Christmas Break- the First Half

I have been home for almost 2 weeks now. I've had a lot of fun with the nieces and nephews. The weekend I got home my brother Bryan and his family came into town so that everyone was home. We decided to go bowling. This is me with the nieces watching someone else bowl. I think the younger girls outscored all of the adults. Of course they had bumpers and some help with a ramp to put the ball on.

This is Wilson, Whitney and Hannah. The two girls usually play so well together. Here they are sharing a bike.

These are the boys right before we took family pictures. They are the binky boys. The hat Wilson is wearing was made by Nicole. She has been a crafting freak.

The past two weeks has gone by so quickly. I have been sick for a lot of it, so I really haven't had time to do the projects that I need to get done before next semester comes. I'll get on those right away. ;) On Wednesday I got to spend some time with my brother Kirk. Those who usually take care of him went up to Billings. It was great to spend a few hours with him. He's getting so much better with his vocabulary. He usually just says one word when he wants to communicate. While I was over there he was using sentances in asking to go see mom. I felt so bad having to turn him down, but it was crazy at home. So we listened to music and I tickled his feet; he was in 7th heaven. It was nice to spend some quiet time with him.

Sicker Than a Boo-Boo

As my Uncle Lloyd would say, I have been "sicker than a boo-boo" this past week. I'm not exactly how sick that is, but I'm guessing that's how I've felt this past week. When I got home last weekend my niece and nephew had a few sniffles. I didn't think much of it until I started getting a REALLY sore throat. I think I would rather have the stomach flu than a sore throat. It makes life miserable. On top of that I couldn't breathe through my nose, making it necessary to breathe through my mouth...drying out my throat even more. Makes sleeping difficult. I finally went to the doctor on Thursday and got some antibiotics. It really hasn't helped, but I'm hoping.

Being at home has been great. Since my brother and his family currently live with my mom (he's building a house), I get to see Whitney and Wilson, my niece and nephew, every day. Wilson is learning to walk/waddle. He's getting more sure of himself every day. Whitney keeps me entertained with dancing and singing. I wish I had even 1 percent of her energy. She amazes me.

I've been very lazy so far. I'm supposed to get ready for next semester and finish a project from this last semester, but that hasn't really happened yet. I need to get on that this week. I hate having to work over a break, but it must be done.

Family Photos

We had family photos taken last weekend. Catherine did a great job...especially at photo shopping the background so it looked good. It was a crazy 20 minutes with screaming kids and adults trying to get their attention. I think they turned out for how crazy it really was.

Kirk, Me, Mom

Me and my cute mommy

The girls (Chelsey, Shawnee, Mom, Sandy, Nicole, Sariah, Bekah, Hannah, Whitney)

A few of us girls

The grandchildren (Hayden, Hannah, Whitney, Sariah, Wilson, Bekah)

Mike's Family (Mike, Whitney, Nicole, Wilson)

Erik's Family (Sandy, Erik, Bekah, Sariah)

Bryan's Family (Chelsey, Hannah, Hayden, Bryan)

The whole gang.

Taco Bell Birthday

The other night my friend Jess and I went through the drive-thru at Taco Bell, one of our favorite eateries. The guy who took our order was hillarious, and very patient with us. (We tend to be a bit hyper when we are together). When we pulled up to the window, he happened to mention it was his birthday. One of us (I think it was Jess, she thinks it was me) had the bright idea to make him a card since he had to work on his birthday. So, we ran around the corner back to my apartment. This is us thinking we are so creative in writing a poem to him.


The following is the card. It uploaded upside down. We wrote a poem to him.

We also decided to give him some cake. It's one of those microwave brownie things. Very yummy.

This is Jess making an order for some tap water and hot sauce. Since we had already been through about 20 minutes before that, we really didn't want anything.

This is Jason. He was nice enough to offer the water and hot sauce free of charge. We gave him his cake and card. I think he was very surprised by the whole thing. He probably thought we were psycho. (Which we really are, we just try not to let on about that part).

All in all it was a great evening. One of the best nights of our lives. (Earlier that night we saw "The Blind Side", which is an amazing move.)

Windex or Febreeze?

