~Life's a Dance~

Video I Made

2012-01-31T17:18:00.001-08:00

What do you think?

Going to Vermont this Summer???

2012-01-24T17:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been interviewing with this family and I am pretty sure I got the job watching their daughter. Isn't she adorable. My job would to be the nanny for them while they run the camp. She will be 3.8 years old this summer. I would eat every meal with them and help them get her ready for the day as well as putting her down for a nap and to bed at night. The rest of the day would consist of different activities I plan for her. Some of it would include: Swimming (they have a lake and a heated pool, they will help me get my life guarding certificate), jumping on the huge bounce thing, taking her to the art studio, cooking, making play dough, etc.

I will live in the cabin next to their house and the baby monitor works over their so I have a lot of options of what I will want to do. The camp is on 400 acres. I have one more interview on skype and they are even going to help pay for travel. This could be the best summer ever. Swimming daily, out in the warm sun :) doing what I LOVE! I would also have every night off.

The camp has a 1:2 staff camper ratio. They except kids that other camps won't or that would have a hard time at a regular camp. The cabins are so big it allows the children plenty of room to move around and do what they want. I feel so good about this and now I can't wait till June!!! :) yaya!

Multiculturalism

2012-01-12T16:37:00.000-08:00

These children are from India, eating American food in Hong Kong. I love this picture. You can see in the background (it's small) the sign is in Chinese. the food is all in English. I think this is art.

Small Town Girls Aims to Travel the World

2012-01-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

(~Cultural Diorama for Multicultural Education~)

Understand the need for Cultural Awareness

I love to paint and I really love learning about other cultures. I enjoy learning the customs and traditions of different countries in the world. I was born and raised in a small town in Idaho. My family has lived their my whole life. I dreamed of events that would take place in other countries. I have always longed to experience and to travel the world.

Book worm= Knowledge depth

I love reading and thinking about other people. All genres grab my attention because there are so many different situations and outcomes that books can present. Growing up my parents had to work a lot. Reading gave me something to do to pass time and it was so interesting. It also helped me with my vocabulary and reading proficiency so that I would be able to keep up in school.

Family means everything to me!

This is Kayla and Alyssa. When I go home to Twin Falls, I stay with my cousin, his wife, and children. There is never a dull moment in that household. I love them so much! I can't wait to create my own family. Nothing makes me happier than playing with children and this is part of what helped me choose my major.

Back to School

2011-12-31T18:32:00.000-08:00

I thought I would update my blog because I ended up changing my schedule so that I only have MWF classes. I don't get out of school till 3 on Fridays but I could leave around 11 if I needed to and just miss one class. I also picked this picture because I am an Early Childhood Major so I thought this was a well fitting picture.

I am taking:
Language Development
Cognitive Development
Art for Elementary Majors
Technology in Education
Capstone (Special Education Class)
Multicultural Education

I ordered all but two of my books offline. My art class is only once a week for three hours. It looks like it might be really hard. I will learn how to do many things in art such as texturing and using clay. I am really excited that these classes are specifically for my major now. I already did the technology one but it did not transfer so I have to do it again, which I don't really mind because it wasn't hard and I am usually good at it. I am excited to start but not looking forward to my first day because I have a three hour break then a two hour break with nothing to do. Oh well, I guess I will go find my last two books on that day. Good luck with school to those of you who are students!

Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-31T18:19:00.000-08:00

I accidentally told my four year old cousin that the new year was 2013 and I had a really confused look on my face when my cousin's wife told me it was 2012. I was really confused for a minute. Then I realized I will be 22 so that was right. I never really make new years resolutions because everyone knows that hardly anyone keeps them anyway. I make goals for myself all the time but those are two completely different things. It made me laugh so I thought I would share.

Relaxing

2011-12-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

My first semester at BYU I took 16 credits. BYU is a harder school than I have ever done before. It's even harder than BYU-Idaho. The 100 level classes have so much work. I ended up taking 6 finals in 3 days. I studied a ton because I never do well on tests because I psych myself out and get really anxious over it. Because of this I got my first C in college my "senior" year. It will actually take me 5 years to get my BA because I traveled and transferred so much. I am so grateful for this break from school I needed it in order to complete next semester. Luckily, I am only doing 14 credits but I am really in need of a job. Because it's a harder school it's harder to get the much needed scholarships. After I finish school thought I am going to be doing an internship (hopefully, I am almost positive). It will count for my first year teaching and I will be paid for it. I am really excited about it. I just really hope I don't have to do first grade because it's really not my all time favorite. They do a lot of sentence structure and things like that. I am not good at it and I don't really enjoy it. I can't wait but I am glad for the breaks we are given!

No motivation and finals are coming :(

2011-12-09T10:08:00.001-08:00

It says: Motivation I need more. Finals are next week and I don't have the motivation to study for my finals. I have 6 finals in three or four days. Monday should be easy. I have one final I have already studied for and one final that is open book. Tuesday I have the two finals that are given in class. I can't decide if I want to do my parenting final on Tuesday or Wednesday. Then I will take my stats final (the hardest one) on Wednesday morning. I will have to stand in line for Stats (going early though), parenting, and my open book one on Monday. I am hoping not too many people go those three days so I can finish and not have to wait too long to get in.

Carolers.... with llamas!

2011-12-06T18:50:00.001-08:00

The other night I was laying on the couch doing homework when the doorbell rang. I went and opened it and the carolers started singing to me. I thought that was really nice of them. I noticed a shopping cart with canned goods (they were collecting for the poor). Then I noticed a llama! I looked farther out the door and saw another one! Two llamas!! As I was going to get a few canned goods they sang Rudolf the Red Nosed Llama. It was hilarious! I love going to BYU. The funniest stuff happens here.

Ciera Austen VANLEEUWEN?

2011-11-30T18:27:00.001-08:00

So I decided to Google myself because I had not done it in quite a while. I stumbled upon a genealogy site. It was weird because they had my name spelled wrong but my fathers and mothers spelled right. It even had my mom's parents and my step dad and brother on there. I applied for an account and sent them an email to change my name. It asked why and I had to explain I was that person and the information was defiantly wrong. It made me laugh.

Who knew?

2011-11-28T20:24:00.001-08:00

United States

1,670

Russia

Netherlands

Canada

China

Malaysia

Germany

United Kingdom

Japan

Luxembourg

This is my all time count of people that have looked at my blog. Who would have known all of these different people from all over the world view it. I have a friend in the Netherlands that would look at it but he did not get on it that often. There are so many people out there! This is so cool! I love today's technology when it comes to things like this. :) My sister told me I should write more. I have forgotten how much I truly do like blogging about things that happen to me.

I love my ward!

2011-11-27T18:14:00.001-08:00

My ward has a temple comity that is giving us the opportunity to go to many different temples this semester. I love it because I have been in less than ten and I love visiting all the different ones. I will go to the Salt Lake City Temple on Wednesday. I have been to the Provo, Hong Kong, Twin Falls, Boise, and Rexburg. I am hoping that I will be able to go to a few more in Utah since it has 11 temples here and two more on the way. This makes me happy :)

Classes Winter 2012

2011-11-27T17:50:00.001-08:00

I am taking some classes in my major this next semester. I am taking:

Multicultural Education
Socialization Across Childhood
Cognitive Development
Language Development
Expository Writing for El Ed

I am really excited about this semester because of the classes I am taking. I think it will be really interesting and that I will learn a lot. Teaching preschoolers is way more than babysitting. Children learn more during their early years than any other time in their lives. It is my job to help them get the best they can out of life. I can't wait to start making lessons plans. I went through so much training and everything I will do in my classroom will have a reason behind it. There is a way to teach even infants. It makes me really sad that many people think their is no point and it's just babysitting because it is NOT! I love my major and I can't wait to start working in it.

Best Read!!!

