Challenge Day 30: One Thing You’re Excited About

This weekend has started out very iffy but has gotten better. Definitely. Got to sleep in, for the most part and then we made waffles :) and then we basically started right into pies. We had to bake 34 pies (still baking actually, about halfway thru). It's going to be a loooong night. One that I personally will have no problem staying awake during ;)

I really can't stand pumpkin pies. The house smells like pumpkin and I feel like my hands are coated in it, no matter how often I wash them. We're running out of room to stack them as well. I will be so glad after tomorrow! It's a great fund-raiser, don't get me wrong, it just feels never-ending.

Today's challenge, which is my last challenge sadly, is one thing that I'm excited about.

There have been a lot of new changes in my life lately and I think that it has opened quite a few doors. I know I've made mention of this a few times, and I'm still going to stay pretty cryptic as to specifics because I think that sometimes if something has happened and you make too big a deal of it too soon, it can mess it up before it even begins. That being said, it's not a real specific thing: it's not a job, it's not a relationship, it's not a move to a new house. It's nothing too specific like that, just that the way things have stacked lately I feel like I can be excited about what the future holds :) I'd love to know what you all think.

Maybe I'll need to find a new challenge :) I keep getting told I need to do a photo challenge. Maybe I will. But make sure to check back in!

Challenge Day 29: Five Weird Things That You Like

TGIF. Seriously. Thank God it's Friday. It's been a pretty long week, stress wise. But I am officially all caught up :) I stayed later tonight and graded and got things done. My room is back to it's cleanliness scale and I am getting a new student in 2 weeks! Yay, that puts me at 8 lol

This weekend we have 34 pumpkin pies to make ugh, lol that's a little more than I had expected. But hopefully it'll go quick. I'm hoping to get into my office and really get some major work done.

But to tonight's challenge, five weird things that you like....

1. Vanilla Frosting, Animal Cracker, & Popcorn: This sounds really disgusting, I know, but it really is good! My friend Amy and I found this out probably in Jr. High, you have to eat them all at the same time too!

2. Marshmallow Fluff, Animal Cracker, Nutella sandwiches: My first year of college I'd just gotten back from Australia and fallen in love with nutella and we decided that we should try this. You have to put the nutella on one side and the marshmallow fluff on the other and then mush them together (I eat a lot of animal crackers apparently lol).

3. Night skiing/boarding: I know this sounds ridiculously cold (and sometimes it is) but it's an adrenaline rush and it's so eerie and quite and the snow is always crunchy and that's all you hear. I love it! When I was in college I used to go every weekend and the fog would start rolling in and all you could see was the lights on the lift line and I loved the serenity it brought.

4. The Smell of Gunpowder: I don't know what it is, but I've always liked the sulfury smell when you shoot a gun.

5. Driving at Night: I know this one does sound weird, but I love traveling at night. I like seeing places, but I will tell you the best time I've had in a while was driving through the Red Woods at 4 in the morning. It was such an in awe feeling.

Well that's it for the night. It feels weird knowing that tomorrow will be the end of my challenge. Will I have as many views? If you have had fun reading this I would ask that you follow it and check in even when I'm not posting every day! You can follow me publicly (which I'd prefer, I'd love to see who follows me really) or privately; you don't have to have a blogger account to follow either. Anyway, keep checking back - especially for my photography!

Challenge Day 28: Somewhere You’d Like to Move to Or Visit

So today was just one of those days. I'd just like to start out apologizing to anyone who I talked to today, or who I ignored after realizing what type of day it would be. I'm a bitch (yes, I really am) but I'm not that much of one that I'll down you all with my complaints (except maybe Melanie, but she loves me and doesn't get a choice).

It was one of those completely feel helplessly unorganized days. But what could I really expect after being out of class for almost a week. I surely shouldn't expect huge stacks of papers in all my turn in baskets, or that my desk would be a wreck, or that the room was way out of order, or that there was pencil shavings all over the back sink. Nope, definitely shouldn't've expected any of that.

Today is my mom's birthday though. Being the good daughter that I am, I decided to make her a really yummy dinner and clean house and get a card. Well when we were in the card aisle looking at them I turned around and just saw this card. I wanted to get it, just to get it, but I really have no one to give it to, so I recommend those people who are dating or who have husbands should rush to Wal-Mart and grab it! haha

Bahahahaha I loved it. The funny thing is, when I turned and was like hahaha Mel knew right where I was looking. Great minds and all ;)

But tonight's blog is going to be good! If I can get it all put together.

Lists are best, and since I won't be narrowing it down, here we go:

• Italy - this is a given, that's where my family on my dad's side is mainly from.

• Germany, Poland, Scandinavian Countries - mostly because I am a WWII buff lol but I also have a lot of family on my mom's side from Sweden (and I have an adopted Oma who is from Germany). 

• The UK - since I was little this was on my list!
• Spain - because I got gypped out of it a couple years ago, and I've always wanted to go!
• All 50 states (I've only got 11 crossed out) - I think that I need to see this country in order to really appreciate it.
• Egypt - because it was always a fascination when I was little.

• Greece - I think it would be so beautiful, it just seems calming

 

Anyway, I think I am going to sit down and try to enjoy watching 666 Park Avenue, since it scares the heck outta me and I really shouldn't watch it before bed, butttttt whatever!

Challenge Day 27: A Quote to Try to Live By

Today was another full day of Singapore Math training. It really has been a good training overall, and today we actually got to see it in action in the classrooms. I'm not gonna lie, it's going to be weird to go back to my classroom on Thursday, seeing as I haven't been in there since last Friday. But from the news I've heard they've been really well behaved (thank God)! That makes me so proud :) (aside from the fact that I threatened their lives ;) jk...but actually not really). My head is actually hurting today, I think more from being exhausted than really overwhelmed, though it may be a good mix of both. We did this from 9 am - 12 pm and it was one right after the other. This was further on, as it's fractions, but it kept steadily getting harder, check it out:

This is called model drawing. We did this from the most simple addition and subtraction to percents and fractions.

I know this is going to be out of the blue, but if anyone has any good drink mixes for tequila please leave them in my comments. I made the mistake of buying (what I think anyway) a huge bottle of it thinking it was something else (in my defense, so did Amy) and I can't stand straight tequila. I need to do something other than just margaritas :)

This challenge will be another one that's hard to narrow down. I love quotes. I collect quotes :) but it takes a lot for a quote to actually make it to my collection haha it is going to be really hard to narrow this down, because it's just one quote and by now you should know me well enough to know that I really just don't do favorites...

