 26 - Favorite book

2011-08-28T23:52:00.001-06:00

I could no sooner choose a favorite star in the heavens.

Growing up I was definitely a book whore. I had a great vocabulary as a child thanks to being such an avid reader. I once read the entire Work and the Glory series in a week and half. As I started getting busy at the end of High School I stopped reading for pleasure and that is really sad. I kind of forgot all about fiction (though I must say I'm glad I got to experience and learn to love non-fiction in college). However, I rediscovered the public library this summer. My love for fiction is back! I'm really liking the mystery genre at the moment. Truthfully, I think I began to rekindle the reading flame about this time last year when someone lent the me Hunger Games trilogy and I devoured them. By October I had set my sights on the Harry Potter series (I'm so glad I hadn't seen the movies first). I feel like life is going to get very busy again and that sad because I love being lazy and lying in my hammock all day reading a good book.

Day 25 - Favorite stores to buy clothes from

2011-08-27T23:51:00.000-06:00

Oh goodness. I LOVE finding fun dresses from Thrift Stores, but for some reason the DI stores in Utah stink. I always seem to get lucky in Oregon though. There's a really fun one in my hometown called Red, White and Blue...my mom goes every week to check out the "new" merchandise. Other than thrift stores, I really enjoy Ross, Downeast and department stores for dress shopping. Pants I buy almost exclusively at Old Navy. Shirts, Old Navy and Downeast. And those are my favorite stores to buy clothes (I will not end this sentence with a preposition even though whoever created this topic did).

Day 24 - If you could change your first name, what would you change it to

2011-08-26T00:03:00.000-06:00

Honestly, after 28 years, I've really gotten used to the name Amanda, it's hard to imagine anything else. I will say that I really like androgynous names, I could dig a name like Micah or Levi...I think they're cool names for boys or girls.

Day 23 - Five people you are annoyed with right now (no names)

2011-08-24T23:49:00.000-06:00

I don't want to answer that question, instead I'd like to tell you that I really thought the log ride at Knot's Berry Farms was scary and my smile is very fake. I'm a good faker.

Day 22 - Anything you want to post about

2011-08-23T23:48:00.001-06:00

I am having a very cranky month. I don't want to get into it beyond the fact that August has been a crappy month for me since 2008. It just sucks and now I dread Augusts, I don't know if it's now become one of those self-fulfilling prophecy deal-things (I just kinda hyphenated two words that really don't go together, hopefully you follow me anyways).

On to other news, just got my class lists and I have 325 students that I teach Spanish to on a M-W schedule or a T/Th schedule. The breakdown of those 12 classes is as follows: 4 classes of 6th graders, 7 classes of 7th graders and 1 class of 9th graders. I'm scared to teach little kids, they're not even teenagers and when they do turn 13 they're like the awkward smelly teenagers not the cool 15 year olds who are excited to be getting their permits. Then on Fridays I have about 85 students that I teach either cooking or creative journaling. It's just underlined the word journaling in red, so apparently journaling isn't a word. If you had a Friday elective class called "Creative Journaling" what do you imagine that would entail? Seriously, I want to know. I have no idea what I will do next Friday with these kids. Also keep in mind that I will most likely not have access to portable computer lab and definitely no access to digital cameras, an lcd projector or basically any other kind of technology. Oh yeah, and no art supplies. Charters schools are an adventure. BRAND NEW charter schools are an adventure. They built the facility in 26 weeks and it is gorgeous...just no technology. Hopefully we have some VERY generous parents. I wish I could say I am thrilled about this new chapter in my life not working for the JSD, but alas, I am not thrilled.

Risk Taking?

2011-07-20T00:18:00.000-06:00

Read this article about how safer playgrounds are destroying society and then weigh in on my comment board. I'm interested to hear what you all have to say about this guy's opinion.

http://gizmodo.com/5822644/safe-playgrounds-are-destroying-society

Day 21 - Person you can’t live without

2011-07-05T17:57:00.001-06:00

I'll tell you when I meet him I guess :)

Day 20 - Five people you are happy with right now

2011-07-03T17:03:00.000-06:00

God
Myself
Whoever came up with the idea for Daybreak
Whoever invented project free tv
Italians

Okay, some of these questions are lame-sauce and I may be (in the future, veto-ing) some of these.

In other news, I had another great 3 days up at Camp Fife. Monday and Tuesday we had cubs and Wednesday we had girls. Usually I hate girls days but there were these awesome 10-11 year olds from the Ogden area who noticed that I had a Spanish patch on my shirt and started striking up a conversation. None of them are native Spanish speakers but they have been in a dual immersion program for most of their elementary school years and their Spanish is AWESOME. Just another testament to the dual immersion programs that Utah is trying to implement

Staying in Logan with the Labarge's was so fun. I love feeling like I have honorary family in different parts of the country and even the world. Peter has gotten TALL and Mary is such a rock-star. She has so much style and is just hip...what more can I say? I'm happy she'll be close by in Provo.

Day 19 - Random fact about you

2011-06-19T23:43:00.000-06:00

I am a cougar. I try to hide from this fact, but my cougar-ness always comes sneaking back.