2011-11-17T18:58:00.001-08:00

I am sooo excited for the movie! This book is really amazing!!! It's about the capital (government) that controls everything. One girl and one boy from each of the 12 districts are picked to be thrown in the arena to fight till the death. It sounds horrible but is such a great read! There are three in the series and I am about to start the third book. :)

Apple Cobbler

2011-11-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

Today I made this apple cobbler! It was delicious! I am so glad I took the challenge to cook because it was really good :)

~Service Project~

2011-10-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Last night I decided to go to a service project. We made puppets, coloring pages for file folder games, and hats. I made a puppet of a cat. Then I just sewed the rest of the time because not many people knew how. It was a lot of fun and I am so glad I went.

Sadly, when I got home I realized I did not have my license with me. I lost my drivers license. Great. :( Let's hope someone picked it up.

Test Anxiety???

2011-10-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

I have a meeting with a counselor on Wednesday to see if I have test anxiety I really think I do. I feel like the girl in this picture. Let's hope she or he can help me. I have a test tomorrow and then another Friday. I do awful at them and the one tomorrow I am really nervous for anyway :( I have had a lot of tests lately that's why I haven't wrote much :( sorry!

My First BYU Football Game

2011-09-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

Sadly, the guys were having a VERY bad day and we got killed! I did want to talk about some other really cool things that happened. My ticket was in the lucky section so we all got a free bag with some stuff in it! One thing was a BYU sticker. Go section 41! Another cool thing was they gave almost the entire stadium white pom poms and it was quite the sight!

So the first thing they did was had military men bring out a flag that covered the ENTIRE football field! Then when we sang, "Does that star spangled banner yet wave," the made it wave and it was the most beautiful thing! When the game started the military guys brought in the football. They had ran 37 miles to get it there!

I also saw President Dieter F. Uchtdorf from the first presidency of the church!

As well as Jimmer! He was there to watch his fiance Whitney cheer-lead. She is very good. Jimmer gets to stand on the field and the police walk him around to make sure he is safe!

Then I saw Miss United States! Not everyone saw her she was walking around in her evening gown and HUGE crown!

Finally, I also got to see the Lavell Edwards himself, who our stadium is named after! He was a great coach!

Football Season!

2011-09-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

I can't wait for our first home game!!! We bet Ole Miss by one point but lost to Texas by one point. We are 1-1. Saturday night we are playing Utah and I hope they do well! We have a pep rally tomorrow night that I am stoked for! They are giving away prizes. One of which includes two free tickets to the game on Saturday! Oh I forgot the best part!!! I got rotated seating so I could be sitting anywhere in the stadium and I got row 37 tickets!!!! YAY!!!!! Can't wait!

~My humble abode~

2011-08-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

I found a small 2 bedroom house a few blocks from campus. I love the place and our ward is great! My dining room is decorated from stuff I got while in China. I knew my roommate from BYUI. It's really fun having her here. I love going to BYU :) It's so great!

Also, I can't wait to see my first roommate in college. I get to see her tomorrow because she goes to BYU as well. We are going to have so much fun! She was the one that talked me into blogging :)

2nd Day Even Better!

2011-08-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

Today I left the Wilk (The student center) a little before I needed to in order to find my class that started at one. I heard them saying they were going to throw t-shirts. I thought, "Sweet a free BYU shirt, I'm in!" I waited a second and they told us to scoot really far back. We listened and before I knew it I saw a shirt coming straight for me. I caught it, heard a girl give a mad sigh, and I left. I found my next class and was sitting quietly in the hall. Next thing I know there is loud stomping. I look up and there is someone dressed as a hammerhead shark stomping really slowly. I continue to look down the hall and realize everyone is trying not to laugh. As soon as he got passed me everyone busted up laughing. What a great day!

First Day of School!

2011-08-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

I decided to walk to school. This not only gives me exercise, it helps me feel better about myself, and it saves money!Everyone here is so friendly, which I love because I can talk to people without them thinking I am weird! Plus, I make a ton of new friends! Anyway, I was walking to school today when I met this really sweet girl. After talking to her for awhile I found out she is a teacher of one of the upper division classes I have to take. She invited me to take it from her and I think I am going to next semester!

From my house it takes me about ten minutes to get to the light to cross to the school. From their it's another 10 to 15 to get to my first class because it's pretty far away. I am going to be in great shape if I keep it up :)

My first class was a math class in an auditorium, it was packed! There were probably around 500 people. It took almost five minutes to just exit the building. I can't believe how many students their are. Plus, it's the highest enrollment that BYU has ever had! My next class was a parenting one. About 40 students and only one was a boy. Welcome to Early Childhood Education where the boys are rare haha. That was it for the day but tomorrow I have 3 new classes! Can't wait to see how they are. School is exciting but also nerve racking at the same time.

Tonight I had FHE. I love my ward. It's so fun. Half of my ward is from Provo but we seem to have a really great mix of people. I love hanging out with them. I am so happy here. I love it!

Moving Out

2011-08-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

Well I was officially told to get all my stuff and get out of my dad's house. Guess I'll take this opportunity to have some more amazing adventures. We will see where life takes me. Time to have a few more wonderful life experiences.

Classes

2011-08-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

This next semester I am taking 16 credits online. I am really excited about some of them but also nervous about some of the others. I really want this job I applied for as a teacher's aide in a child development class. I think it would be really great. It's only ten hours a week which would work great with my schedule. There are 3 positions open and I am really hoping for one of them.

My Classes Are:
Statistics
Critical Inquiry and Research Method
Parenting and Child Guidance
Missionary Preparation
Foundations of Developmentally Appropriate Practices
Children's Literature

BYU is actually really great at not ripping their students off. Their insurance is less than $70 a month and it's really good insurance. Also, I got 12 books from their bookstore for only $450 which is really good. I am excited for school to start. I am taking a half a day orientation and they are giving me a bag of freebies which I am excited for! Can't wait for school to start!

China

2011-08-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

As most of you know I spent 6 months in China last year. I have always yearned to go back. I miss it a ton and LOVED it! The other day, I was looking at their webpage and thinking about everything. I got a really strong impression to go back. I feel really good about it and I am currently planning on going back next Sept to Dec. I also want to take Mandarin the semester before I go. I have talked to Jacob the guy in charge and he think's it would be great. I am really excited and can't wait. It's about a year away which is approximately the time frame I set up last time. Also, one of the girls I went with last time is thinking of visiting then! Plus, one of my friends really good students just came to America!! He saw the stars for the first time in his life! I am so stoked!!!

Dirty Derby

2011-07-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

Dirty Derby is where we go hike to the old Beaver Ponds near the rode and play in the water. The bottoms of the pond are covered in mud and the girls like to throw it at each other and see who can get the dirtiest. It was a lot of fun.

I didn't sign up for this activity and I was a little worried about it especially because I was the only counselor signed up to do it. I had a great group of girls. We really enjoyed our day together and many of them told me I am their favorite counselor. That made me feel good.

~Riflery~

2011-07-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

I teach Riflery as well as Archery! This girls are starting to get pretty darn good! I am getting compliments on how well I am teaching them but really it's the girls not me. I have started having them train their partners. Next week we are going to shoot pop cans and water balloons if we can. I think it will be really fun! I am also doing dirty derby! That means I just try and get as dirty as possible. It's going to be really interesting ahha! I also get to go to the pool on Saturday! We are taking all of our girls. It's a lot of fun! There is a rope swing in the deep end and lots of pool toys for the kids to play with. It's going to be a great last week!

Sorry I got behind in posting! It's been such a busy week! Here are few shots of the girls as they shot. I still need to get some pictures of me. I also might train the support staff how to shoot. I taught one of the camp photographers. It was a lot of fun! I hope I gt to soon it was fun!