Although it is a singular word, there are many variations of alone. There is the alone of an empty beach at twilight. There is the alone of an empty hotel room. There is the alone of being caught in a throng of people. There is the alone of missing a particular person and there is the alone of being with a particular person and realizing you're still alone. - Lemony Snickett

 

I think this quote just speaks volumes (to not sound too cliche). I think it's not necessarily something to live by, but it's a life truth. We all feel alone at some point in our lives, but even if we're not alone we can still feel alone. You just have to know that even when you feel the most alone, you still have to go on living - even if it's tough.

So lastly, here are some pictures from my office progress! It's crazy how much the color is changing the feel of the room. It's a very calming place to be in and I tend to go in there right before bed and turn on music (at the moment I'm obsessed with Priscilla Ahn's new CD "When You Grow Up", check it out) and shut the door and paint. I can't wait for it to actually be my office :)

Challenge Day 26: Something You’re Currently Worrying About

Today has been an ok day. I wore my new boots :) which I was super stoked to find by the way. I got to wear jeans and got to sit in training all day. It was actually pretty beneficial training and we have more tomorrow. It's on Singapore Math, which is a specific technic of teaching math that focuses more on the place value of numbers than the math we teach now.

Today's challenge is a little tricky. I hope this doesn't come back to bite me, but the biggest worry right now for me is money. I love this time of year, but lately things have been a little tighter and it's harder to spend money - even when I want to get all my Christmas shopping done. Money is always going to be a worry in my profession one way or another, but I hate that it has to be. Especially since I am the only support system for me. I don't have a spouse who can support me with another income and that's a little frustrating when you want to be as independent as I'd like to be. I wish I could get a place of my own and decorate it all cute and travel and shop for quality over just getting by.

Can I just get three wishes over here?

Challenge Day 25: Five Words/Phrases That Make You Laugh

So today is the day that we observe Veteran's Day and after last night's post I felt pretty rude about not really mentioning all those people I know! So I hope I don't leave anyone out but here goes:

• My friend Katrice and her husband
• My friend Amber's boyfriend, Erich
• My friend Kaila's husband, Nick
• Kiersten and her husband, Brandon
• Audrey
• My friend Rose's husband, Rory
• Kolt
• Kenya
• Jim
• Matt
• John

I'm sure there's many more and I am not positive on every one's branches so rather than look silly I will just leave them as is and thank them for even being/having been in the military to begin with!

The school took today off, which meant a nice day off for me and a time for my mom and I to get to spend together. It's been nice, we slept in and then got dressed to go shopping. We had specific things in mind but still somehow ended up at Fashion Place Mall. I have a love/hate relationship with malls. Mainly because I never really have money to spend in malls. My mom is my go-to when I have an issue spending money and generally she'll talk me out of things I don't need. But she's also the first to make me buy stuff I don't need too! Either way a lethal combination.

All day I have been asking for help with this day's challenge and I have yet to actually come up with 5 things that make me laugh; and most of them will probably make no one but me laugh. Either way, here goes:

Top 5 Things That Make Me Laugh

1. Probably the first one that came to mind is the phrase: Die Whore Die. My friend Mel and I say this to each other all the time. Which probably sounds terrible, but it's more of an inside joke than anything.

2. I drive by this next one all the time and it just makes me laugh, so without any real further explanation here is my number 2 (it's at the drive in theater by the way):



If you can't read it, it says "See You Next Year Unless the Mayans Are Right"

     3. This one will come out sounding terrible, probably is terrible, and yet it always made me laugh. In high school during soccer, if you ever kicked the ball, shot it, whatever and it went somewhere it wasn't supposed to (for instance, down the huge ass hill on the other side of the parking lot) we always had a saying (and I'm cracking up trying to even type it): shag your ball(s). Enough said If you don't get it then I'm not explaining.

4. In a fit of immaturity, anything that can be misconstrued as dirty/gutter minded always flits through my mind and makes me want to laugh. It doesn't even have to be meant that way. I blame the other teachers I work with *cough* Bonnie *cough*

5. Any word that comes out not quite the right way. Some classic examples (of my own making) are: buggage - baggage, luggage / toxting - talking, texting / etc.

 

 

Anyway, that should cover my 5. Not that they're fantastic, but this was really, really, really hard! If you're reading this and think otherwise, I'd love for you to try it. If you can do it, leave it in my comments :)

Challenge Day 24: Something That You Miss

This weekend has been one of those never-ending weekends. Starting with baking yesterday and then breakfast today. I will say I have become pretty amazing at cooking sausage - down to keeping them all in straight little lines lol (that's probably the OCD kicking in), it's just really exhausting because of the heat from the grill. I definitely came away with heat rash up and down my arms and the feeling that my eyes have been sunburned.

Really quick here, I would like to extend a thank you to all of our veterans and those still serving for our armed forces today, especially:

• My Brother - Marines
• My Dad - Marines
• My Grandpa Allred - Air Force
• My Friend Kolt - Navy
• And all those other people who I grew up with that are serving as we speak

Tomorrow we took the day off for school in honor of Veteran's Day. Not gonna lie, I need the extra day and it'll be nice to be able to spend some time with my mom because she's got it off too.

I think I have eaten my weight in breakfast food today, which is always what happens when we cook breakfast - it's probably good because then it makes me sick of it until the next month!

Today's challenge is something that I miss. I think I kinda hinted at this yesterday, but we'll expand on it now!

I miss being a kid. Plain and simple. You always want to grow up and be a teenager or 21 or an adult. But you never really want to be a kid.

Me when I was about 3

• When I was a kid, cartoons were normal, not weird like the ones we see today.
• When I was a kid, I remember singing as loudly as possible to country muic - real country, not sitting-on-a-beach-with-my-beer country
• When I was a kid, we would spend hours out in the park across the street after they had mowed it making houses out of the grass clippings and you could stay out until the sprinklers came on - there's no way we'd let kids do that today
• When I was a kid, I remember falling off a gazebo into a thicket of rose bushes and scratching my arms and legs to pieces, but I learned my lesson
• When I was a kid, people were actually into volunteering and we had fun activities for Girl Scouts and things like that
• When I was a kid, I didn't know what heartache was or that your best friend could leave you high and dry
• When I was a kid, there weren't bills to pay or credit cards to tempt you!
• When I was a kid, there weren't cell phones or laptops or iAnything! You actually had to memorize phone numbers and it was a huge deal to give it out!
• When I was a kid, I had a walkman!
• When I was a kid, I did a cartwheel on the pavement and cut my lip open, tripped over our hose and scarred my knee, and pulled the door to the swimming pool open over my toe and cut it open
• When I was a kid, I didn't worry that what I was saying would affect my job, my life, or my future

Plain and simple, being a kid was just easier.