Just really liked this quote

2011-06-17T01:14:00.000-06:00

"Faith is living. If faith does not motivate action, well, then it isn't. I hope my faith drives everything I do; working, playing, delights and quotidian drudgeries alike, to say nothing of worship, both the focused purposeful consciously directed kind (prayer, singing, study, meditating) as well as the incidental, unanticipated surprise kind (being suddenly rescued from danger or mortification, or suddenly being aware of how unspeakably beautiful something or someone is, or suddenly realizing quite independent of my own virtue or intention I am being involved in something that God intends). I think the first sort of worship prepares me to experience and notice the second kind."

Quote found HERE

Day 18 - Favorite class/school subject

2011-06-15T17:32:00.000-06:00

I have two basic favorites and anyone who knew me in high school or college should be able to guess at least one of the two of these. Actually, anyone who knows what I'm certified to teach should be able to guess both of these.

Spanish-

I remember Senora George in Jr. High who taught my intro class. I think I learned the alphabet and a little bit of vocab and that's about it. It was fun because we always got her off on some tangent, I think she had lived in Peru and she liked to tell us about living there. Senora McLean was my high school Spanish teacher. I had her for 1st, 3rd and 4th year. Good times...she was spunky...she made me feel like I was good at Spanish...I didn't always get A's (I blame all of the school I skipped as a Junior and Senior)...I use a lot of things I remember about her classes and implement those techniques into my own teaching. In college I loved my Professors of Spanish for the most part. I'm thinking particularly of Brother Ivers who was always so good about making ties and connections to the culture. He was actually the first Spanish teacher I ever had at BYU-Idaho (as well as the last). I remember he called up to my house as a freshman to find out why I wasn't in class and asked me to make sure I was getting to class. He always said, at the beginning of each course, "Even if you fail every part of this class, I'll still like ya." I always enjoyed Brother Clark who would have us sing hymns at the beginning of each class and talk about the gauchos of Argentina and all sorts of fun literature and spit when he talked.

Geography-

Okay, I really started to like Geography after Mr. Arends Global Issues class in 10th grade. I don't actually remember having a Geography class before that. Then, to get out of taking a science class/lab I took Geography instead from Brother Madsen. Holy cow, was he just the coolest professor ever!!! He loves his subject. I decided to make Geography my minor after taking one of his classes. Ok, so the maps and remote sensing/GIS stuff isn't my cup of tea...but I love the cultural geography stuff. I also took a great class called writing for the social sciences and it was delish, I learned all about semiotics and fun stuff that I wouldn't normally have looked into.

I'm back from the dead.

2011-06-09T21:33:00.004-06:00

So, life got a little hectic the past few months as you can see by my lack of blogging. I still intend to finish my year long goal to answer the 60 blog questions I mentioned back in January. Since getting out of school last Thursday, I have packed up my classroom (oh, by the way, did I mention I got a new job and will be teaching at a different school next year?) and headed up to Scout Camp. Not working there this summer, just volunteering this week.
FIRST TANGENT
I love cub scouts. Eight and Nine year old boys are the cutest. I seriously want one some day. I just adore them. Okay, well some are a little pouty and a little whiny, but some of them are so spunky and fun and others are just so sweet and lovable. I also want kids someday that are like the youth staff they have this year at camp. Today was our first day with cubs and it was a little crazy, everything we do is outside and it was pouring down rain this morning. By lunch time it was so crazy that our staff didn't get to meet together and sing and say grace before we ate. Emma (15) reminded us that we hadn't blessed our food and the 4 of us at our table in a sea of cub scouts and leaders bowed our heads while Emma prayed. It just made me smile and hope that I have a daughter like her some day.
SECOND TANGENT
Suffering is a topic that has been on my mind. Reading some things written on some other blogs and just something I've pondered this year as it has been a particularly challenging one for me. We know that suffering is a part of life. Some of life's difficulties last seconds or days or weeks while other hard times last months or years. To try and quantify or categorize someone's suffering is difficult. The types of pain we experience are varied. All of these pains and sufferings are understood by the Savior. Relief from our suffering ultimately comes from Him (it can be via other people). I would add that relief is rarely immediate and that is when humility is developed. I have a hard time when someone tells me or another person, "cheer up, snap out it, get over it, don't worry be happy". People who say these things mean well, and sometimes that's exactly what I need to hear. Other times, I need to suffer for a little bit (or a long time) to develop humility and to realize that I can experience peace even during times of pain and suffering and trial. It's hard to watch other people suffer, we want to fix it and somehow find the right things to tell them to make it better but are we robbing them of the opportunity to develop greater humility and experience the peace of the atonement? Don't ask me how the people of Alma submitted CHEERFULLY and with patience to all the will of the Lord. Mosiah 24:15 (this is something my mission president once pointed out to me). I don't know that life is always cheerful and peppy and upbeat. I don't know if God expects anyone to put on a happy face and pretend to be cheerful when they are suffering. I do know that God expects to have hope despite our suffering. I believe that real hope is manifest through optimism, patience and persistence. So maybe faking a smile and pretending to be optimistic (when we have nothing in our reserves) couldn't hurt? Sometimes I don't even realize the moment when my forced optimism tranforms into genuine hope.
THIRD TANGENT
When I walk around the beautiful neighborhood where I live, I see these gorgeous homes. They are charming and lovely and quaint and just seem to emanate goodness. The thought occurred to me today that just because the house on the outside is beautiful and lovely and charming, doesn't mean the family on the inside is just as quaint. I realized that even though these homes on the inside might be perfectly decorated and homey doesn't mean that the people living inside feel at home. I've always said that I want my home to be a place where my family wants to be and I'm realizing that has a lot less to do with the caliber of my decorating skills or how fancy and expensive the furnishings are, and a lot more to do with the person that I am. We don't enjoy being in homes because of the bells and whistles they might boast, we enjoy being in homes because of the goodness of the people that are there.