Oh and I'll try to post pictures of the dirty derby! =D

Teaching Archery and Riflery This summer

2011-06-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

I have been teaching Archery and Riflery almost every single day. I have one day off a week and usually get to go swimming once a week. We have 54 campers and 12 counselors. I have 3counselors including me in the cabin Quarter B4 along with 14 girls. We have the biggest cabin. At midterms (in a few weeks) we change cabins and who we are living with. I am a little bummed about that because I really like the counselors in my cabin. I am not sure how I feel about moving but I am a little excited for a few less girls because it's hard to get them all up, ready, and make sure they have everything they need. I am teaching 9 to 11 year old girls. It's fun but also very challenging at the same time. Our unit has swings =D

We get one night off a week and one day off. We see all of the other units (including the boys) once a week. Sunday we have chapel. It's kinda like church but not really... Then we get together and do something with the other unit our age. This week all camp (each unit) will have a skit to perform. I am really excited about it. Next week we have a square dance. When it was just staff here we had one. We actually square danced to Lady Gaga. It was so hilarious and a lot of fun. We wore silly costumes.

We eat family style not like a mess hall. We all sit down together and we wait till everyone has their food to start eating. A motto here is, "Drink more water." It's a lot of fun. As you can see the girls have a lot of energy. I just thought I would post a few pictures for you to see :)

Cheley Colorado Camps

2011-05-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Man I love it here! The sight is beautiful! There was snow when we first got here but it's gone now. There is still snow in the Mummy Range. Anytime we leave camp we can look across the mountains. It's just beautiful here. I need to take pictures. This camp is one of the best in America. It's been around for 91 summers. I am so glad I took this job. It's amazing. I will be teaching 9 to 11 year old girls riflery.

For pre-camp we are just cleaning up camp and getting it ready to go for when the kids come. Our schedule is:
7:30 Breakfast
8:00 Team meeting then go to work
10:00 "Coffee" Break
12:00 Lunch
4:30 Off
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Plans with the group at night

There are about 10 girls here now and 20 guys. In a few days that number is going to double. The transportation crew and the horseback riding crew will arrive to start their training early. I am bummed cause I have to clean for another week while they get to go ride horses for a week. The people at this camp are great. The Cheley family makes sure all of our needs are taken care of. They are the nicest people.

At meals: We all stand up till we can sit down as a group for a meal. We have a "jumper" the person that goes into the kitchen and brings us food. The "scraper" cleans the food that was not eaten all onto one plate. We eat family style on China. We do not eat till everyone has food. There is a "This" door and a "That" door. You only go in this door and come out that door. It is so much fun I am loving it!!! I so want to spend lots more time here. Just wish the snow would leave soon.

Some names that people get confused: Elise, Alise, Alisa, and Alyssa. Brendan and Brandon. Sierra and Cierra. Matt and Matt. Jake and Jacob.

Drive-In

2011-05-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

Well my sister and I have made tradition of grabbing food and heading to the drive in every summer. Since I am not going to be here this summer we are going tonight. I leave Monday so we have to get some time to hang out it. I also watched Soul Surfer with her. Tonight we are going to watch Source Code and Limitless. I love having two Drive ins here in our town. It makes for fun summer nights with family.

Temples

2011-05-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

The first picture is of the Mesa, Arizona temple. Although I am sad about it not having the Angel Moroni, I love the temple grounds. They are so incredibly beautiful. I would love to be able to go inside of this temple someday. It is my goal to be able to go to many of the temples. I haven't been able to go into many but I am adding onto my list every year. This next year I will be able to go to Provo. I am really excited.

These are two of my favorite temples. The Twin Falls, Idaho temple located on bottom is one of my favorites because I have had so much to do with it. I was in high school as they were building it. My Senior year we got out of seminary early the day they put Moroni up. I put my name on a rock with my favorite scripture and it's in one of the cornerstones of the temple. I was also in the temple celebration before President Monson dedicated it.

I'm GRADUATING!!!

2011-05-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

I am graduating with my Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. I have waited three looooonnnggg years for this! I will also have two certificates as well. I got into Brigham Young University and I am working on applying to their program. I really want to teach at a preschool or something like that. I absolutely love teaching. I can't wait to build my portfolio even more. I am excited that I was able to gain experience teaching. I can't wait to start this new phase of my life. I am so happy right now :D

GPS

2011-05-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

My dad and Bree got me a GPS for my birthday. It's really nice and I love it. I have downloaded directions to get to camp. I can't wait to leave on the 16th! I am also very happy because it will be really helpful in Provo since I tend to get lost a lot. It's nice to have in a new area. I live like two blocks from campus but it will help when we go out. My roommate hit some ice on the interstate and it totaled her car. I will be doing all I can to help her out.

~Colorado Bound!~

2011-04-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to be heading to Colorado in 25 days! It's going to be a much needed break! I can't wait to finish with school! I think I am going to take two days to make the drive. If I do five hours a day I can make it there in plenty of time. I found a place to stay for $40 a night. Then I will pay for my gas and all of it should be paid back to me when I arrive! I think this sounds like a really good plan. Isn't it pretty there? I can't wait to spend my summer in the mountains!

Counting Down

2011-04-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

Well today I woke up and I was going to go to my spinning class but my body hurt really bad. I decided I would stay home if I could get some homework done. I worked from 8am to 6 pm with breaks for food and the bathroom. I was surprise at how long I was able to stay focused. I finished 2 finals, 4 projects in excel, and a test. I was shocked and very relieved that I don't have quiet as much to get done this weekend. School is stressful because I have finals coming up and all of my big projects are due. I need to pack and see my family as much as possible in that time as well. I leave for Colorado in less than a month!

Honey Suckle Blossom

2011-04-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

A friend told me something about honeysuckle. It makes me so happy every time is see it now :)

PS The Lord loves me!!!!

~Transfers Suck~

2011-04-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

I've been a ward missionary for about 8 months now. I have learned a lot and improved a ton! I hate having the missionaries leave and new ones come.

There were two that really meant a lot to me because they helped me overcome something that I have been working on for a really long time. I was able to give service and make some amazing new friends. This calling has helped me so much and I have met some pretty amazing people. It was exactly what I needed at this time and I am so thankful for it!!!!

Headed to South Dakota Again!

2011-04-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well next Saturday, April 16th, 2011 I will be on my way to South Dakota. I will spend the whole day travelling and arrive at my cousin's house about 9pm that night. I hope all goes well with the flight this time. They are all moving back to Twin Falls. We are going to be driving back and be home by the following Thursday. I am flying out there to help them move. I can't wait to have a short break from school and work.

I am sad because I have worked a lot with the missionaries here and they find out the Friday before who is leaving. They will be gone by the time I get back so if they leave I have a short time to tell them bye. They have had a tremendous impact on my life and I am so grateful for them.

My birthday is in 17 days! I will turn 21. I am pretty excited. I will be graduating with my AA this semester. All of my hard work is finally paying off. Then next month I will be headed to Colorado to teach at a summer camp. :) Can't wait to see what's ahead!

I love the Mountains!!!

2011-03-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

I can't wait for this summer to come! I will be living in the middle of the Rocky Mountains! It's sooo beautiful there. The first picture is going to be my life this summer :) it's going to be amazing!

Then I'll be home for a week or two before I drive down to Provo, Utah. I am going to BYU in the fall. Look in the second picture how close the mountains are. I never knew that. I visited campus and had an amazing time. I am excited to add Provo to the list of temples I have been able to go to and do things in. I am so excited for both these upcoming events in my life!

Time is Flying :D

2011-03-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

Time flies when you have a million things to do. Yes, I am aware of each day as it passes but I am usually kept busy enough to be surprised at how fast it is going. I am grateful each time I can knock a number down. It means so much more when the first number changes. I have 38 days till my birthday and until another exciting event happens. I only have 57 till I leave Twin Falls, Idaho for the summer. Then I will come home, visit my family, repack, and take off again to Provo, Utah. I got accepted to go to Brigham Young University and plan on being there from August to April. Then I haven't decided on what I am going to be doing. It all depends on a few different situations. I am excited to see where life takes me!!!

5 Things List

2011-03-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

I got this idea from a friends blog but I added a few of my own ideas to it.