It was one of "those" days. The first picture is of me after dinner. That would be dip from Chile's...the chips were pretty weak. I could see it coming, but I still moved it towards my mouth. Sucker for punishment, I guess.

This morning took me a while to get going. When the alarm went off I started to push the minute button instead of the snooze button, thinking it would give me more time to sleep. Now my clock is way off, but I got a couple of minutes more before I realized what I had done. When I went to leave the house, I noticed my jacket smelled like food. I grabbed what I thought was the Febreeze and started spraying. Afterwards, I realized it was the Windex. (as you can see from the picture below, they look NOTHING alike) At school I was walking on a brick walkway and twisted my ankle. At least I didn't fall all the way to the ground. Later, I was walking down the hall, talking with a friend, when I ran into a wall. As you can tell, it was one of "those" days. Glad it's done.

Beauty All Around

I drove home from WY today. These are pictures taken in the canyon between Logan and Bear Lake. My camera doesn't do it justice. It was gorgeous. I love fall!

There's a Monster in my Nose!

This book was written by my cousins, Richard and Beth Hawley, and illustrated by another cousin, Spencer Hawley. Check it out at http://www.publishamerica.net/product85079.html.

Sleep? What's that?

It seems my body is getting old. That's when people start sleeping less, right? It hit me all in one night. Last night I went to bed a little early, at least early for me. I had lights out at 11:30. I thought I'd go to sleep quickly since I was tired. Well, I lied there until 4:30. By then I was fuming mad. I should have gotten up earlier but thought I would fall asleep soon. WRONG! I did 2 hours of homework and then went back to bed. I think I fell asleep at 7 and then got up at 8:30. Only 90 minutes of sleep for the longest day of my week. And I still feel pretty good. At least I'm still coherant. ;) But, I am DEFINATELY going to bed early tonight!

The Popes

These are the Popes. Tish and I have known each other a long time. I've known Josh a long time, too. They actually met because of me.... You're welcome. :) They moved to Logan a few weeks before me. They have been a lifesaver. They feed me, entertain me, and let me play with the kids. It's great.

Dinner at Texas Roadhouse

Kade being the cutie that he is.

Only The Temple

I went to the Logan temple tonight and had a great experience. I noticed a few things while there. Only at the temple do you see a sign that says "Thou shalt not park here." Only in the temple will I be complimented on my Spanish. Only by the temple will you see an old man who shuffles behind his wife carrying her suitcase for her. I LOVE THE TEMPLE!

Toughness

This week was a pretty tough one. Not with homework, but mentally. Yesterday was a year since my dad died. Many memories flooded me all week. I think the hardest thing is that I wasn't able to say good-bye and have unresolved issues.

The toughness really started at devotional. The speaker was Craig Jessop, the previous conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He shared experiences that he's had over the years. One was pretty close to what I was feeling yesterday. I just wanted to break down and cry, but I still had to play postlude.

In the afternoon my friend Jessica and I went to a movie called "Life Happens". We thought it would be a cute romance. WRONG! It was about a guy who was trying to deal with his wife's death. Thank goodness the theather was dark so I could shed a few tears. It was difficult for both of us because we've lost family members recently. It's could to have friends who can cry together.

The whole day was even worse because I had a tummy issue all day. I lost my lunch and dinner. No chicken bowls or pizza any time soon!

Pictures

So, I finally bought a new camera. I took some pictures of my apartment. Hopefully the quality is good. If not, the camera goes back. :)

From the door looking into my living room
From my couch, towards the door

Into the kitchen from my front door.

Stress

I can't believe it's only been a week since my last post. It feels MUCH longer than that. I was able to go home last weekend to visit. It was fun to see everyone. It's amazing how much I miss the little ones. I played and slept too much and didn't get much homework done, so when I came back on Tuesday I was panicked. I did homework for 8 1/2 hours straight...and could have kept going. I had barely added a class for my TAship, so I had to catch up with that. Later in the week my department head told me I needed to add another class so that I could be full-time in order to be a TA....so that's 5 classes this semester for only 9 credits. Needless to say, I AM STRESSED. I think I could do homework round the clock and I would still feel stressed. Ug.