Challenge Day 23: One Of Your Favorite Memories

Ok so the snow has totally made my week! We got over 10" here in Tooele and it's been sooo tempting to not just go out and play in it like the kids on our block lol yesterday we actually ended up closing the school because the power went out towards the end of the day. The kids loved it, it totally threw my schedule off though!

So lately (try like the past two weeks) I have been consumed with the need to bake! I made cupcakes the other night but it wasn't really what I wanted to make so that need hasn't disappeared. Today we're baking 12 pumpkin pies for our fundraiser but I'm not a huge pumpkin anything fan so it's not going to get rid of that need either lol I have never actually made a cheesecake, but I am going to attempt one today, from scratch - I hear they're really tempermental though. It's going to be a Chocolate Chip Cheesecake and if it comes out like the picture shows, I will be super happy, though it's a bit of a chocolate overload for my liking!

So this challenge day has really had me racking my brain for an answer - which is why it didn't get posted last night. I'm still not positive I have a favorite memory. I think this would be easier if it were a traumatic memory lol

So it's nothing toward any of my other friends but I think a lot of my favorite memories include my friend Amy. I think we were meant to be sisters in another life! We've known each other for over 10 years now and when we were little we would be at each other's houses every single day. But there was a time that her and our friend at the time Amber went up with my family to my grandparents house in Afton, Wyoming. I remember singing "In the Navy" and "YMCA" at the top of our lungs in the backseat and driving my parents nuts! It was during winter break and we were going to go snowmobiling and everything because my grandpa owns a dry farm and it's the perfect place to go sledding and snowmobiling. He also has a share of the canyon behind his house and so we always have to go up the canyon. Well there had been some sightings (or so my grandpa said, he is known for making up some crazy stories) of a mountain lion in the canyon. We were all walking and we saw some deer, well the deer froze when they saw us and then they were like running away and we were running away and screaming and Amy was almost having a panic attack and Amber was totally trying to calm her down because she was going to hyperventilate! We thought the deer had run because of the mountain lion (I'm sure they ran because of us).

But back to the dry farm. So my grandpa (when he still farmed full time) had these huge inner-tubes from the tractors (have you ever seen tractor tires?) and we used to use them as sleds to go down the hill. They were big enough that all of us could fit on them at once and we would like dog-pile onto it to go down. My grandpa always picks you up at the bottom with the snowmobile so you don't have to walk back up, and he had driven down to get us. It was all going great until he hit this random little bump. Except that it wasn't little to us! It made the inner-tube like fly into the air and we all bounced off, but when we tried to scream at him to stop he couldn't hear us! So we're like laughing/screaming/doubled over trying to get his attention and he never actually noticed!

I loved being a kid. Before emotions and work and money and school got in the way.

A Few Before Pics & Challenge Day 22: Your Hopes For The Future

Let's start today off with a little bit of a vent. Ok. WHO THE HELL WAKES UP AT 3:30 IN THE MORNING? Me. I hate waking up in the middle of the night - especially at 3:30 or anywhere near that time (old horror movie trauma playing in my mind). I hate even more when you wake up because it's too hot. I always have to have something covering me and therefore it takes forever to cool off. By the time I had cooled off our clock was chiming 5 am. It was all I could do this morning to just keep thinking "It's not my kids' fault, it's not my kids' fault" because it was definitely the set up for disaster being that it's Thursday and all.

Ok I'm done. Overall today was pretty good though, other than having to sort out a rumor starter and not really enjoying my lunch because it was cold by the time I figured out said rumor starter and going to the gym only to realize that I still can't walk/jog/run because my socks as of late have been falling down and therefore my shoes have rubbed my ankle raw and today it didn't matter that I a band-aid and long socks on today, it still hurt (biking is just not as exciting! lol). Plus then you see those stupid people who you just know have bought all this super expensive brand new clothing/shoes (even though those are completely adorable) to make you think they're soooo into working out (and then they wear headbands with flowers) when really you're like "hey, c'mon I'm over here in my old tee and totally worn pants - you can't be cute and work out for real!" or those people who come in wearing scarves (reallllly) and flip flops? *sigh*

Today was just meant to be a down kind of day. I think it's the storm coming in. But if it does what it's supposed to do this weekend should be much happier! We're supposed to get snow. Lots of snow. And what's even better is that we're going to get a ton of lake-effect snow because the lake is suuuuper warm right now. Snow would make my life better lol

Today's challenge is going to require a list (yay) I think.

Presenting My Hopes for the Future!

• That soon my parents divorce will be finalized
• That my sister will stay in school
• That I'll be able to go back and finish my masters - preferably in student counseling or reading
• That I'll be brave enough to just pick up and move somewhere
• That (a few years down the road - at the very least!) I'll be able to find someone and get married
• That my friend Amy and I will live in the same state again (or maybe Fiji haha)
• That I don't die in Rio (I'm sorta joking)
• That I will finally achieve that point in my life where I am happy just the way I am - we're getting there - but this was something I've talked about before
• That I have money to travel - and travel right, not just do pre-done tours
• And because this has to be on here - that the Mayans aren't right and we live to see 2013 hahaha :)

Here's a few pictures of my office :) we thought about it too late so the trim is just about done and we put some of the new color on the one wall, but here is my before's:

We'll see if it covers the red and blue completely!

Challenge Day 21: Your Fears

Can I just start this with how thankful I am that elections are over? Not even for the shear fact that someone lost or won, but that I can't stand them.

So happier times! I don't know what it is, but I've been sooo tired lately, I hope I'm not getting sick. I don't normally get sick - like ever! this is going to be a very long weekend if I get sick. I'm hoping to go out and buy paint for my office tonight :) but other than that life is pretty good. No school this coming Monday - and it's already Wednesday of this week! A few more days and then a break - very much needed.

Ok to the challenge. This one I had to think about. The first two are a little basic, and the third is a deeper issue fear, so if you're not all that touchy-feely, want to know everything about me person read the first two and then you can stop, sound good? :)

My Fears

• Needles: I don't think is such an irrational fear. I mean who wants something poking them? I have always hated needles. But I have this other fear when it comes to needles and that's not being able to know what is going on with said needle. I have to watch them put it in, which with most people who hate needles they're like oh turn away. Nope. Who the heck knows that that person is going to do with it if I'm not watching?!
• Creepy Crawlies/Reptiles: I don't do anything that could be categorized as such. I hate bugs, spiders, rodents, snakes, lizards, geckos (right Kate), and anything else in that category. Not that I won't smash my own spiders (we have this conversation all the time, if I am the only one available to do so, I'll do it, but why do it if there's someone else?), I just don't like it and I definitely have had nightmares concerning snakes. Ugh.....
• Not Being Able To Accomplish All I Want to Accomplish: This seems silly, but I am actually afraid of being subpar. That sounds really silly now that it's out there in words, but it's the truth. There's so much that I still want to do and I want to go back to school and actually move up in my career and move and travel the world. I want to have all these fantastic life experiences. But I'm afraid I won't be anything more than the people I see on the streets here in Tooele (nothing against them, honestly), I want more out of life.