5 Things I Love

Water

Summer

Working with children

Laughing

Good family and friends

5 Cherished Moments

The memory of China

YMCA summer camps

Girls Camp

Nightly walks around BYU-I

The feeling of coming home when being gone for a long time

5 Favorite Restaurants

Maxie’s

Subway

Papa Kelsey’s

Domino’s

Applebee’s

5 Hobbies I Love

White water rafting

Tubing

Horseback riding

Shooting

Camping

5 Shows I Like

Teen Mom 2

Gilmore Girls

Amazing Race

Cake Boss

Say yes to the Dress

5 Things I can’t stand

Blood

Being tapped over and over again

Being Yelled At

Being asked questions as soon as I walk in the door

Racism

5 Stores I can’t live without

Wal-Mart

Target

Aero

Victoria Secret (Like their perfume J)

Winco

5 Influential People

My Savior

Aunt Brenda

Aunt Kali

Grammy

Lori

5 Things I’m addicted to

Facebook

Texting

Ice cream

Pizza

Thinking and pondering

5 Recent Goals

Move out!

Pass the computer tests

Get my associates degree

Move to Provo

Find Scholarships

5 Things you may not know

I usually won’t go out of my way to find music but tend to like a lot that friends suggest to me

I think of China and travelling daily

I’ve become a lot more shy than I used to be

I have a really strong desire to care for others

It’s my dream to be a stay at home mom

5 Things on my bucket list

Go to Africa some day

See the Grand Canyon

Learn Sign Language

Get a real massage

Have a really fun dating experience

Why so sad?

2011-03-06T08:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was super emotional for no reason at all. I have a lot of really exciting things to look forward to in my life. Yet, they can be scary. Scary, but exciting. I am doing a few more adventures while I still can. I can't wait to live in Provo. There have been some things I have always wanted to do there.

Go to the zoo with a big group of friends or as a date
Go to see the Christmas lights on Temple Square
Have the college experience of going to sports events with roommates
Go to the ceremony thing where paint is thrown everywhere
Live on my own, away from my family
Have LDS roommates
Go to Spoon Me
Have guys over to hang out (bwhahahahah)
See my first roommate that I haven't seen since our first semester of college
There's probably more but that's all for now

These scriptures helped me to be in a better mood. Alma 26:27 "....bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." Alma 26:34 "... we know that they have gone to their God, because of their love and of their hatred for sin." Alma 26:37 ".. God is mindful of every people," Alma 29:3 ".. for I ought to be content with the things the Lord has allotted me." and Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."

I love my Father in Heaven and I know that He is there for me. He cares about me and what I am feeling. He wants me to live so I can achieve everything that I desire plus more. I love Him and I am grateful for all that He has given to me.

BYU this Fall

2011-02-25T21:50:00.000-08:00

To my absolute surprise I got accepted to BYU this fall. They actually have the major I want, unlike UVU. I am going to be living in Provo about 2 blocks from campus. It's close enough I can walk. I just talked to my roommate and she's stoked! My dad was really happy because I can go to the game now :) My first roommate goes to BYU. I am really excited to see her again. I am just so happy :D

Slowing Down~

2011-02-19T20:33:00.000-08:00

I felt in a way like this monkey looks. I actually got to the point any little thing added on top of what I already had would make me really upset almost to the point of tears. I decided that this was unhealthy and that I could NOT handle it any longer.

I went and talked to my boss. She agreed and made it seem like they were going to give me time off if I wanted it or not. I have been thinking a lot these past two weeks. I got five extra hours a week off. It will be very helpful in achieving my homework goals. This semester is super stressful and very hard. To add onto it I have to pass 5 computer tests, which are extremely hard even for me, in order to get my degree. I failed one and had a meltdown.

After talking to my boss, having a holiday Monday, cutting down my church calling, dropping a class, and completing the first draft of my English paper I feel much better. I slowly dropped things each week and it was still tough to keep up. Working a little less should help tremendously. I can't even tell you how happy it made me. The stress won't be as much and I will have more time to get things accomplished in a tiny matter.

IN OTHER NEWS:
Things are starting to go extremely well again. I had a few weeks I was being tested and pushed to the limit. I feel as if I passed and things are getting a little easier again. Well, I am exhausted and it's only 9:30 :) time for bed hahah

Busy Bee

2011-02-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

This is such a crazy semester and it's going by so fast! I teach in the toddler lab next week. I have completed all of my assignments for that and by next week over half of my assignments in that class will be done. It's kinda nice they end their assignments early but it's still crazy. It seems like so much I just have to take one day at a time. I did homework all day today and I am still not half done. I have a lot of English homework and English takes me the longest to complete :(

On another note: I found a place to live down in Provo for the fall! I am super stoked! It means I can work longer now that I know where I'll be living. I am just hoping whoever moves in wants to move out about August 23rd. I want to move in before school starts but I might not be able to till Sept. 1st. Which would be okay. Plus my ward is half BYU and half UVU. I am going to visit in March. I am so excited! It's a two bedroom house and I get along great with the girl who lives there. We have a washer and a drier, that's a plus! I am really excited to not have to share with a whole lot of other girls.

I am working a lot which means I am able to save up a lot of money. Right now it's needed because it's keeping my student loans I will have to take out a lot lower. I am trying to save up a bunch but growing up is super expensive! Oh well, smile it's life :) come what may and love it!

Funny Homework Story

2011-02-12T20:52:00.001-08:00

I couldn't help but post this before I write hahha.One mother found out the hard way how important it is to check your kids' homework before sending it in.

It may look like this child's mother is a pole-dancing stripper (and a quite profitable one at that), but take a closer look at her "pole" and read the mother's embarassed explanation sent in the following day:

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.

I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it.

Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.

From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

Rexburg

2011-01-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

One of the girls I went to China with got married in Rexburg yesterday. I decided to take a road trip up there by myself. The drive was nice with not a lot of cars on the road. There were spots of some fog but overall the drive was nice. The entire Ling Ling (the city next to ours) and Shuangpai (Shelby and I) plus Jacob and his family were there. It was a lot of fun reminiscing about China. Matt got to meet the China group. I have been home almost six months. It went by so fast.

All of us but Nikki and David went out to dinner together. We went to Bambino's it was soo good! I wish we had one in Twin.

Then I hung out at Shelby's new apartment. It's super cute and I love how they decorated it. I even got to go grocery shopping with them. They have some really good ideas to do as a married couple.

I have church callings I need to attend to. This semester is really busy. I will try to post more.

Busy, busy, busy schedule~!

2011-01-22T15:37:00.000-08:00

I am taking 16 credits and working close to 30 hours a week. Life is kinda crazy. I go to school then work, then I just want to come home and sleep. I am taking spinning this semester and it's helping me relax. So far, I've gone to the class once and I am a bit sore. I hurt my knee but other than that I am doing great. I am presenting about China to my kindergarten kids on Monday. I am really excited for that. I already hate the homework and this is nothing! Next weekend I am going to to Rexburg for a friends wedding. Life is so crazy this semester. I just got in contact with an old friend and things are going so well in my life. It's hectic but very fun at the same time. I am one happy girl!

Cheley Colorado Camps

2011-01-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

I got offered a job bunking with the 9 to 11 year old girls. I would be a counselor that teaches the children how to shoot a rifle. Since, I won't teach as much as the other counselors I would also fill in for them when they have a day off. This camp is about 75 miles North of Denver in the Rocky Mountains.

There Mission is:
To inculcate in boys and girls that the spirit of honesty, purity, unselfishness, love, alertness, determination and courage which is the foundation for all that is big in fine in American life and character, and more than this, the Summer Camp aims to help boys and girls cultivate the ability to act spontaneously in the right.

I am really excited about this job. I still have to interview with Alaska but I really like this one because it is a family run camp and has been since the 1920s. I have to run so I guess I'll write more later. I haven't had the formal job offer but it will come next week. It looks like a lot of fun :)

Nice Prank....scared me half to death

2011-01-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

So I was at a meeting when the missionaries told me they got something. I thought it was a little weird. They told me that I needed to have my hands free so that I could catch it. All of a sudden something's flying through the air and lands in my hands. I realized it was a skull and screamed really loud. They thought they were hilarious. It was a Styrofoam one but scared me. They found it on the side of the road. It was a good prank. Very nice....

My Year Looking Back on 2010....