The week went fairly well, considering all of the changes. All I did was class, homework, sleep and eat. It's been crazy, and it's only going to get worse. I truly hope that I pass everything. Especially my Theories class...studying 18 different theorists in 15 weeks. It's nuts! We could take a semester for each of them.

I tried to post pictures of my apartment, but my camera decides to bleed all batteries to death. So, I still have no pictures to post. Sorry.

I feel like there was something exciting that I wanted to post, but my brain is too full of other junk right now....time for bed.

Chaos

Chaos seems the be the recurring theme of my life. It is in total chaos these days. I'm trying to be organized, but I never feel on top of it all. Probably because there is always more to do. The past week has been interesting. I can no longer go to choir on MW. I was kicked out for bad behavior. Not really....I was offered a teaching assistantship and the class I work with meets during the time of choir. I'm sad because I LOVE choir, but having a teaching assistantship is a huge opportunity for me. I couldn't pass it up.

I was out with a migraine on Tuesday and tried to recover from it most of yesterday. I wish they only hit on the weekends. It would be much more productive that way. At least I didn't have any classses....just meetings that needed to be rescheduled for today when I am more coherant.

My ward is interesting....lots of little ones. I was conned into doing nursery my first and only Sunday there so far. It was fun, I have to admit. Who wouldn't love 15 crazy kids under the age of 3? I guess that makes me crazy. :)

I get to go home this weekend. I feel like it's been months since I saw my family, even though it's only been 3 weeks. I can't wait to see them all. Wahoo! Just not looking forward to the Labor Day traffic. Yuck.

Another Day, and a BIG Headache

I woke up today with a headache. Not a great way to start, especially when I knew I would be in class until 8 p.m. I headed to the institute building to study...which wasn't very productive cause my head hurt too much to focus. I mostly stared at the pages.

I had my first class today. It's about educating young children and their development. I think I'm really going to enjoy it. It's not too much work, but it still will keep me busy with reading. The teacher called me an "overachiever" because I had already gone to the library to get some articles for next week....she has them on reserve so I could have done it from home. Wish I would have known that yesterday. ;)

I had my Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith class tonight. I think it's going to be good. I took it at BYU, but a different teacher always brings new insights.

Here is a little story that I found in a book called "Reclaiming Childhood" by William Crain. The book is about how we often push children too hard, too quickly to grow up. It's in the chapter about children being dramatists:

"One New York City mother and father spent a year getting their four-year-old daughter ready for the intelligence test required for admission to many prestigious kindergartens. But when the test examiner asked the child her name, she said, "Amanda," the name of their cat. Then, to every question the examiner asked, the child simply responded, "Meow."" (pg. 34)

I laughed so hard after reading this. It was a great story!

Choir, Choir, Choir

It seems the last couple of days has been taken up by Institute Choir. As mentioned in previous posts, my classes really don't start until tomorrow. Tonight was the huge (500 people) practice for the choir. We are singing at the CES fireside on Sunday, September 13. Be sure to watch on BYU-TV. I'm sure I'll be easy to spot. I'll be the old one. ;)

I played for one of the choirs today. I won't be able to do it on their other day because of a class, but it was fun today. I'll also be playing the organ on Fridays for devotionals. I promised my mom I would get active in institute, and I believe I have. I also have a regular class that I will attend on Wednesday nights, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I took it at BYU, but can always, always learn new things.

One thing I forgot to mention in my post yesterday is that after choir I went to visit one of the institute teachers, John Harding. He taught seminary in Lovell over 20 years ago. People still talk to him so when I saw him on the list of teachers, I thought I'd go say hi. His expression was priceless when I told him who I was. I was only 9 when they moved away, but he remembered a lot about the family and Lovell. Everyone knows someone from the Big Horn Basin!

The First, With MANY More to Come

Today was the first day of school. Originally, I only had 2 classes. On Friday during orientation, they told us newbies of another one that meets on Mondays. So, I headed up to campus around 10 a.m. and parked in the stadium parking. USU is awesome in that they offer shuttle services all over campus, pretty much any time of the day. The campus isn't all that big, but it's on a hill, so it seems big. I rode the shuttle up to campus, saw the institute building, and headed that direction. Good that I did. I saw that they have a choir on MW, so I signed up. Wahoo! I haven't been in a choir in a long time. I may even get to accompany once in a while.

