Tagged!...Serious Stuff, in no particular order

8 Things I am Passionate About:

1. My marriage/husband and all that emcompasses

2. The gospel/my calling (Beehive Advisor)

3. Family

4. Friends

5. Teaching kindergartners

6. Running

7. Being healthy

8. Learning and progressing in everything I am involved in, from being a wife to being a teacher to just plain being me!

8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die/Wish List:

1. Have children/work hard to be an excellent mother and wife (working on it!)

2. Go to Ecuador/Peru with Jake

3. Skydive (you and me Ashley!)

4. Teach my children to love the gospel

5. PSYCH! (inside joke)

6. Take Jake to NY (everyone needs that experience!)

7. Have a really cute home with a cute porch and backyard (I don't really care if it is a cute backyard :-)

8. Stay healthy and fit...run my whole life (haha I will be one of those nasty wrinkly grandmas running my critchety body down Holladay Blvd)

8 Things I have Learned in My Life:

1. You are most happy when you are serving/helping others

2. Be kind to everyone you meet and interact with.  View them at their full potential and think highly and positively about them..and treat them that way!

3. Forgive always, and quickly. Do not hold grudges.

4. Be patient

5. Enjoy the journey! No matter how much you look forward to the next thing (graduating/marriage/kids) you need to enjoy life at the present and enjoy your journey!

6. Develop solid Hope/Faith

7. THINK about all possibilities to solve a problem (I am honestly retarded when it comes to common sense solutions)-- and no I still can't do this.  I think I am mentally slow.

8. Laugh and be goofy every day!

8 Things I Currently Want/Need:

1. The "Party Shake" (chocolate ice cream with Recees Peanutbutter Cups and cookie dough)-want

2. More time in the day -need

3. A teaching license -want

4. A car that is not the Jetta -want

5. Jake to be done with school -want

6. Someone else to fill out the 44 report cards that I have to do -need!

7. More dinner recipes! -need (any help here ladies?!)

8. Long hair again -want

8 Places I Want to See/Visit:

1. Oregon/Washington Coast

2. Ecuador/Peru (Jake's mission and the other is a long story)

3. Mexico again, and lots of times

4. Hawaii

5. New York again

6. Virginia

7. Somewhere in Europe (Jake wants to go someday)

8. Ummmm I guess just random little trips all around this region (Moab, Zion, Cali)

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. Robintinos

2. Red Iguana

3. Macaroni Grill

4. Morelia

5. Biaggis

6. Spencer's

7. Yogurt Stop..yes that qualifies as a restaurant!

8. Porcupine

8 TV Shows I Can't Live Without:

1. The news (after producing it, you just can't really kick the habit of watching it everyday)

2. The Office

3. The Hills

4. Good Things Utah (when I am off track)..I know I know, guilty pleasure

5. Seinfeld

6. Rob and Big

7. The Office

8. The Office

8 Things I Look Forward To:

1. Seeing Jake after work

2. Going home from work on Fridays (it's the beginning of the best part of the week!)

3. The holiday season

4. Having kids!

5. Vacation to Mexico

6. Owning a home someday

7. Seeing my mom, dad, and sister

8. The high I get from running (mostly after)

8 People I Tag: (sorry if you have already done it, just don't do it again)

Meg

Kat

Chels

Courtney

Ali

Brittani

Tori

Angie

 

Aahh the Memories...

  This is where you go to wait for the rain to stop so you can take pics!
I was looking at some pictures and came across these... I cannot believe this was over a year and a half ago! That day was surreal.  There is my sweet sweet dad, all dressed up.  I love him!  And yes it was POURING, nay...HAILING when we came out of the temple.  Jake's dad says it's a sign of good luck. I have no choice but to agree, since Jake and I as happy as can be.  But honestly when we stepped out onto those steps, I saw the weather and didn't even care.  I just felt so terrible for our "fans" standing in the freezing temps waiting to see us.  And in case you  are wondering, it costs over $100 to get a muddy wedding dress dry cleaned.  Thank you mother!

OH and PS Yes I am wearing pink flip flops.

I Love Fall!

Isn't this one of the best times of the year?  I just love fall.  Jake and I drove up to Guardsman's Pass on Sunday and WOW it was breathtaking.  I have never seen such gleaming gold leaves!  It was drizzling on and off too, and the smell of rain mixed with mountain fall air made me feel so good!  It was that same feeling I get when Jake tickles my back whenever we are sitting next to each other.  I am so mad we didn't bring our camera but we will be back up there soon.  