2011-01-01T21:01:00.000-08:00

January: I just got really far ahead on my school work because I was going to go to Washington and then to China!
February: I quit my job and packed my suitcase. We went to the Tacoma, Washington Zoo. I have always wanted to go on a date to the zoo. It was fun exploring. (Shelby and I) said goodbye to our families and met up with our new "family." We flew to Hong Kong and got our first real taste of China. Then after a week, we said our goodbyes and headed off to our schools.
March: We started our teaching jobs and got to know more about the culture. We rode motor cycle taxis, looked at many rice fields, listened to fire crackers, the piano, and the crazy rooster. I learned some Chinese and how to buy food. We got to travel all over China on the weekends.
April: I had my 20th birthday in China and it was probably the best one ever! It landed on testing days so we got an extra long holiday. We made wishes and lit lanterns that made themselves float away. Then we got to go to a city where the houses were built on stilts and to the Avatar mountains! It was a crazy adventure that extended into May.
May: My classes had gotten cancelled and Shelby and I split her classes. We had a lot of free time on our hands and set many personal goals. It rained almost everyday. We went up to the mountain and met some monks. We also bowed to a buddha so we would not offend the people that we went with. We packed our suitcases and got ready to travel. We only had one week in June to teach.
June: Shelby and I planned our first trip by ourselves. We went to Beijing and saw all of the famous sites. We had a blast but walked so much it was exhausted. Never had McDonald's tasted so good! We bought way to much and got really good deals and become better bargainers.
July: We said our goodbyes to Shuangpai and traveled to Shanghai. I said my goodbyes to the three other Lao wai that I had been travelling with. I then put my trust in the Lord. I was picked up and traveled to another city to be by myself for a week. The fourth of July was really hard since I was the only American. It was weird not seeing decorations everywhere. I met my summer camp kids and fell in love with them. We had the time of our lives. Soon we were volunteered to be on a crazy obstacle course game show. A few days later we started our traveling with our students. Then it was time to say our final goodbyes to China. It was very emotional telling the students goodbye knowing we would never see them again. I bet some very nice guys from Holland and still talk to them today. We then traveled to see the World Expo in Shanghai. I spent 3 days trying to get home for Lanie and Izaak's wedding. They held our flights because of military relations and it took us an extra day to get home.
August: Spent a few days relaxing before I hopped back on a plane. I also spent much of my time with new and old friends. I even went swimming and white water rafting. I went and saw Dan, Steph, and the kids for a few weeks. It was nice reuniting with them. I came home and a few days later school started.
September: Was full of giving reports of China. I also received a calling that kept me very busy right along with work. I gave service and spent four hours of a Friday night volunteering at the preschool.
October: Was busy doing my student teaching and making up my assignments for the 18 credits I decided to take. I spent a ton of time studying math. My life was consumed with school, work, and my calling. I made many friends. My friend also came home from the marines so it was fun visiting with him. Midterms were hectic and it was crazy looking into where I would go next for college.
November: This month was full of getting to know new people in our ward. I played games with friends a lot and started a new job. It was hard saying goodbye to the kids at my old job. This month was spent applying to summer camps.
December: This was a month of fresh starts and reflections. I was out of the country working on myself for half of the year. I started a new job and hung out with family. I also explored my options on which college to go to. Then the last day of the year I bought myself a brand new car! It was a great year and I learned a lot. It involved many major decisions and many changes in them but I am following the Lord as he guides my life. I am being blessed more than ever!

My New 2007 Hyundai Accent GLS

2011-01-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

My car gets 40 miles to the gallon and 30 in town. It's so smooth and very quiet. There were high winds and driving out past the canyon you couldn't even hear it. I LOVE IT!!! The best part is it will be paid off in 2014. It has about 38,000 miles on it. It's a perfect little car for me and it makes me very happy. I was able to get a really great financing rate through my bank. I accidentally applied for a $100,000 loan. Hahahh. :) They said no. I can't imagine why. I got such a good deal the lady at the bank said she has never seen one that low through them. The car dealership couldn't beat the bank's price. It made me laugh. Anyway, I love it!!!

Update

2010-12-26T17:49:00.000-08:00

My dad and I are going to drive down to Orem, Utah on February first to look at UVU. They are having an orientation there and we want to check the school out. I have one more semester left here at College of Southern Idaho. I am really excited even though I have changed my schedule like four times. I'm taking an online communication class, a computer class, spinning, and a few of the last education ones. I will graduate in May with my AA in Early Childhood Education. I will also have my EC-PS certificate. Then I plan on going to UVU to get my BA in Elementary Education and take a few sign language courses. I will have to take the Praxis and apply for the program. The advisor was super nice!

I am also going to be getting a new car because mine is not starting and is having some other problems. I am pretty excited because I will need something to drive down to Utah in August. The college is half an hour away from some of my family's home. Plus, it's about ten minutes away from BYU.

I am still working on which summer camp I will go to. I want to be done a few weeks before school starts so I can come home and pack my car to get ready for college. I am excited to start some new adventures in my life. I have made certain choices and I feel really happy about them. I can't wait to see how this plays out!

~Happiness~

2010-12-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

Life is good. The trials are hard but I am learning a lot and growing so much! I love my Heavenly Father for blessing me as much as He does. If you choose the right and make good choices then you will be blessed more than you can ever imagine! I can't wait to tell you more :)

Thinking of UVU

2010-12-11T19:13:00.000-08:00

I am thinking of going to UVU down in Orem, Utah. Ya out of state tuition is expensive but it's a risk I will be willing to take. I will have my AA in Early Childhood Education. I will probably be getting my BA in Elementary Education. I will also take some ASL classes. I think it will all work out for the best. I am still looking into things but I feel really good about it.

Phone calls and Letters

2010-11-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

I am so grateful for phone calls and letters. They let you get to know others in a special way. I am so happy that we have these things so we can share communication. I love emails as well. They help me keep in touch with my students from China. It is so nice to be able to pick of the phone and make a call whenever I feel like it. I love talking to and getting to know others.

First Day at Work

2010-11-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

My first day at work the kids were crazy. The other employees said that was a good day. I'm sure it will take us getting used to each other. I just need to get to know them and figure out the change of pace. I really liked some of the people that I will be working with. My hours will remain the same until finals week then probably change for Christmas break and again for the next semester. They also have snack there and we are allowed to eat with them if we want to. I was surprised at how many kids there will be there. It is going to be fun.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T07:49:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for my friends. I got to go play board games with them for a while. They taught me some new games. I learned to play settlers. I am getting better at it. I think it's fun. It's a strategy game. I love hanging out with my friends and having fun together. We did this before our Thanksgiving dinner. We spent the morning hanging out together. It made me happy. It was a very good day with family and friends :)

New Job~ Boys and Girls Club!

2010-11-18T20:41:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting this job since before I went to China. I decided to go ahead and email one of the people I have been talking to. I asked if they had anything open starting in December. She immediately emailed me back and asked me to come in for an interview. Well, a week later they called me offering me the job to start 3 days later. I told her I had to give a two weeks notice but then I could!

I am sooooo super excited! I got a job working in the full day Kindergarten program and also with the after school program. They even offered to let me help them develop the curriculum! I am super stoked for this opportunity. I think it will help me out immensely. I really hope my job can find someone fast so I can work for them sooner. I even get to work full time over Christmas break! That's going to be amazing!!!

Anyway I am sooo super tired! Also, I am still waiting to hear back from BYU-I but I will let you know as soon as I do! I can't wait! It's already been 3 weeks of waiting :(

Summer Camps

2010-11-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

I have applied for many summer camps in many different states. Some of the ones I can think of are: New York, New Jersey, California, Colorado, Missouri, Texas, and others. I have already had many send me emails and say they will be in touch soon. I am looking forward to do the phone interviews and seeing what they have for me. I am excited. Many of the camps have Equestrian and water sports. It will depend on what I do and what I accept. I want to do a residential camp where they pay for room and board. Most pay for travel expenses and food. I am excited to see what positions I will be offered. I applied for: general staff, arts and crafts, and rifelry. I have volunteered to help with horses and the water sports. Anyway, I will let you know.