Day 17 - Favorite Genre of Movie

2011-04-18T22:54:00.000-06:00

Oh goodness, how could I ever pick a favorite genre of movie. If I have to go see a movie in the theater I want it to be an action/suspense movie. I like it when I can get that kind of movie with a little comedy and romance mixed in. I've appreciated the movies Inception, The Adjustment Bureau and Source Code because I feel like they've got a little bit of everything. I also like movies that make me cry. I either REALLY cry at a movie or I'm fine through it. A lot of my friends talked about how they cried at Toy Story 3 or Up...not me, but I don't care how many times I watch Finding Neverland, I will always bawl at the end of that movie.

Well, here's a list of some of my FAVORITE movies:

What are some of your favorite movies? What movie could you watch over and over again and never get sick of it. I think mine would be Father Goose or Frequency.

Day 16 - What did you want to be as a child

2011-04-06T20:39:00.000-06:00

Well, it all started when I was in 4th grade. This kid named Christian Breed started doodling floor plans after lunch when our teacher would read to us. I think his family was building or buying a home and he wanted to show us what the house looked like...I think (it's funny how we remember things incorrectly sometimes). Anyways, I decided that it would be fun for me to draw a house plan of a home that I made up in my head. So, I started drawing floor plans when the teacher read to us after lunch. I did it every day for the rest of elementary school.

I got into Jr. High and started spending my babysitting money on graph paper. I would go to the library and check out floor plan books and search them for ideas. I decided that I DEFINITELY wanted to be an architect when I grew up. I loved designing floor plans! Well, of course there's a lot more to architecture than making up floor plans on graph paper. But I didn't know that.

In high school as a freshman I decided to take a drafting class. Here I was, a little freshman in a class full of junior and senior boys. I sat at my own table until this pregnant gangster-wanna-be senior added the class and she sat at my table. She smelled like cigarettes. I was overwhelmed because everything I learned about drafting had nothing to do with architecture and everything to do with engineering. I was painfully shy in that class because I didn't know anyone and was too intimidated to talk to anyone. I felt like I was an inconvenience to Mr. Duty because he didn't really know what to do with me since I wanted to learn about drafting and architecture not drafting and engineering. One day when I was lifting my drafting board from the table I dropped it and it slammed to the ground. I remember Mr. Duty called me a klutz in front of everyone and I was mortified. I decided then and there that drafting was definitely not my thing, and if I didn't like drafting, then I wouldn't like being an architect. I decided that drawing floor plans and having a interest in architecture was a great hobby, but no longer a career path for me. Granted, back in 1998 schools still taught drafting by hand and not on computers--I had heard of auto-CAD but had never seen it used. I've been happy with the other experiences that have come to me by getting out of drafting. I enjoyed drama and Spanish in High School instead.

When did I truly decide I wanted to be a teacher, not until my Senior year, right before my mission. Yup, I had practically taken all of my education classes at that point but still wasn't fully committed that that's what I wanted to do. I still do online searches for floor plans when I'm procrastinating my homework. I think I will always have an interest in architecture/home design/contracting.

Day 15 - Favorite childhood story

2011-03-29T20:52:00.000-06:00

So many...
-The day I was born. My parents were driving up north to be sealed in the Seattle Temple but my mom's water broke and she ended up in the hospital delivering me instead.
-Carrying around this dolly that my Great Grandma knitted for me. Her name was Rosie, I had a yellow one until it got lost (I think) and then I had a purple one. I wish I had pictures of my Rosies.
-I split my chin open one Sunday afternoon. I was three. I had come home from church, ripped off all my clothes but my tights and started prancing around the kitchen on the linoleum floor. I slipped and fell and hit my chin.
-When I was a baby, my dad didn't know anything about babies. He was trying to fasten my cloth diaper with a safety pin. I was screaming and screaming and my dad had no idea why I wouldn't stop. Finally he realized he had pinned my side along with the diaper. He felt pretty bad about that one.

This Made Me Chuckle

2011-03-22T00:02:00.000-06:00

Good 'ol Grey's.