Also, this is such a fun date idea:  Last night Jake and I went to the Zoo after hours.  My mom had tickets for us.  We got there at 7:15 right when it was getting dark.  It was SO fun!  The Zoo is totally creepy at night.  We got to see all the animals, mostly in the dark.   It was weird because we were the only ones there and the animals were eating dinner and going to sleep. (There was some conference and BBQ there for the Health Association, and everyone was at the BBQ, so Jake and I were the only ones walking around to see the animals) So it was just me and Jake and these huge animals just enjoying each other's presence.  Jake and I were running around like kids!  Seriously we had a blast.  The gorillas were falling asleep against the glass and we looked them straight in the eye.  This experience was really cool; we realized how peaceful these animals really are.  They sleep, love, and play just like us!  The Zoo is a totally different (and thrilling) place in the dark!  Thanks mom, for such a fun date for Jake and I during the week!!

As I walk to my classroom each morning, I pass the gym.  Well, I know it's October but the kids choir is practicing christmas songs!  That's right, I get to hear children voices singing christmas songs.  Some may think this is totally annoying, but I really love it.  Not only is is Christmas songs, but they are kid's voices!  It really gets me excited for the next few months.

Anyways, Jake and I are just chugging along in life, agreeing it goes way too fast.  I cannot believe we have been married 17 months.  I couldn't ask for anything better than to live/eat/sleep/play with my best friend.  I honestly don't know what I would do without him.  I don't even want to talk about it so I won't.  

But I will say (this is out of nowhere..just popped into my head) I am still amazed and so happy that I got baptized!  I LOVE all my friends who were preparing me starting way back in elementary/middle/high school for November 19, 2005 (the day I got dunked).  You may not have known it then, but you were preparing me for that important decision!!  You know who you are!  You are a huge part in all my conversion talks, you each have a special place in my heart (and testimony) and I love you all.  I can never say thank you enough.    

Juice Boxes and Rock Surprises

So the other day one of my girls was walking really funny, kind of like a bowl-legged cowboy. I thought it was a little strange but kindergartners are the epitome of strangeness sometimes so I didn't investigate any further.  Well, school ended and I noticed her pants were now BULGING in the front.  Oh dear.  What in the world could it be??  I am not lying when I say I was totally prepared for ANYTHING because seriously, they really do the most random things!  I walk over to her and bend down to talk to her.  "what do you have in your pants sweetie?" I whispered.  "Oh it's a juice box for my friend." as she pulls out a full on juice box and nonchalantly hands it to her friend.  haha.  It's better than having to carry it around!

Also, this little boy totally made my day.  He colored that picture for me.  That is me, standing next to him.  And yes, that is my badge that I wear everyday, with my picture on it! How cute is that!!  He also said he had a surprise for me.  yeah....it was that rock.  I will add it to my "surprises" collection. The juice box girl gives me surprises every now and then...buttons, cupboard handles, pictures of her sister, stickers...

and that is a normal Kindergarten day.

Fun stuff..."notTAGGED"

These pics were suppose to be at the bottom...I am so bad at layout.

Well not much is happening, and I am bored.  NO I wasn't even tagged, but I am still doing this!

(if you wanna skip this part, I wrote a little bit at the  bottom about life..)

4 Jobs I have had:

1. Golden Swirl frozen yogurt (the reason I love Yogurt Stop these days)

2. Village Cleaners

3. Assistant Administrator @ The U

4. Kindergarten Teacher :-) those kids make my heart happy! (one of my little girlies told me her heart was happy after I told the class they are the best kindergarten class out of all the rest)

4 Movies I have watched more than once:

1. Moulin Rouge

2. Mona Lisa Smile

3. Braveheart

4. Gladiator

4 Places I have lived:

1. Sugarhouse w/ my mom

2. Cottonwood Heights w/ my mom

3. Cottonwood Heights w/ Jake

4. ummm..... yeah not to exciting

4 TV Shows I watch

1. The Office

2. The news for about 10 minutes every morning

3. Good Things Utah (when I am off track from teaching)

4. Oprah (when I am off track)

4 Places I have been:

1. Cozumel, Mexico

2. Cruise to Mexico so like 4 different places

3. Cali

4. East Coast

4 People who text me regularly

1. Jake

2. Mom

3. My sister

4. Jandie

4 of my favorite foods:

1. Mexican: Red Iquana, Morelia, even Taco Bell

2. Frozen Yogurt

3. Fruit...lots of it!

4. Lunch food: sandwiches, yogurt, paninis, etc

4 Places I'd like to visit:

1. Mexico again! haha

2. Northwest coast (havent been there forever)

3. Take Jake to New York

4. Ecuador (jake's mission)

1. How long have you been married? 1 year 4 months

2. How old is your spouse? 25

3. Who eats more? Jake...i sure hope!

4. Who said I love you first? Me I am pretty sure.

5. Who sings better? haha Jake. I totally suck. I feel bad for the people who sit around us at church.

6. Who is smarter? I think we both are the same, but specialize in different ways and areas :-)

7. Who controls the TV remote? Equal. We agree on TV

8. Who's temper is worse? We both are pretty mellow.  I think I may have a little more patience but Jake is calmer in some situations.