In other news: I am waiting still to see if I got into BYU-I. It seems like a lot of waiting lately. I took the night off of homework because I really needed it. I hope all goes well. Oh and the first camp I will be doing an interview with is probably one in Colorado. I will keep you all posted. :)

Actual Schedule :)

2010-11-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Online I have:
Communications one credit class
Curriculum Mngmt
PE For Teachers
Then Mon- I have practicum11-12:30
Tues- Preschool 8-12:30
Wed- Spinning 9-10
Thurs- Toddler 8-10:30 and English 11-12:20
Friday- Spinning 9-10

I figured I could take spinning to get me in the habit of working out again. I am taking 16 credits with a lot of online work. Weds and Fridays will be used to catch up and relax. I just need some time to myself sometimes. Also, this will give me plenty of time to work and save up some money.

My Ideal Schedule for Next Semester

2010-10-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

8-12:30 8-12:30 8-9:20 8-12:20

This is going to be my last semester schedule at CSI. It's 15 credits. I would have Friday off and be done by 12:30 everyday. I also have two classes that are online. I would have a break on Monday and Thursday. The formatting just wouldn't work how I wanted it too. I really want to work more than 12 hours a week though. I don't know where else I would look. Hmm. Got any good ideas? I also don't know how much I want to work. All I know is I need money! I really want to get into BYU-I and that will bring a lot of expenses.

Applying to BYU-Idaho

2010-10-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

I am applying to get back into BYU-Idaho. I will do another semester here at CSI. I will graduate with my associates in Early Childhood Education in May. I am planning on going back up to Rexburg to get my BA. I want to be able to teach in Elementary Schools if that's what I choose.

I know some of you think I am just doing it to get married. As I told you the first time that's not why I am going up there. I will wait for the right time to come. If I start dating then that's fine. Personally it's my business and I can share it if I want to. It's not your business when I chose to get married. I am just so sick of people especially my family bugging me about it. Leave me be~! I will be waiting to hear if I get accepted or not. Post more later :)

My Brain feels FULL

2010-10-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

This is exactly how I feel right now. I actually did this last night. I am laying on the couch at the institute freezing! Plus my relaxer game on Facebook won't work right now :( sad day. I really want a blanket! I went to class, went to the preschool lab and got everything I need to teach tomorrow, came to the institute did an assignment, ate lunch (at this point ppl came and were being loud and obnoxious), did another assignment, visited with a friend, and here I am now. Ready for a nap before work :( Hmm. I wonder if it's worth it to renew my license plates today or if I should wait a week. It's either that or do more homework. I haven't decided which I'll do yet.

Friends are Awesome!

2010-10-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

A friend that I graduated with just got home from being stationed in Hawaii. He is in the Marines and has two weeks leave. I couldn't believe I haven't seem him in ten months when I used to see him everyday! That seemed crazy to me. Anyway, we went out to lunch and had a really great time. We ended up acting like little kids and going to a park and swinging. We were able to talk about some things in life and just get stuff off of our chests. It was really nice to have someone who understands. It was nice and relaxing. That was much needed because I just looked at this week's schedule and it's insane! It is going to be a crazy and hopefully fast week. :) Anyway I am going to go lay down because it's going to be a long day tomorrow.

Midterms

2010-10-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Midterms are coming up and I can't believe this semester is almost half way over. It's almost the middle of October. I actually ran into a friend that just got back from her mission today. I can't believe it's been 18 months already. Wow! It went by fast. It is such a good choice and life changing event. I am really excited to not be so stressed out with school.

I have a full plate on my hands but I need to remember to be happy everyday. Work hard and serve others. As long as you care for others and not focus on yourself you will be happy. Why not have a lot of friends and care for each other while you are at it? Life is good. I just need to remember to focus on the positive things in life.

Sickness is Spreading :(

2010-09-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

Working with kids is fun but it sucks because your immune system has to be dang strong. I have worked with kids for about 5 years now so mine is stronger than most peoples. Its sucks when all the kids are sneezing or coughing and they haven't mastered covering their mouths yet. It was terrible today at snack they were all coughing on each other's food!

I could tell that my body caught it but I didn't get sick. I was really tired and just felt it trying to pull my body down. It's still going around but I hope I am strong enough to keep it off of me.

Now in other news:
Everyone continues to get married! My friend just text me and told me she is engaged! Ah! I am happy for them but man I can't wait for my turn. Our ward is losing a ton of people in November. That's a really popular time. Two of my best friends have been going on dates and are discussing dating. It puts me in a hard position and makes me sad... I am sooo happy for them but I am afraid they will get busy and forget about me.

I have a math test on Wed and I am really nervous for it. I have been studying a ton and it's been crazy! These 18 credits are killing me! I feel like I have very little time to myself and when I do I can't just relax because I have a ton to focus on. Anyway I better go. :) Life is good though.

Ward Missionary

2010-09-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

I got called to be a ward missionary in the college 2nd ward. It's a busy job and really teaches me about some of the things that the missionaries go through. It's hard and I bet it's even hard doing it ALL the time. I feel like this is a great calling to prepare me for things to come in my life.

It's really teaching me to have a love for others. I want them to know I care about them as a person not just because I want them to come to church. God love's them and we should too.

Everyone goes through trials and we are here to help one another. We can use our trials to help others. We learn from them. Be patient and learn to love those around you. Especially those ones that have a harder time making friends. I am really learning a lot. It can be hard but it can also be a lot of fun.

Date Night

2010-09-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

Every semester the College of Southern Idaho Preschool Lab holds a date night for parents. It's from 6 to 10pm and only $10. This time I got the honor of hanging out with the babies. This one in the picture is Cassi and I see her almost every single day. I got lots of loves from her and was able to think a lot about my future career. I work in the preschool with her older brother. This picture is from an article in the news paper a few weeks ago.

http://www.magicvalley.com/lifestyles/relationships-and-special-occasions/article_5df9c1a2-b0a8-11df-8800-001cc4c002e0.html

It was a very successful night and we had lots of fun activities going on. I worked with her and another little boy for quite a while. They were the youngest two only two months apart. It broke my heart when I went to go spit my gum out and the other little boy started crying because I, being the familiar face, was leaving him. Ahhh! I love kids!

The Lord's House

2010-09-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

I have started to go to the temple every Wednesday. Last Wednesday was my first week since school started. It was really hard to get up at 5 am in order to be there on time. I heard it gets easier and I sure hope it does.

This is such a peaceful time to prepare for and receive revelation. I have been getting up at 6 am everyday with school so I can have time to study the scriptures.

I have noticed that I am stronger and so much happier. The Lord does care about me and each and every one of you. I just got some answers and I know the Lord is watching out for me. He is helping me grow and bringing me to those who need me! I am so grateful for Him in my life and the opportunities he gives me to grow.

Running All the Time!

2010-09-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

I kinda feel like this picture. Instead of my stripes falling off I feel like I am losing my mind! I am doing 18 credits, working 12 hours a week, have an institute class, go to church, attend family home evening, and I am trying to maintain a social life.

Math this past week was a killer! I was ALWAYS in the math lab in my free time! This last assignment took me hardly any time compared to the others so that seems promising. I need to read at least 3 chapters and work on about that many big projects so I stay caught up.

My plans for the weekend are to read the chapters and do that week's assignment and start on my geology note cards since we have a test coming up.

This week was hard because Monday was a holiday and my sleep schedule is WAY off! Thursdays are hard being in the toddler lab the first two hours. Then it's laundry day at work and the kids play in all areas so I have a lot of work to get done. I have a big project I work on for an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Every morning I get up at 6 am to study scriptures before school. Wednesday's are long but good. I get up at 5 am so that I can go to the 6 am temple session. I do have a big break but the last two weeks I have spent the entire time doing math :( Then at night I take an institute class. I don't get home till at least nine but I have found it's well worth it.

Sometimes I just get stressed and need to breath and remember it's all going to be okay. I know it's tough but the Lord is blessing me soooo much! I can feel the difference and it's amazing! I love what this gospel can do for me!