... alone people don't like to hear about the together people, ok, even if the alone people are alone by choice, it's sort of mean, it's sort of like bringing a six pack to an AA meeting ...

Day 14 - Something you’re addicted to

2011-03-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

-Making playlists on itunes-

-Spending $ (cha-ching)-

-Apple Slices and Oranges-

-Grey's Anatomy-

-Angry Birds-

Day 13 - Favorite season and why

2011-03-04T13:52:00.002-07:00

Hmmmm. This is a tough one. I love all seasons (though I wish winter only lasted December-January). I especially love that transition time when the seasons change.

Obviously, Winter to Spring is exciting and energizing. It's nice to finally get outdoors and get some fresh air. It's nice to see rain instead of snow. I keep hoping with every recent snowfall that it will be the last of this Winter.

Spring to Summer means suntans, vacations, getting out of school, seeing green everywhere. This season change always makes me feel relaxed and carefree. I am really looking forward to June this year!

Fall to Winter can be fun with the excitement of the first snowfall and getting everyone ready for the Holiday season.

I think the Summer to Fall transition is probably my favorite though, I love the excitement of a new school year. I love thinking about how Labor Day in September brings Halloween in October and Thanksgiving in November. I like those transition months when the nights start to get a little chilly but still warm enough to go on a walk at night. I like how the leaves change and how everything feels golden. I wish September weren't so far away!

Day 12 - Anything you want to post about

2011-03-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some questions on my mind lately...

*Are bumper stickers cute or tacky? Does it depend on the message? If it's an actual sticker or a window decal? Does it depend on the type of car itself?

*Who is going to win The Bachelor?

*REALLY, what would I REALLY do if I won a million dollars? Wouldn't that be SO nice?

*Should I get lasik surgery or do I enjoy wearing my glasses from time to time?

*How many more days can I make it before I break down and do my laundry?

*What's the next thing I should cook in my crockpot?

*What will I do if my teenage children are awkward and/or smelly?

*Is it worth it to make more money working somewhere else but having a more challenging workload at a charter school instead of a public school?

*Why is my Spanish getting so bad?

*Am I EVER going to pay off my student loans?

*How the heck did I get locked in the bathroom stall today for 2 full minutes?

*Do I make my students uncomfortable when I dance around the classroom?

*When is Easter?

*Will I ever go back to Argentina????????

Day 11 - A sport you love to watch/play

2011-03-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

I love to watch soccer! Especially Real Salt Lake! I enjoy football and basketball if I know the teams, and I actually like watching any sport if I know the players (like friends or family). As far as playing sports goes...I'm really terrible at all of them and not at all coordinated, so I don't really care for the competition aspect. I do enjoy playing catch or shooting hoops or something if it's really informal and just to mess around.

Day 10 - Worst day of your life

2011-02-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Oh goodness. Just about any day from the middle of January to the middle of February--although I can think of one Sunday in particular when I left church in the 3rd hour right after the first talk finished. I was pretty frustrated with quite a few people and tired of being told that I just needed to have a better attitude and everything would be ok.

My job this year has been stressful for NUMEROUS reasons, difficult students, difficult parents, working 7 periods and no prep time, and total lack of consistency on the administration's part. I really hate it when every month or so they come out with the "next best thing" and totally change our schedule or the way I've been doing things. Sometimes change is good, but if I like the results I'm getting...why fix something that isn't broken is what I'm trying to say. And then there's my 18 credit ESL endorsement. I really do enjoy all that I am learning, but having that additional stress on top of all of my normal responsibilities has really gotten me frustrated and I haven't been acting like myself.

I recently dropped 2 additional credits that I was taking on top of the ESL endorsement and I'm trying to make sure I spend time having fun with my friends and doing things that I really enjoy because all work and no play makes Amanda a dull & drained girl.

Day 09 - Best day of your life

2011-02-22T17:49:00.001-07:00

I don't remember ever thinking, "Wow, this has been the best day of my life." I have lot's of good memories and such. If I were to label the most perfect day of my life I might say one of my days
as a missionary in AMPPyA or one of my last weeks in Lujan de Cuyo.

If I had a more perfect memory I would probably be able to recall some really awesome day of my life in Rexburg. It would involve a spring or summer-like day playing some awesome pranks, hanging out with really awesome friends maybe camping or exploring some place we've never been before, dancing or blasting music in the car, having a jam session with guitars, dressing up all crazy and perhaps something involving potato fields.

My Thoughts on How to Assess a Foreign Language

2011-02-21T17:49:00.004-07:00

I was just reading a book called How To Assess Student Work which solidified in my mind that I actually am doing some things right. You know how some times we choose to plan and teach a certain way but can't really explain why other than it just feels right? Well, I've always felt that I should give my students written tests on the grammar and then some sort of performance based test like an oral presentation of some sort. Well, this ties into the same theory as when you are trying to get your driver's license. You must pass a written test that shows you understand the LAWS, PROCEDURES and VOCABULARY of driving but you must also pass a performance based test by actually taking a drive with someone who has a rubric and can assess your actual driving skills. I feel that you need both types of assessment in a foreign language situation as well.