My "real" class was before choir. It's an intro to the program. Sounds like it will be insightful and helpful. I'm still wondering how I got into the program. There are about 15-20 TOTAL who got admitted this year between the masters and PhD programs. I'm not sure how many applied, but I'm surprised that I'm here. Should be interesting, to say the least.

I got home about 3 hours later than I had originally planned because of choir. I then met my friend Jessica for lunch/dinner at Taco Bell. Overall, it's been a good/long/productive day. Tomorrow I'm going to the other section of choir to see if they need an accompianist, but that's all that's planned. Trying to get a head start on reading for one of my courses...don't know how helpful that will be, but I've got nothing better to do at this moment. (I'm sure I'll look back and this and wish I had done 100 other things, had I known what was coming.)

The Longest Week Ever...Until Next Week

It has been a VERY long week. Right after Sacrament meeting on Sunday, I headed to Rexburg. I stayed with my friends the Wildes in Rigby (just next to Rexburg). I asked Landon to give me a blessing because I was freaking out inside. My brothers had given me a blessing the week before, which I truly appreciated, but I guess I just needed more confirmation that I was doing the right thing. It was an AMAZING blessing. (Thank you, Landon!)

Monday morning, first thing, I had a doctor's appointment in Rexburg. It wasn't the most fun visit, since it was my yearly check-up, but I got a clean bill of health (or as clean as I can get). He did tell me to watch my blood pressure, but I was already working on that. He put me on a new medication to help with some issues I have been having. Another $35 to add to the growing list of medicines. I remember the gold old days when I was healthy and had no medicine to take. Of course, I had the same issues then that I do now, I just didn't know it yet. After my appointment, I went back to the Wilde's and spent a few hours playing with the kids and Marianne. It was so much fun to be with them again. They were some of my best friends when I lived in Rexburg and I miss seeing them so often.

Tuesday I did pretty much nothing. It was great.

Wednesday I decided I needed to be productive so I unpacked a few more boxes and got my computer desk set up. My apartment is coming together nicely. I have pictures of it, but have the wrong USB cord for my camera, so I can't post them yet. That night I went over to the Pope's house for a bit. They've been so nice to let me hang out with them. I'm afraid I might make a nuisance of myself over there.

Thursday I had a 4 1/2 hour long orientation. B-O-R-I-N-G. My head hurt afterwards, mostly from trying to stay awake through it all. That night I went with the Popes up to the creamery. We decided to walk, not knowing that it was about a mile away. (Josh knew, but didn't tell us exactly how far because he thought we already knew.) Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but USU is on a HUGE hill and I was wearing flip flops. I'll just say that I dang earned my ice cream. (By the way, USU has the BEST icecream I have ever tasted. Sorry, BYU. Makes a great root beer float.) We were tired and sweaty (Josh and I at least) by the time we got back to their apartment.

Today I had a job interview for a "Child Development Teacher" at the hospital. Basically, it's a fancy name for a day care for the hospital employees. It would be fun to work there. I should hear next week sometime. I then had a 2 hour orientation with my department today. It was much more entertaining and informational. Now I am freaking out again wondering if I am going to be able to succeed at this stuff. I feel so unprepared and I'm not sure what questions to ask, so I feel like I have blinders on. Should be interesting, to say the least. Tonight I went to dinner with the Popes. (Like I said, I'm becoming a nuisance to them.)

Anyhow, it's been a long, tiring, stressful week, and school hasn't even begun. Plus, I miss my family so dang much it doesn't make things easier. It would be great if I could see my munchkins for just a few minutes and get a hug from my mom. *Sigh*

The Park

Yesterday I was able to take Whitney and Wilson to the park for a while. These are some pictures of them both.


Wilson enjoying the view. He mostly watched as Whitney ran around the park and went down the slide.

Whitney pushing brother in the swing. He enjoyed it once I situated his hands so they weren't hanging out like wings.

Wilson enjoying the swing.

Whitney on the "big" slide.

My Cuties

These are my cute nieces and nephews. My brother Mike will tell me that they aren't MINE, but I still think of them that way. They are the main reason I moved home last year. I just couldn't stand to be away from them any longer. It will be so hard to leave them in a few days since I know them so much better than I did last year. With their pictures I have included a few of my favorite characteristics of each.