~New Friends

2010-09-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

A lot of things have happened since I have been home and I have decided there are certain things I look for in friends. I have met a lot of new cool people. These pictures are a few of my friends that I love to hang out with. They are super cool and we have a lot of fun! Aimee I miss you!

I am putting my life in a certain order and it's going to be a lot easier if I am not involved with people who are constantly hurting me. I trust people really easily. I just realized I need to protect my heart. I need to be careful who I trust and watch how they are treating me. Friends to me are people you can trust and that can be there for each other. Someone who is understanding and caring. Someone who makes you want to become the best that you can be. Someone who DOES NOT JUDGE! I want friends who make me feel good and that we can have a lot of fun together. I want friends that can make time for me when I need them. I would do the same for someone so I expect them to do the same. If they can't talk at that time they should at least make an effort to get make to you on it.

Listen to your family! You should be able to rely on them. I am trying to do the best I can at what is right for me at the moment. Overall it is my life and I have to make the decisions. I am just trying to do what is the best for me and what will allow me to be the happiest and not dwell on things.

Catching Up

2010-09-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

So Shelby came into town this weekend and I was telling her about some of my adventures I had once she was gone. I was telling her about my friends from Holland and fun that we had together. Then I came home and got to catch up a little bit with one of them.

I soooo wish I could go to Holland right now and see them and where they live. That's where my ancestors are from and I always thought it was a pretty cool country.

Other than that I have been busy with school doing my student teaching this semester. Math is super hard especially when I don't have as much time as I need with it. Good thing Monday is Labor Day so we don't have school. Monday's and Friday's are busy days for me.

I have also been working in a child care center in a pre kindergarten class and a preschool class. It is a ton of fun and not too hard.

I am giving a presentation about China on Monday so that should be fun. BSU is play VA Tech and we are going to watch the game after that. Ummm I don't have much else that's new with me other than work, school, and homework.

~You never know exactly what you're capable of~

2010-08-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

I got so sick of people telling me I can't take 18 credits and work. I knew it would be hard but that was a given. I knew if I put the Lord first in my life he would help me. Yes it's only the second week of school but this semester is going to be great. I am taking 18 credits, working 12 hours a week, taking institute classes, going to church and fhe every week, and I still find time to hang out with my friends if I want to. On top of it all I am usually at least a day ahead in my homework. I am going to start going to the temple every Wednesday at 6 AM. Yes that's right! I get up every morning at 6 so I have extra time to study my scriptures. Not only am I doing all of this I truly am happy. I love my major and I am learning so much. I find joy in the readings I am assigned. I find it going by so fast because I am learning so much and adapting my way of think. It's awesome to hang out with children all the time. I actually am finding a lot of things I don't agree with and making up my mind on things I want to do a certain way with my children. This semester is going to keep me busy but I have a feeling it's going to be very rewarding. I love that I got a job in my major. It helps me practice what I am learning. I also love, love, love the people in my major. We are becoming a very close group. It's great. We are an awesome team! They are such a support to me. I am also meeting a lot of new people. yay!!!!

White Water Rafting Trip/Church

2010-08-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went white water rafting with the other ward down in Hagerman. I was glad that I got invited to go and invited others because it was a ton of fun and a very nice break from school. It was a chilly day but we all enjoyed ourselves. My face got burnt pretty bad. It will eventually turn into a tan :). After the trip we went to a park and had subway sandwiches that were provided along with drinks and chips. It was really good and we were all starving! We at two huge ones and they downed the first one in just a few minutes. Hahaha college students know where to be.

Today church was really good and I am leaving in 5 minutes to go to a meet your bishop fireside. Then tomorrow I am actually doing fhe (family home evening) all about China. I am excited for that but have to hurry through so we can get a lot of things covered. I am really excited. I better get going just thought I would give you a short update!

School has started!

2010-08-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

I am taking 18 credits this semester. I have three different labs that I am doing my student teaching in. I have a infant, toddler, and preschool class. I am also working as a teacher's aide in a kindergarten class with the students whose birthdays that fall after the cut off date. It is going to be one long semester! Man!

My calves are the thing that gets tired the fastest out of anything. I really like the places where I am observing. I can't wait to meet all of the students. I will have a few focus children that I do most of my observations on. I even get to meet with the parents so I can experience that part of it. I am really tired so I will write more later!

South Dakota

2010-08-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is the 19 passenger plane I went on. No bathroom and all the luggage has to go under the plane.

Kayla and I just chilling with Shelby

I thought that these clouds looked really cool. I liked the sunset too. That was on my private flight haha

ah she wanted to share her pillow and her planket.

Hahhaa look at this dog!

South Dakota Trip so far..

2010-08-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

So my flight once again had problems... I don't know what it is with me and airports. We didn't end up getting here until about 4 o'clock in the morning! I have some picts of the plane and some things here I will have to post later. The final plane was TINY!!! It was only 19 seats. We had to walk up the stairs from the ground to get on. I was freezing on the plane and it was so loud you couldn't talk to the person next to you.

For those of you who don't know I came to South Dakota to see my cousin, his wife, and his 2 girls. I love them! Kayla totally remembers me and comes and cuddles with me all the time. She is 3 years old. Alyssa it takes a little bit to warm up but she will let me hold her haha. She almost 2. I play with her a lot and she will come and sit in my lap.

We went swimming the other day and Kayla wanted to play with all the boys. It really made me laugh. I got a little more tan and it is nice because I was soooo white! Dan has to work so durning the day I hang out with Steph and the kids. It is so much fun we get along so well. We even like the same tv shows. We have a lot of fun talking.

The food they feed me is really good too. We just ate pancakes for breakfast. I love just helping out with the girls. Whenever we go somewhere I help get Kayla in the car. She finally calls me erra haha instead of Cierra. She used to call me mermaid. It was rather funny. Alyssa sometimes calls me D.D. instead of C.C. I love these girls they are adorable!

Life is Amazing!

2010-08-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

Today was such a wonderful day. I got up to my dad telling me he had made breakfast. It made me happy that I was about to get up anyway. I did my hair and went to eat with my dad. I hurried and got ready for church and went straight there. I think been thinking about which ways to go in order to get places faster. (For those of you who don't live in Twin they are doing road construction on 3 of the main roads here. People are very upset because school is starting soon.)

So I got to church and talked to the girls that pulled in right in front of me. They live right down the road from me and I had not seen them in a while. I went inside and sat down next to a girl that graduated a year before me. I wanted to know when, Kristine my friend I hung out with all through junior high and all the way up till my first year of college, was going to come or not. Turns out she walked in right after that. I said hi to a few more of my friends when one came in and sat down by herself. I didn't want her to be alone so I moved. Then 3 girls and one of their brothers came in and sat in front of us. One of the girls I graduated with wanted to come sit by me. It was nice talking to her I missed those girls they are soo sweet.

I took allergy meds this morning and didn't realize they made me sleepy. I had a hard time staying awake in sacrament meeting but I really appreciated the messages about Christ that were shared. I really liked how they talked about the word remember and how it DOES require action.

For Sunday school I went into Gospel Principles because my friends were going there. Luke Chandler got up and explained that this class was to learn the basics and the other was more in depth. There wasn't a lot of room so he encouraged us to go where we should. I ended up staying and was really glad I did. I learned that Adam's really name was Michael before it was changed. I wonder if we will have our names changed and when it occurs. I also had the opportunity to think more about the word exalted.

From there I talked a bit with Jolene and then got called to have my talk with the Bishop. Talking to him was so great. He said I have a very loving heart. He also said I can start working on my papers in Dec. For sure I should find out where I am going by Feb. I am really excited. I am sad I am going to miss the temple these next few weeks.

I went to Relief Society and it went by fast. I met our president and she invited me to dinner at her house but I couldn't go since I was going to my moms. I was bummed because she was inviting over tons of people. Jessica Grindstaff was there and talking to me quite a bit. I miss her and was glad I was able to talk with her. It looks like I will be able to talk a lot more.