Day 08 - Worst job you ever had

2011-02-19T17:49:00.010-07:00

Easy. I worked at Western Wats in Rexburg, Idaho for a total of 4 days. Two days of training and two days of actually working. It was a "data collection" company. I called up hospitals to try and get surgeons to take 20 minutes surveys on hospital gowns. To say I hated it would be an understatement. As I walked the 4 block to work I would make myself physically ill. The call center was on the second story and right below was a Subway (which is now a New York Burrito). The smell of baking Subway bread still makes me feel a little queasy sometimes just because of the association.

Day 07 - Best job you ever had

2011-02-18T16:51:00.001-07:00

Well, obviously I really enjoy being a teacher. I think, though, that I first came to know that I really enjoyed teaching teenagers was when I worked as an EFY counselor. I worked 6 sessions during the summer of 2005. It worked out well because I needed to save up money for the first 6 months of my mission and each session that I worked help pay for one month of the mission.

The sessions that I worked were Portland, Tacoma 1, Tacoma 2, Rexburg 8, Rexburg 9 and Dillon, Montana. Each session was great but I really enjoyed the group of counselors that I worked with in Portland and Tacoma. I would say that I had 2 really special sessions: Portland and Tacoma 2 were very memorable groups for a lot of reasons. The Portland group was my first week and I was stressed and didn't know what I was doing but as the week went on, I really felt a lot of support from my co-counselors and our company (called Hid From The Eyes) won the "spunity" award (if I remember correctly it was kind of a big deal because it's the best EFY award and only one company from each week wins it). I really connected with those kids!

(some of the staff from the Portland session @ Pacific University)

Then, in Tacoma 2 it was just me and my co-counselor (Ryan, I think was his name) which is abnormal because usually there are 2 groups of girls and one group of guys in a company...so the odds for my girls were really good. That week we were 16 stones and even though we didn't win the "spunity" award our group was really tight and I got my mission call that week

which was a really cool experience for everyone involved.

(most of the staff at Tacoma 2)

(hanging out with the counselors on some pier in Seattle after Tacoma 2)

(the beautiful University of Puget Sound campus--these are some of the dorms)

I loved working at EFY! I hope to do it again this summer.

Day 06 - Five favorite songs

2011-02-14T18:09:00.002-07:00

Wow, this was tough. I don't know if I could even pick my 5 favorite Guster songs, let alone my 5 favorite songs EVER. I just picked my 5 favorites that I've been listening to recently.

Day 05 - Favorite memory from childhood

2011-02-12T16:49:00.003-07:00

Here are a couple:

-I remember I woke up in the middle of the night or early in the morning after a family birthday party to find out that my mom was having our brother Riley
-6th grade adventures like the wax museum and outdoor school
-Staying up late reading
-PPI's with my dad and our daddy daughter date when I got a hole-in-one
-My dad's funny voices when he read to us
-Recording "radio 123" with Nate
-Getting notes in my lunch from my mom
-Going to the public library
-Bike rides w/ my bro, dad and the baers

Day 04 - Ten Places you want to visit

2011-02-10T14:44:00.045-07:00

1. Vina Del Mar, Chile
2. San Sebastian, Spain
3. New York City
4. Mexico City
5. Washington D.C. (again)
6. Buenos Aires, Argentina (again)
7. Cuyo, Argentina (again)
8. Costa Rica
9. Somewhere that I can swim in completely clear water (maybe Hawaii or the Carribean)
10. The place in Russia where my German ancestors emigrated from (was called Bessarabia, no idea where it is located present-day)

A map of where Bessarabia was located (the dark Orange)

Vina Del Mar, Chile

Mexico City, D.F.---I may want to go here most of all (3rd largest city in the world)

Buenos Aires is HUGE. I could go 1 million times and still not see everything. (17th largest in the world)

NYC (4th largest city in the world)

Day 03 - Hometown location and facts

2011-02-09T19:44:00.002-07:00

Well, I will share 5 about the area where I technically grew up and 5 about the place that I claim I'm from (because Oak Grove is not an actual town and Milwaukie is).

OAK GROVE

1. Oak Grove is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. So it's not my hometown but my home community.
2. Oak Grove was named at the suggestion of Edward W. Cornell, a member of the surveying party that platted the townsite in the 1890s. The company that was developing the property had not been able to come up with a good name for the place and Cornell suggested Oak Grove after a crew ate lunch in a stand of oak trees in the northwestern part of the tract.
3. This community began to grow in the early 1900's. A trolley was built through the area and took people to downtown Portland. We used to play on the trolley tracks where they were still visible. I think they've been paved over or taken out in many places. There are some amazing victorian/farmhouses in the area.
4. The community grew again in the 1950's and 1960's and many more houses were built in this era. My home is one of them.
5. I moved one time that I can remember. We moved less than a mile away from our old home, we were still in Oak Grove but I had to go to Riverside Elementary instead of Oak Grove Elementary; Rowe Jr. High instead of Milwaukie Jr. High.