By the way, I will be baking tonight. And I got this blog out before 7:30! I feel pretty accomplished ;)

Challenge Day 20: Five Items You Must Have

Oh man what a day. I hate election day. I know that I should be super excited that it's my freedom that allows me to vote and la de da and I am totally patriotic, but I really hate elections. It's too much stress and some hateful stuff just comes out. I'd really like to just shut down for the day.

Anyway, nothing too exciting happened today - except that I voted! lol

Ok to the challenge:

5 Things I Must Have (In no particular order)

1. My Cell Phone: I don't necessarily need it on me at all times, but it's very comforting to know it's there in case I really do need it.
2. My Camera: I think that without my camera I would be lost, I love being able to document things and be able to look back on those memories.
3. My Friends: Oh man, I don't know where I'd be, honestly, without my friends. I'm sure that I would be a complete mess! I don't know how many times a day I call on them for help or that I need their encouragement.
4. Food: I love food. That's really all that needs to be said.
5. My Passport: I have a need to travel. A serious need. I get antsy when I'm in one place too long. I like having a place to call home, but this world is way too big for me to just stay at home for the rest of my life!

Challenge Day 19: A Problem That You Have Had

Ok so I know that I didn't post yesterday, but I was exhausted and just really not in the mood to answer, and then on top of that I didn't really have an answer for it quite yet.

So today was pretty good, my kids sometimes make me laugh because as frustrating as they are, you can't be mad. This was a conversation between two of them (and of course the class):

Boy 1: I'm moving
Boy 2: You're moving?
Boy 1: Yes
Boy 2: Where are you moving to?
Boy 1: To Chicken
Boy 2: Where's Chicken?
Boy 1: In Turkey

lol I really tried hard not to laugh, but they were being total smart asses (for lack of a better term) and yet it made me laugh right along with the rest of the class.

Yesterday was a good day though. My sister finally moved everything to her bathroom in the basement meaning I now have my own bathroom! :) but that meant I had to go shopping! :S I really shouldn't've but I really wanted to haha either way, the bathroom is completely redone. Now my focus has to be my office, I need a bigger bed lol

Anyway, on to the challenge I suppose. I've decided that the best problem (and one that won't take that long to describe), is probably that of my parents divorce. Can I just say, divorce at any age is not fun? People are always like, you're older, you can handle it better than a little kid. Soooo not true! So many more things get thrown into play - like the fact that yes, you are older - meaning you don't miss all the obvious reasons or some of the things that both parties try to leave out.

It just sucks.

But hopefully tomorrow, on to better topics! :) Good night to you all!

Challenge Day 18: Something That You Are Proud Of

So today has been a very long, very cold day. It started at 5:30 am. I set my alarm for 5:30, snoozed till 6 and then hit snooze for about 5 minutes more. I was working at the schools 5K Fun Run. Not that I'm complaining, it was pretty fun; but it was sooooo cold! I swear that's been me all day, I have not been able to get warm. It was like 40 degrees this morning, and we're back to that point.

Tonight's game was really good though! It was cold and the wind kicked up, but we won! 4-1 even! And we only lost the goal with like 5 minutes left :) good way to end the season. Hoping for spring!

Today's challenge is something I'm proud of, hmmm.....

Ok I'm going to try to not go too deep, but a while back I had a really close friend completely throw my trust out the window. Afterwards I had a very hard time opening up and just being myself. In the past three-ish months I feel like I've actually stepped back into the game! If I really thought about it hard, I'd probably be able to pinpoint the exact moment that it all happened - and I'm sure there's about 2, maybe 3 people in the world who could tell me when, but my confidence has just taken some leaps and bounds. It feels really good! I've met a lot of new people who've definitely opened up new doors and given me an out of Tooele when I need it and I've gotten back in touch with some friends and gone out with them, I've checked some things off my list as well.

It feels good to just hang out and be myself. There's definitely one piece to the puzzle missing - my bestie who lives in Kentucky, but overall I am very, very proud of myself for just opening up and being me.

Sorry if this sounds all scatter-brained, I can't get my thoughts together and I'm having major issues staying focused! I like to joke that I have ADHD sometimes - and I have people who can attest to my lack of focus, but it's bad when I am trying to write lol

Challenge Day 17: Something You Always Think “What If …” About

So to all of you, I may just post this and then go to bed. Don't ask why I signed up for the time I did, but I have to be to the school at 7 am tomorrow for our 2nd Annual 5K Fun Run. I'm going to be dragging! I was joking earlier that I may need some hot chocolate/Bailey's mix to keep me warm ;) well I failed to get to the liquor store so that's out. But I may still have to go get some hot cocoa tomorrow morning. 6:45 to be exact. Ugh!

Feeling pretty accomplished, sticking to my and Mel's new workout regime :) even had time to do weights today :) which then led to the creeper guy who was like totally gawking. It's like ok, close your mouth, you are drooling and it's pretty gross. Plus we're totally checking out the other guy and not you (no offense) lol (because, let's be real, we're girls)

I've been thinking about today's challenge and I think I know what I'm going with. There are very few what if's in my life as I tend to see nothing as a regret, only something to learn from, but this is actually something that is a what if situation.

Growing up I was always slightly heavier and always had weight issues (I'm trusting this as a safe space - as you probably wouldn't hear me openly talking about this unless you're super close to me), nothing bad, but it was frustrating. I played competitive soccer and danced year round all through Jr. High and High School and yet I couldn't lose weight to save my life! Stopped drinking soda, stopped eating fast food, watched what I ate, did fad diets, listened to my dad as he told me over and over again "Should you really be eating that?" I was a poster child for healthy eating and exercise! It didn't do me any good.