Riah

"Hi, my name is Sariah and I'm 7." This is how to introduces herself to EVERYone that she meets. She is not shy and loves everyone. She loves dirt, especially wet dirt (aka MUD). She is usually happy, only cranky when tired. She gives great hugs.

Bekah Boo
Bekah has one of the greatest laughs, and she laughs often. She plays great pretend games. She, too, loves to play in the dirt. She usually has a stuffed animal playing with her. She wants to be just like her big "Sissy," Sariah.

Hannah Banana

The girl of many faces, this is the least crazy one I could get this past weekend. She is constantly moving and shaking (literally...her bum). She is a gumby-like girl in that she can flex into almost any position. She loves to watch cartoons. Once she has warmed up to you, she is a friend for life.

Whit-a-wee

A little lady with her own mind, Whitney comes up with the craziest things. Her favorite color is pink and she loves balloons. She loves to be outside and to "help" with the other kids. She is very nurturing, always making sure everyone is comfortable and happy. She loves to dance and sing, and doesn't mind telling you to join her. She is also amazing at doing "trickies".

Mr. Magoo

This kid can always make me smile, even if he's grumpy. Like his sister Hannah, Hayden is a kid with many faces...most of them goofy. He knows how to egg on his sister to the point of her screaming at him, all the while with an innocent expression on his face. He loves to play, especially at nap or bed time. He is a very touchy-feely person, which is great for kisses and cuddling.

Little Mister

As his personality emerges, I am amazed at how smart and alert Wilson is. He loves to watch people, especially Sariah when she is around. He always wants a bite to eat of whatever is going into someone else's mouth, and "talks" (yells) at them until he gets to taste. If there isn't food in his mouth, there is a finger or toy there instead. He always has a smile to share at me when he first sees me.

All you need is DIRT

This past weekend all of the nieces and nephews were in town. To keep them entertained, we sent them outside to play in the dirt. Yes, what horrible adults we are. (I dare you to try it and then tell me it's an awful thing to do.) ;) They loved it. They were entertained for a heck of a long time. It wasn't that difficult to find, since the yard is in dissaray because of the garage going up. Here are a few pics from the blessed event.

Grandma feeding the kids marshmellows so they would hold still long enough for me to try and get a picture of them. Thus the reaching and sincere interest in Grandma all at once.

The two boys: Boy Blue (Wilson with the blue eyes) and Boy Brown (Hayden with the brown eyes). Wilson wasn't feeling too well. He usually smiles a lot.

The dirt playing. Need I say more?

Watching as Grandma pulls out the marshmellows....right before the mad rush.

Randomness

I was reading my 2007 posts on the blog and I was much better at writing on it then. Now I just seem to wait for something big to happen before posting. I need to be better, since I decided to start it as kind of a journal. So, just a warning that some of the posts in the future will be boring for you readers. I would apologize, but I'm not sorry because then I'll have something to remember my life by.

Last night I couldn't fall asleep until 4 a.m. I started reading and got caught up in a book. Then, my left leg and hip started aching like never before. At about 3 I went in and got the muscle cream from my mom's room. I thought I would fall asleep pretty quick so I didn't take anything for it. Hmm, not such a good idea. It still took awhile for me to drop.

Today I went to the dump in Powell with Mike and Whitney. We went in a REALLY old truck. The max speed was 60, and that was going down hill. The seats were made of plastic, so our bums were wet when we got out. I have to say that the dump was nice...for a dump. I was surprised. It was a fun trip, for it being to the dump and all.

Well, that's about all the randomness for today. More to follow. :)

Family Reunion Photos

These are just a few pics from the weekend.

Isn't Wilson just adorable!?

All the ladies at the dinner at Mike and Nicole's house.

Me and my momma!

Beautiful Karren.

Deloy and Seth

So Busy

It's a good thing I didn't get a summer job. I have been super busy all summer. About a month ago I watched my niece Hannah and nephew Hayden for a week while my sister-in-law went to Vegas with her mom and sister. It was a great experience. I don't get to see them that often, so I loved it. I was exausted by the end of the week.