9. Who does the laundry? Me.  haha funny story.  When we first got married I screwed up so many clothes and Jake suggested we both do our own laundry.  NO WAY!!! It made me even more determined to do our laundry...CORRECTLY.  So now I am an expert. (not really)

10. Who does the dishes? Me

11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Jake. We switched once. It was too weird. We also like to sleep with our feet at the head of the bed (upside down)..it's quite nice!

12. Who cooks dinner? It's pretty equal.  Sometimes me, sometimes him  (and when he cooks alone he always creates something amazing.) Sometimes I will start and he will jump in and help.

13. Who is more stubborn? we aren't...

14. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? After a period (sometimes short, sometimes long) of silence, me. I hate not talking!

15. Whose parents do you see the most? jake's.. we need to see mine more. We have been lately, and it's a blast every time. 

16. Who has more friends? Jake I think.  We hang out with his more.  

17. Who has more siblings? Jake. 2 brothers vs. my one sister

18.  Who wears the pants? Jake

LIFE AS I KNOW IT:

Well there ya go.  I officially wasted about 30 minutes and your 5 minutes.  I go back to school on Monday and I am way excited to see my kids!! I miss them.  But staying home has been absolutely amazing.  I definitely noticed how much I ponder things in my head.  I mean, I have no one to talk to!   Also here are some things I decided about 5 year olds:

1- Hands down, cutest school age.  I am not joking when I say every single one of my kids is adorable.  Some of my boys are like mini Abercrombie models, no joke. I love my classes! 

2- Kindergartners are awesome because they don't stink yet!! Even when they come in from recess!  

3-  They don't know what it means to kiss up and they don't know how to really misbehave.  Perfect, really!  Every sweet thing they say is genuine. "Mrs. Peterson, you make my heart happy."  "Mrs. Peterson, you're beautiful."  "I love you teacher!"

4- They make so much progress because it's the first year!!

I think this post is turning out longer than I planned!  But Jake is super busy these days.  He goes to school (majoring in Psych) and work everyday so he doesn't get home until like 6:30 or 7.  He works so hard for us, I love him to death!  He rides his bike A TON as well.  He loves cycling, and his favorite ride at the moment is to the Capitol and back, which is 40 miles. He rides to and from class as well.  He wants to buy me a bike and tells me this everyday.  I am just afraid I will suck and maybe won't use it enough to get the money's worth.  We shall see...it would be fun to bike with my husband.  

I just run.  I love it.  I am hoping to do a 10K with Nick and Ashley soon.  I run 25 miles a week and have found it's a perfect amount for me right now.  It's hard when I am teaching because I have to wake up at 5 to run.  And Holliday Blvd is quite dark that early.  Winter is approaching and running in blizzards on icy roads is always fun too.  Just gotta have the right gear!  PS if you see a runner you know, don't honk, it's startling!  I think I might jump in front of a car one day on accident because they honk.

Ok well I am done blabbing. um Oh yeah I cut my hair.. the pics somehow are at the top. My hair was super fly awayish too for some reason.

 

Lovin It!

                         Stockin' up on essentials..shoes and wheat!
                        Rock on. My husband does 'hick' well.
                            It poured on us at the County Fair Demolition Derby. 

                                          Jordan, Jake's brother, was soaked.

                                      Hence...the plastic sack on Jake's head. 

                                                   Yeah mine didn't work.

                              Ps..Jake cut handle bars to fit in with the 'Derby Folk'





So I am now "off track" which means I have three weeks to do whatever I want!  I don't have to work! Wow how cool is that.  So I thought i would show you what I have been up to...today (since it's the first day of my vacation).

After my morning run and breakfast, I was already bored so I left the house at 9:20 to start the day.  Well, I soon discovered the mall opens at 10. So I went to Target to get some stuff for my classroom, and also some ingredients to make Golden Graham S'Mores for our neighborhood cookout tonight.  Anywho..