Milwaukie

1. Founded in 1848 on the banks of the Willamette River, the city was incorporated in 1903.  The city is now a suburb of Portland and also adjoins the unincorporated areas of Clackamas and Oak Grove.

2. The Bing cherry, among other varieties, was developed in Milwaukie by another pioneer orchardist, Seth Lewelling, who settled in the area with his brother Henderson Luelling.  Milwaukie is noted as the birthplace of the Bing cherry.

3. Milwaukie was founded in 1848 as a rival to the upriver Oregon City by Lot Whitcomb, who named it for Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At the time, the Wisconsin city was also frequently spelled "Milwaukie" before the current spelling was adopted.  Some accounts also state that the Oregon town elected to use an alternate spelling to prevent confusion at the post office.

4. Bob's Red Mill is a modern-day gristmill and natural foods company based in Milwaukie.

5. Milwaukie is the home of Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse is known for publishing works including Sin City and the original graphic novel 300, adapted into a motion picture by the same title released March 9, 2007. The total office space of Dark Horse Comics occupies three of the city blocks in downtown Milwaukie, sporting numerous display windows visible to transit riders.

BONUS FACT: Tonya Harding (the ice skater who hurt Nancy Carrigan) grew up about 1-2 miles from me. She went to my Elementary, Jr. High and High School. I used to think it was funny when my middle school teachers would tell us what she was like.

Thanks Wikipedia for the facts!

Day 02 - How you got your Blogger name

2011-02-08T19:47:00.001-07:00

I'm not really sure I get today's topic. My name on this blog is Amanda. I got my blogger name from my given name. I guess my mom and dad liked it...THE END.

I finished Harry Potter!

2011-02-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

I finished Harry Potter last Saturday. I read the whole series in a few months. I get what all the hype was about now. Maybe I wouldn't have appreciated them back in High School or College. Anyone have any other series that I would enjoy? I started off the school reading Hunger Games and then moved on to Harry Potter and now I'm in a lull.

Day 01 - Photo of you & 10 Facts

2011-01-28T16:26:00.001-07:00

Fact 1: I can't stand to watch people eat cookie dough. I don't get freaked out by the raw egg, I just don't think cookie dough tastes good, I prefer my cookies cooked.

Fact 2: My strongest sense is my sense of smell, I smell things others can't. I'm not super-touchy feely, I'm near sighted and don't hear very well (too many concerts I guess).

Fact 3: I don't like mornings. Don't talk to me before 9 am.

Fact 4: I can slide though the backs of metal folding chairs (the church chairs).

Fact 5: I hadn't ever read or seen Harry Potter until November when Harry Potter 7 came out.

Fact 6: I have a hard time sharing a Hymn Book with another person if we are both trying to hold it.

Fact 7: I miss jumping on a trampoline. I think rather than letting my kids get a pet, I will have to convince them to settle for a trampoline.

Fact 8: On top of working more than full time (teaching 7 classes, no prep period) I am currently enrolled in 20 credit hours worth of classes for my ESL endorsement and some technology training.

Fact 9: I love to sing on the top of my lungs in my car when I'm alone. The past few days I have been singing "Killing Me Softly" by Lauryn Hill/The Fugees. Over and over again.

Fact 10: The people I'm with is more important that the nature of the activity we are doing. In other words, I can be happy doing just about anything as long as I'm doing it with people I love.

My Goal For The Rest Of The Year

2011-01-27T23:57:00.002-07:00

I know that the idea is to post for 60 days straight, but I know I won't do it. A more attainable goal for me would be to post 60 times by December 2011. That's 1 or 2 times a week, which is way more than I'm posting now. So here goes nothin'.

2011-01-19T22:28:00.002-07:00

Today Skyler told me that last night his dad helped him shave his upper lip for the FIRST TIME. Oh to be a 14 year old boy and find things like that exciting.

CHRISTmas

2010-12-20T00:09:00.001-07:00

I was sharing this story with a some friends a few days ago and I decided I ought write it down.

During December of 2005 I had been a missionary in Argentina for about a 2 months. It was more difficult to adjust than I had anticipated. I didn't have a hard time speaking but I couldn't understand much of what people said to me. My trainer didn't really like Americans (I was her only American companion during her entire mission). Often we split up to cover more of the area.

**As an aside I will tell you that the first time we split up (went on "divisiones") was when I had been in the country for 2 days. She gave me a list of addresses and sent me off with a 17 girl named Cynthia who wore an Avril Lavigne backpack (that detail isn't important, I just thought it was funny). I had no idea who these people were and what I was supposed to say to them; I didn't know if they were members, less active members, investigators or street contacts. We wandered around the neighborhood as I tried to find the addresses and I cried about 5 times in 3 hours because I didn't know where I was and what I was supposed to be doing and couldn't understand what anyone told me every time I stopped to ask for directions. It was that day that I realized my trainer was hard core or crazy or maybe both.**

