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

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?

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=

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.

I AM CRANKY!

Why I am so cranky?  I called in sick today, I've been feeling crummy.  It all started Sunday night when this fire in the foothills by my house (okay, well, in Herriman) started burning down houses and they evacuated like 1700 homes and they so I was just nervous about how smoky it was and which schools they would cancel and stuff.  So I didn't sleep well and then I've just been in a funk and getting sicker by the day.  Now my computer ac adapter is broken, so I bought a new one and that one didn't work either, so I think something inside my computer is broken.  I dunno, I'll have to take it in this weekend when I have time to breathe again.  I do NOT recommend taking 18 credits (even if it is over 8 months) and teaching without a prep period.  7 straight classes, no breaks, I almost cried yesterday after work.  I went to the copy room and all 3 copiers were broken.  Tears were welling up in my eyes.  It was my first day with no meetings after school and I was feeling sick and achy and I just wanted to go home, and I couldn't even get my copies done.  I miss Jocelyn the copy lady who is not with us this year and so they didn't bother getting a new copy lady.

Wow, did you read all of that?  Pat yourself on the back if you did.  I let out a big shriek/yell tonight because I was so frustrated.  I think I scared my roomies.  Oh well.  Ya know what, it didn't even make me feel better.  I would go exercise but I jacked up my knees running around the lake on Saturday night.  Note to self:  stick to the eliptical machines at the gym.  Wow, are you still reading?  You deserve some ice cream or some delicious mexican food.  I'm done.

Patriotism

For those of you who do not know, I have been working up in northern Utah (beaver dam, in between tremonton and logan) at a Cub Scout Day Camp.  It has been an adventure for many reasons, but no regrets, I have been able to work with some people that I have really come to love.  I just want to share with you a few experiences from my last full week of work.  Well, let me begin the story a month before...

...Over Memorial Day our Bishop had us watch some cheesy movie about our country or something like that.  The song, "Proud to be an American" was playing and I HATE that song.  But as much as I hate that song, I started to think about my Grandpa and how he requested that song to be sung at his funeral/memorial service.  That dumb song on it's own wouldn't bring tears to my eyes but the memories of my Grandpa did.  I thought about how much I really wasn't proud at all to be an American and didn't really feel any sense of patriotism or gratitude.  I haven't really felt much like an "American" since 2007 when I arrived home from Argentina.  I kind of began to feel a little guilty for having no sense of pride or loyalty for my country.  A few times after Memorial Day I prayed that I might understand why my Grandpa liked that song and why he chose it.

...Fast forward to scout camp.  Though I am usually working just in the trading post, last week I was asked to teach the citizenship class for the weblos in camp for a few days.  With each lesson, more and more I felt like I was understanding the beautiful symbolism of our flag.  Among other things, I would teach the boys what the pledge of allegiance meant and really came to understand those words myself.  My salutes at flag felt different when I started realizing I was showing reverence toward liberty, justice and my country rather than just reverencing a piece of colorful fabric.  I started thinking about my forefathers who believed so deeply that people ought to have basic freedoms and rights and protection that they were willing to sacrifice everything (even their lives) to defend it all.  At the end of that week, on Friday night, at our campfire, we had a flag retirement.  It was actually the third flag retirement I had seen, but this time was different.  First off, there was an incredible sense of reverence among the scouts and staff who were there.  I kept thinking about the comments of a war veteran from earlier that week who had picked up the folded flag I was using in my class, he hugged it and talked about how a flag is a living thing, a living symbol and that is why it is burned when it is no longer in conditions to be flown.  After the flag was lowered into the fire, as a staff we sang patriotic songs as the scouts passed by the fire to pay their last respects to the flag.  When everyone else had left, our staff circled around the fire and it was just completely quiet.  The spirit was so strong.  I couldn't speak, though a few staff members started to share their feelings about what we had just witnessed.  I wish I could share all of their insights with you!  It was emotional.  I just kept staring into the fire thinking about why I was having such strong feelings and then it hit me that  Heavenly Father was blessing me with what I had asked for.  I knew I needed to have a love for my country and I was feeling it!  I feel like my Grandpa choosing that song for his funeral was a message to me...and truthfully I think it's the legacy he wanted to leave for his grandchildren who have not had to sacrifice the way he did.  When I think of him now, I think of patriotism and I am grateful for the way that he is an example to me.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

I'm Thirsty

I have a good life.  The end.












I am incredibly fortunate.  I have some really cool opportunities living here in Salt Lake.  One is being able to work in the Salt Lake Temple.  I can't tell you how many Argentines were so jealous of the fact that I have been to temple square and the conference center, and here I am, getting to spend every other Saturday working in the most iconic temple of our dispensation.  I am lucky that I still get to see many of my friends from college.  I am lucky that I basically fell into my job on a fluke and I have one prep and get to teach only Spanish 2.  I am lucky that I have enough money for my needs (obviously not all of my wants--we always want more than we have--right now I really want braces and can't afford it).  I have a comfortable place to live, a reliable car and my health.  Living in Salt Lake I have gotten to rub shoulders with some pretty cool people.

A couple things have been on my mind.  One was going to do sealings this weekend.  I honestly can't even put into words how I felt.  The spirit was very strong and a lot of feelings came to me about what my parents must have felt as they were sealed and then to me.  The other thing on my mind was a conference talk where somebody mentioned how we live far beneath our privileges.  I think that I am blessed now, but I know that I have untapped resources and opportunities.  I know that I can have even more spiritual power if I am willing to put in the effort.  I used to think my trainer was crazy for always talking about "poder espiritual" but I think I'm starting to get what she meant.

Sorry if this post seems cryptic and/or disjointed.  Lot's on my mind.