My mom has thyroid issues, so when I was about 16-17 I went in to get tested. All my blood work came back normal - nothing wrong. Did blood work again and again. Never any change. I went to college and it only got worse because I had stopped soccer and dance, granted I was walking more because I was also without a car, but still. Then my friend (more like sister) was diagnosed with PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome) and she had also been heavier most of her life. I watched as she lost weight after figuring out what she needed to do. I had another friend who then (a couple months later) found out she too had PCOS but it was also with a celiac diagnoses. PCOS became a fascination for me and I was like, maybe that's what I have! Got more blood work done and was again told, no. I finally found a doctor who specialized in it and he said straight off that based off certain things about my appearance (acne, excess body hair, etc.) that he had no doubts it was what I was going through. The problem is that the blood work, unless you know what you're looking for will look completely normal!

PCOS is a trait passed through the male chromosomes to their children, and it rarely manifests itself in men. But tends to always in women. It's (to put it in the easiest terms) basically a pre-diabetic disease and if not treated will lead to Type 2 diabetes. It works with your insulin levels and doesn't allow you to lose weight but rather store the fat. Your body produces higher than normal testosterone (which as we should all know, women produce, but not in high levels). And you can get cysts on your ovaries which causes really painful periods (yes, I do remember puking multiple times and staying in bed for days).

Anyway, after being put on MetFormin (a pill they actually give people with diabetes) my symptoms started going away and to say that weight shed like water isn't an exaggeration. But, it can only do so much and I was slipping into bad college eating habits, so eventually the weight gradually creeped back up, but still, I am dealing with it and have lost almost 20 lbs - this disease makes it realllllllllly hard to lose weight like any other person would. As much as I hate living my life on pills, I don't know what would happen if I just said "screw it!" So my what if is definitely, what if I never found out I had PCOS? Would life be easier? Would I be happy? What would happen if I stopped taking the pills?

Too many what if's so I'll just stop worrying for the night.

Anyway if you made it through this, thank you for reading and listening. It's really as brief as I can make it, but to the point. If you're interested in more info let me know.

Challenge Day 16: Your Zodiac/Horoscope and if You Think It Fits Your Personality

Ok so today could pretty much be summed up in two scenarios.

Number one. Lately I've had this drive to get back to working out on a regular basis. I have even been putting out my stuff so that when I come home from school I can grab it and go. Mel has been going with me so that's a good thing too! Today, I got out of work late (5:30) and came home to change, this should've taken two minutes really. Well, I couldn't find my pants. That I set out! I tore my room apart like 3 times and then finally conceded to wear shorts. I started looking for my jacket and couldn't find it, so I figured it would be in my car, I went out there and it wasn't, but I found my other pair of longer gym pants lol so I grabbed them and pulled them on (it's cold out!) - over my shoes by the way - just to find the other pair of pants I had set out. Determined to wear those I put them on and realized they were backwards, so I had to pull them off again. Still didn't find my jacket. It took 30 minutes. Still went to the gym tho!

Number two. After the gym, we were leaving to go get my mom and go home and my mom was talking to me. This was the conversation that ensued:

Mom: So I have the Wyoming land taxes
Me: Ok
Mel: Wyoming Land?
Me: *confused look at Mel, kinda laugh*
Mel: Awww that sounds sooo cuuuuttte!
Me: *even more confused look, laughing a little harder*
Mel: It'd be so little, like it'd have a ferris wheel and a Puff the Magic Dragon roller coaster and --
Me: *outright doubled over laughing*
Mel (still oblivious): What?
Me: Mel, we're talking about the land we have in Wyoming
Mel: Oh. Haha I thought you said tickets!
Me: Wyoming land taxes

But the challenge today is to tell you my zodiac and if it fits me. My zodiac sign is a Cancer.

This is what it says my personality is like (I had a really hard time finding this by the way, not sure I fully agree with it):

Cancerians are considered to be quite unsophisticated from the inside and prone to move around in search of the right opportunity. It is also a widely accepted notion that they are sensitive and protective. They don’t find it difficult to blend in the environment, and at the same time, are also quite attached to their family.
  - I think this part fits pretty well.

But there are quite many other facets to your personality. You have special love for the spotlight, and the desire to be admired and loved is very dominant in your character. You are very touchy, and get emotional a lot more often than others. You sense purpose for everything you do, and you are ready to endure anything if you feel the end result is worth it.
   - I think most of this is good, but I'm not truly a touchy person, although I like hugs lol

You will move in all directions to reach you destination, and this makes things possible for you that no other person around you can manage to pull off. This also increases your money making opportunities, and you might well make your way into large money-making firms. You have an innate feeling of insecurity and timidity, and this prevents you from taking risks and thereby inhibits your growth.
   - I don't make a lot of money, period. I will probably never make a lot of money lol I will agree with the part about not being a risk-taker but I don't tend to associate it with being timid and insecure - I speak my mind and have no issue doing so!

You have strong likes and dislikes and preconceived notions. Talking about your sex drive, you clearly exhibit your intrinsic craving for proximity. You need intimacy from your mate. To top it all, you have a fascination for money and all the luxuries that it can bring to your feet.
   - LOL I am very oppionated - not my best trait I know. But wow, this paragraph is a little off in almost every facet. I really don't have a fascination for money - definitely NOT a "gold-digger"

Qualities that make you lucky are understanding, imaginative, desire to success, and trustworthiness. Qualities that hinder your success are moodiness, pride, pessimism, and tendency to get hurt easily.
   - Ok so I agree with the lucky qualities, and most of the hindering qualities - except for the pessimism, I tend to see the good in everything, and not the bad. I'm a realist bordering on optimist.

Overall? Meh. That's how I feel about this blog post.

Happy Halloween & Challenge Day 15: What You Wore Today

First off, Happy Halloween! I'm definitely all Halloween'ed out. Today was like the never-ending party at school day. We started at 9 and between the 4th, 6th, 7th/8th grades we rotated and did crafts and games until 10:30. Then we got pizza. Then we had to help with the preschool carnival. During this carnival, the 7th/8th grade teacher needed to leave and he asked me if I'd be ok watching his class. I said yes since I deal with the 7th/8th graders on a daily basis. This was all well and fine until right before the carnival ended, then it was either the sugar rush or sugar crash and it just about killed us all! Getting them to clean up was like herding cats. When we got back to my classroom we had about an hour to kill. I told them as long as my room was spotless after they could play games. Hate to say it, but it was total "Bad Teacher" moment, I wanted to just put my head down and crash lol

Too much candy, too much pizza, too little time to run it all out! And we had the carnival for the big kids starting at 3:30. I'm so done with kids and candy. I got to run the tattoo station. I really suck at putting tattoos on people. But you get bored enough. I went in my outfit from today, because I was too lazy to change and people were like really? So I put a fake vampire bite on my wrist and then told people that was my costume. Yes, this is how bored I got. I'll put that pic up too!