That was mid-October. By mid-December I had been emergency transferred (5 days into the mission), survived giant cockroaches crawling in my shoes and on my neck, been kissed by a drunk man, been admitted to the hospital twice for blisters/rash/foot fungus/who-knows-what that wouldn't disappear from the tops of my feet and toes,witnessed 3 investigators be baptized, learned how to ride a bus, learned how to shop with Argentine pesos, worn out/melted a pair of shoes, gagged down all sorts of nasty food and gone on "divisiones" several more times. I was starting to adjust to life in the mission field. Each day was getting hotter than the next and it didn't really feel like Christmas to me without cold rainy/snowy weather and without any familiar faces. But I was enjoying Argentina and the funny people

One December afternoon my companion and I split up again to cover more ground. This time I planned the afternoon of work all by myself. I was feeling more confident in my planning abilities and my ability to understand "Castellano" Spanish. This time I went with Lourdes Orlandi. Lourdes was 21 or 22 and I felt more confident with her because she was older and not afraid to speak up and talk to people in the streets and help me teach during lessons. Also, Lourdes was waiting for her mission call. She had been waiting for about 8 months and was getting very anxious to find out where she was going. Lourdes was from the ward where I had been emergency transferred from after 5 days in the area. That area was extremely poor. Lourdes herself lived in one of the humblest areas with her father and a brother. I had been to her house only once and I remember that it had either cement or dirt floors. The only furniture I saw in the main room was a sink and a table and chairs. I was impressed that even after working all day long (putting away all the money for her mission) she was willing to come help us.

The afternoon that Lourdes and I worked together went well until I completely ran out of stuff to do. I was feeling discouraged that after all of my careful planning, nothing had worked out. I decided to talk to people in the streets as we walked back to the apartment. Lourdes turned to me and asked if we could make a quick stop before going home. I said yes and followed her into a party store. I watched her pick out a little 1-foot tall tree and then some tinsel, ornaments and large red star for the top. It was fun to help her decide which colors would look best and I didn't mind helping her shop because I knew she didn't have too many chances to come to the shopping district of our town (she lived in the outskirts). I was surprised that everything came to 20 pesos, it seemed like a lot of money for her to spend when she was trying so hard to save all of her money to pay for her mission. I reminded myself that these were probably the only decorations she and her dad and brother would have--to Lourdes it was probably worth the sacrifice to part with some of her hard earned money to buy a few nice things for her humble home.

We got home about 20 minutes before my trainer would return and so Lourdes turned to me and said something to the effect of, "well, let's decorate, let's set up your tree." I wish I could have seen my face at that moment when I realized that she hadn't picked out this tiny little tree for HER Christmas, she had sacrificed some of her mission money for MY Christmas. Here she was, with all of her own problems, anxious over the 8 long months she had been waiting to receive her mission call, worried about how she would be able to pay for it all, worried about who would take care of her dad and brother while she was gone, she had no money for shoes or clothes or luggage and she was concerned about me and my happiness as a new missionary in foreign country. I will never forget how surprised and humbled I felt. It was such a simple thing but it meant so much because I knew how much of a sacrifice those 20 pesos were for Lourdes. The following quote by Elder Ballard describes this kind of sacrifice,

Opportunities to serve others in meaningful ways, as we have covenanted to do, rarely come at convenient times. But there is no spiritual power in living by convenience. The power comes as we keep our covenants. (Found in THIS talk)

Service is not often convenient. Sacrifice is not convenient. But there is power in following Jesus Christ's example. Lourdes knew that the best way she could celebrate Christmas was through unselfish service. I pull that little tree out each Christmas and it reminds to serve, love and sacrifice regardless of whether it's easy or convenient.

Sometime between the 25th of December and the 1st of January Lourdes received her mission call to the Argentina Resistencia Mission. She came over and my trainer cut her hair, we scavenged through our storage room (where missionaries would leave stuff that they didn't plan on taking with them back to the states) and found a large duffel bag, some old shoes and clothes for her to take on the mission.

Me and Cynthia (the 17 yr old with Avril Lavigne backpack) after I had cried 5 times in 3 hours.

Our little Christmas Tree.

Lourdes (a few days before she left for the MTC in Bs. As.) getting her hair cut.

Healthy Holiday Dips

2010-12-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

Edamame Guacamole

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 small, ripe avocado, peeled & pitted
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped (optional)
1/3 bunch cilantro
1/4 white onion, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2-3 Tbsp water
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:
Put edamame, avocado, chipotle, cilantro, onion, and lime juice in a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. Add enough water to make a creamy consistency and pulse again. Transfer guacamole to a bowl, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Oil-free Hatch Green Chile Hummus

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves
1 (15 oz) can no-salt-added garbanzo bean, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup water - more if needed
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp reduced sodium tamari
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 (6 oz) can hatch green chilies, drained
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

Method:
Put garlic in a food processor and pulse to roughly chop. Add garbanzos, tahini, water, lemon juice, tamari, cumin, coriander, hatch chilies, and a pinch of cayenne (you may add more later to increase the heat), and process until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

Spinach Artichoke Dip with White Beans

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can no-salt white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8 oz) jar artichoke hearts in water, rinsed
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups spinach, blanched
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup shaved parmesan-optional (save some for garnish)

Method:
Put white beans, artichokes, garlic, spinach, lemon juice and parmesan in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Garnish with shaved parmesan. It can be served warm by heating in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Is it Spring or Winter?