Jake and I are slowly building our food storage and have recently purchased hundreds of pounds of wheat.  What do you do with wheat, you may ask? You make stuff! Like bread!  Our food storage is going pretty well, Jake put me in charge of the 3 month supply and he does the years' supply, but we still work together on both.  It's funny how creative I get with my 'canned' goods.  Did you know you can buy Mac N Cheese in a can?  Gross. But you can.  Oh and these crazy things called MRE (Meals Ready to Eat).  They last like 10 years and come in a cardboard box.  Yeah.  We have everything from Enchiladas to Terriyaki Chicken.  I am sure they will taste good only when we are desperate, which is what they are for so that's just dandy.

Today I bought some shoes and they are so cute!  I never ever buy shoes (the last time was like 3 years ago) because I hate shoe shopping.  It's hard to think of all your outfits that you need to match. But I love coming home with my finds because they are so cute!  I should be good for a while...seriously.  I know some of you are like WHAT, you bought three pairs.  Adding them to my current collection should be good though.

Also, Jake and I went to the County Fair Demolition Derby with Jordan, his girlfriend, and a bunch of people.  It was a blast, except it POURED on us!! Poor Jo was soaking wet.  I looked over and and he was all curled up like a drowned rat.  Jake brought us plastic sacks (man i really felt like a hick) but they worked ok.  I love County Fairs.  The lights, rides, food, fireworks...so fun!! I hope to attend the State Fair soon.

Finally, my room is pretty much set up now, besides my Centers.  Look at the dolls the kids made!!! They are suppose to look like themselves.  I love it.  That one looks like an Indian!  

First Day of Kindergarten!!

Wow it's been a while! These are some portions of my room, but keep in mind I don't have recent pics of the finished product.  I will though.  I have to tell you about my first day of Kindergarten!!!  I love my kids they are all so adorable and great kids. Two things: 

1.  SO...pretty much almost the WORST thing I swear could happen to you on the first day..or any day, happened to me.  One of my little girls came around the corner from our coat racks and she had BLOOD GUSHING down her face.  I am not exagerating at all.  Puh-lease.  This is no joke.  I cannot even see her face because it has blood all over it and it just keeps coming out.  Her hands are pooling with blood because she was catching it.  She says to me in a sweet little voice: "Mrs. Peterson, I'm bleeding."  UH.....YEAH YOU ARE.  My heart stopped.  But I kept it calm because I didn't want to freak the other kids out (which worked because only one noticed and that was because he saw her).  So I said "WHAT HAPPENED!?"  As I start walking her to the door.  She apparently knocked her face into one of the coat hooks.  And it split her eyebrow open.  The office helped clean her up and her mom took her home.  YEAH try breaking THAT news to a mom on the first day of kindergarten!! "Um yes, your daughter hit her head on the coat hook and is bleeding all over the place." No I didn't put it that way.  But you know what I mean.  She will be fine, might have a black eye and stitches.  But she acted like NOTHING happened.  She said it didn't even hurt.  Wow.  That was crazy and I hope it never happens again.  My class didn't even notice! 

2.  This adorable little girl cut 5 inches off her hair!!  I just looked over and there she was cutting her hair!  Her mom seemed to handle it pretty well when I told her after school. 

 

Anyways so besides those two things, it was a fantastic day!  We learned "a" and "1" and "blue."

 

Let me talk about teaching.  I have been busier than any other time in my life.  This is my first year teaching.  I teach Kindergarten AM and PM.  All the teachers I know kept telling me how busy I was going to be and how hard teachers work, so I was prepared.  At least a little.  I seriously work so hard everyday.  I put hours and hours in, like 10 a day sometimes.  It has gotten better now that my room is set up.  BUT I have to tell you I absolutely LOVE IT!!  It's a different kind of work.  It's not sit at your desk, file, answer phones work.  It's like a whole other realm.  I cut, color, paste, laminate, make hundreds of copies, laminate thousands of things, organize my curriculum each week, sing, decorate my room, and a ton more!  I manage 46 four and five year olds AND their parents!  I love it.  I love them.  I love teaching.  I have to hand it to all you teachers out there (Brittani!!) because you are my role models and I hope I am as good as you some day!  AND I have to hand it to Jake because he sure puts up with alot.  Me coming home later sometimes, spending hundreds on school stuff (I will be reimbursed).  He helped me set up my Phonics Picture Library for over an hour last night!  Anyway sorry I don't have recent pics but I will get there.  Maybe when I am off track (in two weeks) I will take some pics with the kids work on their walls! Stay tuned before then though.