Ewww blooodddd lol

But I was really excited about my outfit today :) the other day Mel and I went into maurices and I found these really fun purple tights lol and I decided that I needed them; but I was really good and didn't buy them. Until last night. I got to thinking and I have a yellow (and I hate yellow by the way) skirt and it would be soooo cute with some awesome purple tights (because they're complementary colors) which then led to needing a new scarf too! Either way I was super excited to wear this today, so rather than explain it more I'll just post a picture. Mel and I had way too much fun taking this, I'm not normally in pictures - rather behind the camera.

Sooo this is the one that after it was taken we decided needed to be put up! It's classically me. The wind started to blow and a leaf got into my mouth and I was trying to spit it out and of course Mel thought it would be funny to take the picture right then and there! Thanks Mel. Thanks.

Challenge Day 14: A Movie You Love

So today has been pretty good overall. We had our school dedication today and so it was a little bit more of a be flexible day, which is sometimes a good thing. I really think that my favorite part of the whole thing was when we were saying the final Our Father and this little four year old who was standing next to me, leans to talk to his grandma about this special treat that he got in preschool today (it's a bag with the pumpkin corns and candy corns and it has a story about how the candy corns are the pumpkin poop) and the whole crowd was like dead silent and he goes "This is my pumpkin and these are it's poops!" Not terribly loud, but loud enough for me to really have a hard time not rolling over laughing.

Mel and I have started a new initiative to go to the gym every day since my soccer season is about up. Prob should've been going even during soccer season lol buttttt whatev (it so didn't help that one of my students parents is a body builder and she came in today and was like "I'm prepping for a new show and I'm up to 3 hours of cardio a day" - yeah try not to feel like crap after that!) It felt good so that's all that matters! Plus I'm dying to get back to pyramids!We watched all the news on Hurricane Sandy, which was really terribly sad, and my prayers go out to all of those families!

But (not to diminish what is going on) it is the first time I've really watched the news in forever, and the local news totally broad casted the opening dates for the SKI RESORTS! Wooohoo! I can't wait (and it's really only like 3 weeks away!)!

Anyway on to today's challenge :)

I had to narrow it down to 2, which was actually like 4, but it was a real toss up between Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Pirates of the Caribbean. And of course, Moulin Rouge. I HATE favorites. Seriously.

Eh hem, here we go.

Pirates of the Caribbean Series

So when I was little, and we went to Disneyland, this ride must've made a huge impact on me because I didn't go from about the time I was 6 till I was a sophomore in high school and it was one of the only rides I really remembered. It was closed, by the way, when we went, to update for the movie! I love these movies, in fact I wanna say my like 13th or 14th birthday was POTC themed (they always came out during July). I think my friend Amy and I watched these over, and over, and over again! Still love them :)

Moulin Rouge



So I don't know how much I can say about this movie other than it's been like one of those movies I can't get away from. When it first came out, my parents went to see it while my sister and I went to see Herbie I think (the one with Lindsay Lohan). After our movie ended, theirs hadn't so we went in and watched the rest and I remember thinking "Wow, this is weird..." When it came out on VHS (oh yes, we just got rid of that version lol) my dad bought it and we got to watch it for the first time and I instantly loved it! I love the story line and the actors and the music! This movie can't stay off my top list of movies - ever. And if you've never seen it, you best be out renting it! It'll change your life :)

Challenge Day 13: Five Guys Whom You Find Attractive

So you know how it was really cold and like totally snowed? Well that just means that it's time for ice cream! Haha I know, but I really love ice cream and I haven't had any since like August! It's cookie dough/m&m by the way, just in case you were wondering. And all this ramble is to just waste time in that I really don't know how to answer this blog challenge. I get that these are not supposed to be hard, but this one is.

I could totally list you a top five of guys I personally know that I find very attractive (and I'm sure they'd love to know they are too) but that's just totally and completely embarrassing. So rather than deal with what would most undoubtedly be my newest "Most Embarrassing Moment" story, we're gonna go with celebrities. Too many of you know my top five anyway so it's no news to you!

Ay.

Um...Ok. Got it now! So in no particular order:

Gerard Butler
 

1. I totally fell in love with this man when he was in "Phantom of the Opera". I think he's done pretty well in finding lots of different styles of movies to play in (not to mention I love listening to him talk haha).

Ian Somerhalder

2. Oh who can resist this guy! I am a sucker for blue eyes and dark hair! Not to mention he's got this adorable smirk and he plays in one of my guilty pleasures shows lol but you didn't hear that from me!

Leonardo DiCaprio

3. When I was 7 I saw "Titanic" for the first time. I remember everyone being soooo in love with Leo DiCaprio and I just think it was the age, I wasn't. In fact I sorta rebelled it, I was like uh no. But when I saw him in "Blood Diamond" it was sort of a redeeming quality and he had definitely grown up :) love most of his stuff he's done lately too.

Tom Hardy

4. The first time I saw him was in "Inception" which is one of my favorite movies! He's kinda rough around the edges and every girl needs some one to consider slightly bad ass ;)

Will Smith

5. Oh my goodness can I just tell you how many times my friend Amy and I watched "Men in Black" and "Wild Wild West" just for him? Haha

Well there we go. Those of you who know a thing or two will see a little more in this blog than the average person, but that's the fun of it! :)

Challenge Day 12: Put Your Music Player on Shuffle and Write the First 10 Songs That Play

So this weekend has been rather disappointing, stressful, and down right not relaxing. But music has always been my go to, my way to express emotion. But this challenge called for me to put that away and just let my iPod play. Can I tell you how hard this has been? lol I know it shouldn't be but it's hard to just let everyone see what comes on when my iPod is on shuffle! But here goes:

1. My Name Is - Eminem (lol can I just say I didn't expect this one to be first?)
2. Vienna - Billy Joel (love me some Billy Joel)
3. World Spins Madly On - The Weepies
4. If Everyone Cared - Nickelback (This is just bringing back Jr. High and High School)
5. Happy - Leona Lewis
6. Boadicea - Enya (This was my first CD lol waaaay back when)
7. Meet Me in the Red Room - Moulin Rouge Soundtrack (just lol that's all)
8. Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
9. When We All Get to Heaven - Brad Paisley
10. That's Amore - Dean Martin (ohhh Deano haha)

This is actually a pretty good mix. A few of the artists I listen to all the time aren't on here, but overall it's pretty good!

Challenge Day 11: Your Academics

Ok so first off, can I just say how unexcited I am to go to soccer tonight? Our game, you see, was originally scheduled for 6 pm. That's all well and great! The sun is still out at 6! Well, last night I was informed that no, it had been moved to 8 pm. Are. You. Kidding?! This past week it snowed 3 days straight and now the cold front has set in. It's freezing :( boo!