2010-12-13T15:49:00.002-07:00

It's December 13th, so while it's technically still Fall, I would usually call December and even November winter months here in Utah (if its snowing, its winter). However, today on my drive home it was 53 degrees outside. It seriously felt like Spring. If only it would stay this way all winter...

I thought some of these were really funny!

2010-12-03T16:50:00.002-07:00

Senses

2010-12-02T20:47:00.002-07:00

Wouldn't it be great if the internet were multi-sensory? As it is, we are limited to sight and sound online. I would really love it I could smell and feel the images I see online (with a few exceptions of course). C'mon, how 'bout it science? Let's give it a go.

2010-11-26T20:30:00.004-07:00

The story of Jonah from Corinth Baptist Church on Vimeo.

I was laughing out loud at this little kid. Doesn't she just sound like a general authority during general conference? Well, until she starts impersonating God's voice. My favorite is the man in the background. Does this kid even know how to read?

Some Thankfuls

2010-11-21T21:36:00.001-07:00

Being that Thanksgiving is around the corner, all of the talks at church today revolved around being grateful. I haven't been doing a good job in appreciating the good things that happen each day and in turn I've been pretty crabby lately. Sure, there is a lot going on right now and I could probably justify my foul mood to some...but instead I'd like to tell you the good things about my week.

-Friday only 2/3 of my kids were at school, and it was most of the one's that I like.
-I got to chastise this annoying girl for skipping my class...she is like the bane of my existence and I can't wait to tell her mother who thinks that her daughter can do no wrong. Really this is good news.
-Bingham won the 5A state championship
-Claud and Dave got sealed and I attended my 2nd sealing this month
-Ate at Buca di Beppos for the second time this month after a sealing
-Hung out with the lovely Makamae who came to visit from Texas, we will still have fun and laugh together when we are 90 and living in the same retirement home (or something like that). Maybe we'll have wheelchair races down the halls and talk about how much we loved Brandon Boyd.
-My life was spared despite my horrible driving in the freak snowstorm of Saturday night.
-Got to see Claud's parents--love them.
-Erica shoveled the sidewalk this morning.
-My Thursday class which is usually the worst part of the day was actually the bright spot in my day.
-More snow is predicted and I get the garage this week!
-I finished the BOM on Saturday.

THREE DAYS OF SCHOOL THIS WEEK! ONE OF THE DAYS I'M GIVING A TEST! WAHOO.

Which Dress?

2010-11-01T00:41:00.001-06:00

I have been wanting to buy a fancy dress for awhile now. I wear dresses all the time to school so now it never feels the same when I try to dress up for something special. So here are 2 styles of dresses, each in 2 colors, tell me which ones you like. I'm debating whether to just buy one, or one of each style cuz they're kinda expensive...especially because I'm going to have them change the length to below the knee instead of at the knee.

http://www.eshakti.com/clothpdpage.asp?catalog=Clothes&cate=back+in+stock&productid=CL0020570&pcat=

http://www.eshakti.com/clothpdpage.asp?catalog=Clothes&cate=back+in+stock&productid=CL0020571&pcat=

http://www.eshakti.com/clothpdpage.asp?catalog=Clothes&cate=day-to-evening&productid=CL0020790&pcat=

http://www.eshakti.com/clothpdpage.asp?catalog=Clothes&cate=day-to-evening&productid=CL0020776&pcat=

2010-10-29T19:13:00.001-06:00

Today is the last day of the quarter. Hallelujah. Yesterday I had 20-30 kids swarming my room after school. All trying to turn in late work, make up a test or check their grade one last time. Isn't it funny how I'm okay with my own procrastination but despise how much work it creates for me when my students do? Skyward (our online grading system) was creeping along, making it tough to access and input grades. As the line to my desk grew unbearably long, a student marched right up to my desk, passing by all the others and handed me her cell phone. "My mom wants to talk to you!" So I answered the phone and Mom proceeded to chew me out because I was unfairly grading her daughter. "That is just unacceptable," she screamed. "Wow lady, calm down," I thought, "how interesting that all of the sudden the day before the quarter ends she has a problem with her daughter's grade even though it's been a C+ or lower for the ENTIRE QUARTER." Well, the silliest part of the whole situation was how the entire roomful of students (plus a mother/daughter combo waiting to talk to me about her grade) heard this wretched woman yelling at me on the top of her lungs over the cell phone. I prayed a lot after that incident that I could just keep my cool and make it successfully though the rest of my day and night since I had my overwhelming 4 hour ESL endorsement class still to endure.

Anyways, I'm not gonna lie, October was rough this year. Teaching middle school is crazy hard. Today was the best day of the month because I allowed myself to laugh and release some stress. We blasted that song by Taio Cruz (about thowin' your hands up in the air sometimes) and I got all 32 students in 5th period to dance around the room in a conga line with me. Sayin' a-yo, gotta let go.