I have also been busy with my niece Whitney and nephew Wilson. Their mom had a craft fair to get ready for and a few other things, so I have been able to spend time with them. I am grateful since I am moving to Logan in a few weeks. It's kind of a two-edged sword because I'm getting to spend time with them, but then I'm going to have to leave. Not good.

A couple of weeks ago we had a family reunion. We had over 100 turn out for it. I missed seeing those who weren't able to come, but so glad to see all those who came. We had dinners and fireworks and swimming. It was a great time. There are so many little ones these days. I love it!

Last week I moved my belongings to Logan with the help of my brother Erik and my cousins Caroll and Ed. Thanks to them so much! I couldn't have done it otherwise. It's nice to get everything down there so I don't have to worry about that. Now I'm just worried about finances. I hate needing money, but I guess that's the way life is.

This week I am in Gillette visiting my brother Bryan and his family. I am not looking foward to the time where I can't just take a few days and visit everyone. Bummer to be responsible again.

I will post pictures when I get back home of all the activities listed above.

Machine Operator!

I operated my frist Skidsteer last night. It was awesome. The only bad part was I hadn't eaten in a while so the diesel smell got to me after a while. I'm not a pro yet, but I'm hoping. Thanks to Isaac for letting me borrow his toy.

Deloy and Nellie Mayes Family Reunion

Just a few more updates about the reunion. Thanks for being patient with all of them.

Dinner on the 2nd will be at Mike and Nicole's. They live on the corner of Nevada and 5th, across the street from Haskell's Furniture. If you could bring the following that night, please let me know:
-Drinks
-Shredded Cheese
-Olives-Refried Beans
-Sour Cream
-Ranch
-Sliced tomatoes
-Anything else you might want on your Navajo Tacos
-Veggies/Fruits
-Dessert(other toppings have already been spoken for)

On Saturday the 4th, Gail Collins will open the pool for the family in the afternoon. I am not sure of the exact time, but bring your swimming suits!

That evening, the following foods are needed for the hotdog roast. Please let me know if you could bring something:
-Dessert
-Chips
-Drinks
-Salads
-Veggies/Fruits

Adrin and Ella will be at her parents house for fireworks, but they have offered their driveway/field to light of any fireworks that shouldn't be lit around children. Anyhow, I am excited to see everyone. Please let me know if you have any questions. Love ya!

UT Trip

Last week was spent in Utah. I left on Monday. It's not my favorite drive to make...too long. And yet, I'm moving back there. What am I thinking? (Guess I'm not). I spent most of my time driving between Lehi, Logan, Draper, Provo, and Lehi again.

This is the Draper temple. I was able to do a session there inbetween all of my driving and visiting friends. I loved the Celestial room. The ceiling went up into the spire and was rounded off. Beautiful.

This is the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. I went to the open house. I stayed in Lehi with my cousin's family. My ticket was for 9 a.m. I didn't wake up until 8:30 and it takes at least 30 minutes to get there. I rushed to get ready and quickly left. It took me forever to find the road that the temple was on. The map I had was NO help. I ended up going the wrong way on a road. With all of that, I was only an hour late. I was a little frazzled by the time I got there. I popped my trunk and put my purse in there. Hmm, forgot that I put my keys in my purse before I did that. Yup, I locked the keys in my car! I have NEVER done that. Good thing I was at a temple in UT. There was a cop there on duty for the security at the open house. He was able to get in quickly, thank goodness. No charge, either. Later that day, I was still frazzled from everything and tipped over a display at Bath and Body Works. Yup, quite a day.

These are my friends Coral and Jewell. I worked with them at BYU before the mission. I hadn't seen them in years. We went to good old Brick Oven in Provo. Yum, yum. I miss my BYU friends. We had some good times.


This is my friend and old roommate Jenner. We lived together over 10 years ago. Yikes! And that's her cute baby Jane. (She wasn't feeling well, thus the stare.) It was so good to see her, too. Again, it had been years. What a horrible friend I am!

Overall it was a good trip. I found housing for school in Logan...a cute 2 bedroom with LOTS of closet space. I'm not looking forward to moving again, but I am looking foward to decorating the apartment, hopefully with the help of my sister-in-law Nicole. ;)