Let's just start off with, I may have bordered slightly nerd in high school! Lol I attended Tooele High School, played soccer, danced, and played violin; but I also was the only girl in construction my senior year and helped build a house! I also graduated with my Associates Degree from Utah State University before I even graduated high school (disclaimer: this was not uncommon, I think we had like 10 kids do it that year).

I went down to Cedar City to Southern Utah University for the rest of my college, 2.5 years. There I met some of the most amazing, inspiring people; was involved with (president for a year) the Newman Club; and just about graduated with honors. But I did graduate Summa Cum Laude.
I miss Cedar City like crazy! It was completely a town that had it together! There was always something to do and things to see and it was perfectly located between some of the best state/national parks in the state. Sometimes, I wouldn't mind trading everything to go back!

Eventually I will go back for my Masters. Not sure in what yet, but it's my long term goal.

:)

Challenge Day 10: How Important You Think Education Is

Hey all, so of course the snow stopped and because the snow stopped, the cold weather came in. Now it's just frigid outside! I'm terribly cold all the time now. But that's me, I get cold and I can't get warm again.

But today's challenge is short and sweet. You're asking a teacher how important I think education is? Really? My answer may shock you though. I think that education is very important - especially in today's society. But I also think that not everybody is destined to go to college after high school. And guess what? That's fine too. Go to a trade school. But I think it's very important that you continue your training in SOMETHING. There are a lot of good respectable jobs that don't require a college degree, but I do think to get somewhere you have to do something.

I have a hard time with people who don't want anything in life other than to sit at home and do nothing - don't take this to say that people who are stay-at-home mom's are bad. I'm not saying that, I'm saying those people who live off welfare and do nothing are very intolerable in my mind.

Short and sweet!

Challenge Day 9: What You Ate Today

So because I don't like just replying to the challenge here's something for ya'll. Today it snowed. Again. This of course, makes three days running! All I can say? YESSS!!!! I am soaking it up (sans the cold that comes with it - not quite ready for it, give me a couple days)! One of my favorite resorts keeps posting pictures of all the snow and it just makes me even more excited - I tell ya, I was meant to live on a snowboard lol

But of course, because we live in Tooele, I can see, if I look towards the lake (north) bright blue skies and sunshine, but to the south dark gray and blizzard! Go figure.

Anyway today's topic isn't one I really think you're all dying to know, but it's what I ate today.

Breakfast
  Bowl of cereal

Snack
  Leftover chips from our party yesterday

Lunch
  Pasta! It was a birthday potluck today and the theme was Italian (yuuum!). All kinds of pasta, garlic bread, salad. Delicious! I will say that Katie and Christine's cookies looked totally amazing (and I know they are) but I'm just not a pumpkin anything fan. But kudos to the baking either way - it always turns out amazing!

Dinner
   Pizza lol I know, how healthy of a day for me! But my mom bought it from Papa Murphy's the other night and we didn't eat it so now she's like "Oh, pizza, this should be good" and since I was at work waaayyy later than expected, beggars can't be choosers.

This was my house this morning :)

Challenge Day 8: 5 Pet Peeves :)

Soo this one should also be really easy for me! But first, I have to post a picture I took this morning - it was gorgeous! Loving the snow - even though it was gone by mid-afternoon. Actually I won't. I haven't quite gotten why my blog turns my photos and won't let me turn them the right way. Lame.

Anyway on to the blog challenge!

I am a teacher. I have many pet peeves. It's turning out to be harder to actually write them down though!

1. Clicking, Tapping, Noises of Any Sort. They are just pure annoying. Period. I can't stand it and I am the first to notice it. Always. It drives me nuts - especially if the situation calls for silence. I get that I have nervous habits as well, but please, just don't.

2. Utah Drivers. Especially Utah Drivers In the Snow. This one is just bad. I hate people who drive in Utah - I agree with Megan, I am a Utah driver too, but I tend to let people in when they have their blinker on, or if they're trying to turn out onto the street and it's a red light anyway, I will let them out. Is it too much to ask for them to return the favor? On top of that, we of course have started the Utah Drivers during Winter phase of the year. If you think Utah drivers during the rest of the year are bad - just wait till the first snow falls. Now, if you've lived in Utah you have had to drive in the snow at some point in your life, but I swear it's like cattle at a cattle guard when the snow falls! People slow down to the point where they're going to get stuck if they don't go faster and they take forever to turn. I guess I was taught by someone who learned to drive in Alaska soooo I have an advantage, but reallllllly!?

3. People Who Can't Use Proper Grammar. I am a grammar nerd, this I know. But if you're going to email me complaining about your child's grades in Literacy, dear God, use spell check before you send that email! I constantly find myself locating all the mistakes in the newspaper or in flyers or official letters from businesses. Really people? Oh and to those of you who can't figure out the difference between their, they're, and there and you're and your. YOU'RE killing me!

4. People Who Don't Know How to Use Condoms. This might upset some people, but I just think there is more to life than unsafe sex. This world is full of enough unmotivated, sorry people. Do it proper people! When you're 15 in high school, you really shouldn't be having kids, you should be going to the football game and hanging out with your friends, you should be looking forward to college and the fun that comes with that, not baby shopping.

5. Disorganization. I am a pretty organized person in every part my life (except maybe my bedroom lol) and people who are just cluttered kinda drive me a little nuts. I don't tend to judge you based off your organization, but if you have to cancel things on me because you totally forgot you had to do something yet a week ago you agreed to do stuff because your schedule was totally open!, that's when it's like, ok, c'mon get your stuff together.

I sound really rude when these are all out there, but it is what it is. Love it or hate it but it is who I am. But I promise I won't judge you too much ;)

This song needs to just go with this. Love it!

Challenge Day 7: Your Views on Mainstream Music

So just to update everyone, my mom is doing great! The surgery on her hand went just fine and she, unlike I, got to sleep for about 3 hours! Me? I had to sit in the UofU Orthopedic Clinic lobby for about 6 hours. Tons of fun! But we're good :)

Anyway, on to the challenge. This should be pretty easy right? I love music. That's all there is to it. However, ever since I got my car and it has an iPod dock inside of it (that's right, no cords, no nothing!), it's hard to want to listen to the radio. And when I get something new - as anyone who has ridden in my car can testify to - that's generally all I listen to for a while (shut up, you know Kelly was good, as was the Hunger Games, and LMFAO).

But I have heard new stuff, which I do like, but I'm definitely out of the loop when it comes to mainstream. I think that it's a little overplayed and that most radio stations only play about 5 songs a day. My sister loves mainstream music and listens to it all the time. Therefore I hear it, doesn't mean that I truly love it. My music is too emotion/mood driven for me to listen to just mainstream music.

Challenge Day 6: Bullet Point Your Entire Day

Ohhh yeah! Finally something I am good at doing - creating lists! I think I constantly have a list going somewhere. To do lists, check lists, shopping lists, wish lists, movies I need to see lists lol lots.

Anyway, uh hem, here goes:

• 6:00 am: My alarm goes off
• 6:05 am: First time snooze goes off
• 6:25 am: Yes, I have hit snooze this many times
• 6:30 am: Get up and have breakfast
• 6:45 am: Finally start getting ready, look in my closet hoping that today a miracle has happened and I can actually wear jeans
• 6:50 am: Realize that that dream isn't coming true and I'd better just suck it up and wear SOMETHING (preferably warm since it's getting cold and the school is always cold too)
• 6:52 am: Do a happy dance that I get to wear the same TWO shoes for the first time in 3 weeks!
• 6:55 am: Finish hair, makeup, brush teeth
• 7:10 am: Leave house to take mom to work (we may need a third car here soon)
• 7:15 am: Need my morning caffeine fix (ie: McDonald's $1 drinks, Diet Coke is my weakness)
• 7:35 am: Pull into school
• 7:50 am: Morning meeting
• 8:10 am: Students start arriving, make jokes about our fact of the day: The fattest man weighed 1,400 pounds. That's almost a TON!
• 8:30 am: Morning prayer
• 8:50 am: Try starting religion, decide that it's going to be a Monday.
• 9:00 am: Actually start religion
• 9:30 am: Try to start math, but as the big kids are still in class have to wait. Twiddle thumbs and the like.
• 9:35 am: Big kids finally show up
• 9:40 am: Finally start math - division with decimals if anybody was wondering. You would think it was the end of the world - not because of the decimals but because of the division. This is the hardest subject for me to not want to scream "WHY DON'T YOU JUST GET IT? THE ANSWER IS SOOO EASY!" but that's because I'm a math nerd secretly and just totally get it.
• 10:15 am: Snack break! Except I don't ever actually remember to pack a snack, and there's only so many times you can really enjoy a Rice Krispie treat before you're like yeah, no that's not cutting it.
• 10:30 am: French - which really means a nice 45 min break for me :) except that since I am out tomorrow I am really just sub-planning - yes all 45 mins of that break!
• 11:15 am: Science...*chirp chirp* let me preface this with I really do LOVE science, but I really do SUCK at coming up with really fun ideas and experiments. Hopefully when we get to solar systems!
• 11:50 am: Since we will need slightly more time for social studies, I start 10 minutes early. We're doing a review of Ancient Egypt for our test tomorrow. This has been the most fun unit I've been able to teach! The kids really love it and swear we need to raise money to get to whatever British museum has the Rosetta Stone (at least I think it's in England?). Anyone wanna donate to the Ms. Kofford's 6th Grade Class Field Trip to England Fund (there's only 8 of us!)?
• 12:50 pm: Lunch time. That's all.
• 1:35 pm: Literacy. Again another subject that I'm like, really Grammar? This is sooo simple, possessive pronouns, possessive adjectives? Puh-lease! Except that that's sooo not what you tell 11-13 year olds. They get discouraged that way. They get even more discouraged when they find out we're not reading "The Giver" today because we just don't have the time.
• 3:20 pm: Have to start the timer for the time that they owe me due to behavior. 4 minutes to be exact. Heads down, no talking or the time starts over. Do you realize how long 4 MINUTES is when you really just want to let them go?
• 3:29 pm: They finally leave my room and by the way, I may need to rethink and make them pick up 10 things from now on out. My room is a mess, and it's the first day of parent teacher conferences - Thanks Reina for getting in there quickly! :)
• 4:30 pm: Shut everything down, lock everything up, go to head out the door and realize that I totally forgot to send home our party notes for Wednesdays party - and since I won't be there tomorrow I need to do it NOW. fml
• 5:30 pm: Finally finish getting everything ready and leave
• 5:45 pm: Stop by Misty's to drop off pictures, get to hold Baby Emma! :)
• 6:30 pm: Leave Misty's for home
• 6:35 pm: Start to starve. Decide that maybe potato chips sound good.
• 6:45 pm: Yeah potato chips are sooo what I want!
• 7:00 pm: Ok, actually potato chips are soo not what I wanted. Now what?
• 7:15 pm: Start this blog post
• 7:50 pm: Finally finish blog post (at least before my OCD kicks in and I have to edit a lot of it)

I know that this is very detailed but it'll help those of you stalkers out there who really care to know every detail of my wonderful (slightly pitiful) life! I know you're out there lol

Challenge Day 5: A Book You Love

So I realize that I have now missed a day. But again, I was out trying to be my (non)-socialite self! My friend Emily and I went to see "Thriller" at Kingsbury Hall last night and it was amazing! I loved it! Plus we were able to go get pizza and beer at The Pie. I blame 2 people in general for getting me to actually drink beer: Emily and Dave. End of story. I still don't really enjoy it, but when there isn't an option to have a mixed drink it should do. Bleh (or not).

Anyway today's (or yesterday) challenge is a book that I love. This is a ridiculously hard one for me. I get that most people are like really? I love books and one in particular. Or they are of the camp of really? I can't stand reading! I am of the I LOVE books camp but I am also the world's worst decision maker! My students are always asking, "Ms. Kofford, what's your favorite color? song? band? movie? food? book?" and I never can give them an answer. "I don't have favorites," I tend to reply. Which is generally true!

I blame my book choice on being a elementary school teacher and thus YA books still really appeal to me. I should be more of an adult I get this, but sometimes it's nice to read something that my brain doesn't have to over-process or analyze. One author I used to read in high school, and still do because I love her stuff, is Sarah Dessen. I have quite a few books of hers that I really love but my favorite in particular is "Just Listen". Since I am so connected to music this book really resonates with me :) I won't tell you more than the fact that it's just a good book for the sake of being a good book! So you should definitely read it haha (this could also be for the fact that some awesome French toast and bacon are calling my name).

Check here if you would like a full synopsis!

Baby Emma & Family

I have been waiting for forever to take these photos! I was so excited when I found out Misty was pregnant again and it has been an amazing journey! We waited an entire month to do photos (literally it was a month to the day Emmalynn was born) and she is still so tiny! Chris was home this time, so we took some of the whole family as well! Enjoy :)

A pretty rare smile :)

This is probably my absolute favorite picture!