Then I got to talk to Luke and he felt bad because he didn't know me when I knew who he was and everything. I tried to pay attention to who people were in high school. I went to the same church building as him and saw him around everywhere. He made me realize a bunch of boys are coming home off their missions soon. Yaya! haha. I had such a good talk with Luke. I am missing next Sunday so we will see each other one other Sunday before he has to go back to BYU to school.

I talked so much today haha. I talked with Brother Mac and he is going on a safari in Africa for 2 weeks! Lucky! He asked me to do a FHE on the 30th for about half an hour on China. He gave me an outline and I am not nervous about it... at least not yet haha. Sorry this one is soo long. I finally left and came home to work on power points and things. I headed off to my mom's and watched a movie with them and ate dinner.

I came home and started packing and getting my stuff ready to go to South Dakota tomorrow. I am really excited about it. I also read a friends blog and he had so many good things to say! I need to be better at committing to goals I make. I promised myself I would as soon as school starts but now I just feel like I am slacking since I am not doing it now. I will don't you worry. He just has soooo many good ideas. I think I am going to start exchanging ideas with him.

Grateful for: Being able to think more in depth on basic principles, getting motivation to become better at my weaknesses, and families being able to be together forever.
I was able to talk to and get to know many new people today. I think the Lord wants me to make others feel welcome and make them happy.

Things to Remember

2010-08-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

http://speeches-files.byu.edu/download.php/Holland_Jeffrey_012009.mp3?type=2&fname=Holland_Jeffrey_012009.mp3

I love this talk! It reminds me to move on. Don't dwell on things that you can't change. Forget yourself. Have faith in what is happening in your life and trust in the Lord. I love BYU speeches so much. You can learn so much and you can listen to all of them instead of just reading them. That makes me want to do it even more because sometimes I am too tired to read it.

Forgive and forget the mistakes of yourselves and others! To be tied to earlier mistakes is the worst kind of wallowing in the past! You can step away from your past. Just keep progressing everyday work to become better. You can change yourself!

Let people repent! Let people grow! Believe people can change. Charity is what makes this work. If something is buried in the past leave it there! Don't go back and dig it up and throw it at someone. It will result is something ugly being dug up. Everyone will come up dirty, muddy, happy, and hurt. Dwelling on past mistakes is not the Gospel of Christ. FORGET IT!!!! Move on! Forgive yourself!

We can be SOOO hard on ourselves. Bury your weapons of war like the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's. Do what's harder to do forget. You can remember enough to not do it again. But if you keep remembering forget and if it comes up again forget it again. God doesn't care as much as where you have been but where you are and where you are willing to go!~ Everyday is a NEW start!

"When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better...."(This is not from that talk) TRUST GOD

Things are going well!

2010-08-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

I now have everything accomplished that I had planned. If they are not all the way done I have an appointment to do them.

I met with one of the advisors and got some really good news. Next semester I will only have to do 15 credits! Yay! The school at first didn't accept any of my science credits. I needed 4 general ed credits and only had 3. I had a brilliant idea that if I could get the school to accept my science credits I would have one less 3 credit class to take. I talked to them about it and they had to take it to a big board and get like 5 different signatures. They went ahead and did that for me. I was very happy. I went to get a graduation audit to make sure I can graduate in May. I have 2 other classes my advisor said she would accept so I have to get her to sign a paper. I will go in and meet with her tomorrow. Then later that night I will have dinner with my mom.

I got my last 2 shots yesterday and I have to go in tomorrow so they can check my TB test and tell me it came out negative. I am getting CPR certified again on the 19th. I just have to turn those in and I will have done everything I needed to to get into early childhood education.

I am getting my hair done also on the 19th then go and find my classes. I will buy my books tomorrow so I have a chance of buying a few used ones. I have about 9 books I need because each of my education ones has at least one study guide. I am buying one book from a friend which is nice.

I will probably sell all of my books back to the bookstore (from last semester and this coming semester) when I am done with these coming classes. I have 6 classes this semester and 3 of the education ones are online. They do all have labs to go with them though. I am sick of people telling me I can't do it. I will show them I can. I will put the Lord first in my life and I know for a fact he will help me.

Swimming Down at Vineyard Lake

2010-08-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

Today was so fun! I got to take a nap because I have not really adjusted well to sleeping at nights. At about 3 a friend of mine called me because she was having car problems and needed a ride. I told her that was cool because we planned on hanging out later anyway. She took a quick shower while I finished getting ready at her house. We then ran into Winco and ran into my Aunt, cousin, and her boyfriend. We were getting candy to share with the other people. From there we went and met up with the group. I have met so many cool people in the last few days. I also have been able to catch up with all the really cool people I knew before I left. It was a lot of fun talking with them.

We drove out to Vineyard which is down a small dirt road. You park your car and hike back into the lake. It was fun being able to hike and swim. The water was very cold but didn't take long to get used to. I missed swimming so much and was very happy that I was invited to go. Everyday I hang out with them and everyday they invite me to do something new. I think school is going to be hard because there are so many fun people to hang out with I will have to start turning down offers to study. I am really excited for this next year though.

Grateful for: good clean fun, hiking and swimming counting as exercise, and my car getting me to where I need to go a little bit longer. I love being home and the beauty I took for granted!

Flour Socks

2010-08-02T23:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry I don't have any pictures to show you this time. I decided to run errands today and got almost everything taken care of or I have apts for them. About the time I was finished it was time to meet my friend Aimee. We were both hungry so we decided to go get food before Family Home Evening.

We both decided to stay at my ward she didn't go to hers. We talked about the differences between being happy and having joy. After that we went to go play a game. At first I didn't want to but decided to anyway. There were socks filled with flour that if you got hit with them you would be out. The first round I was the last girl standing. If you caught one the other person would be out. It was me and a guy in the final two. It hit my hand and fell to the ground. I was a bit sad but it was a lot of fun. We did boys vs girl and another fun round. This round a boy and a girl had to pair up. The couple would only get out if the girl got hit which means the boy had to protect her. It was a ton of fun!!

Good news today: I can get my shots on Wed., I am getting CPR soon, and I have less credits left than I though! Plus it was great to see my friends!!!

Wedding~ Izaak and Delanie

2010-07-31T19:58:00.000-07:00

The wedding was B E A U TIFUL!!!!! I had a blast it was so fun and the couple was great. I actually ended up catching the bouquet haha.

Coming home.... (hectic)

2010-07-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

So I boarded my plane July 29th, at 1:00 China time. We sat there for awhile and I just thought the plane was a little late. After about an hour we start wondering what's up. We just sat there forever. We finally found out we didn't have permission to leave. I started worrying because I had a wedding to attend. My cousin was marrying one of my best friends and I had to be there! The flight attendants fed us a meal while we were just sitting there. We were only supposed to fly to Seoul, Korea which would take an hour and a half. We sat there long enough to find out we were going to miss our flight. I was very upset by this and not sure what to do. Luckily Korean Air was really good about it. When we got off our flight they rushed us to some people to get us new tickets.

We were going to fly to Honolulu as soon as they handed us the ticket we went through security and got on the plane. When we got to Honolulu they found us and rushed us through everything again. I loved looking out the window and taking some pictures. We had less than 20 minutes before we once again had to get on our flight getting into Seattle at 10pm that night. I was supposed to be home at 6pm :(

Luckily I met some really friendly teachers who helped me out this whole time. One of them even brought me to her house and let me shower and sleep a few hours before taking me back to the airport at 4:30 am. It was great! She was so kind. After 40 hours of traveling I am home safe in Idaho.

Embarrassing Moments... haha

2010-07-25T21:33:00.001-07:00

Oh my gosh!!! You will never believe what happened to me!!!! So my friend needed the directions to our next hostel to be translated into Chinese. I said I would go ask the front desk. As I was standing in line 2 boys came in not realizing I was in line. They were just checking in and I didn't mind waiting. We started talking and I learned they were from Holland. I told them my last name and they said they didn't know it. I was really surprised because it's quite famous over there. One told me it might be the pronunciation. I wrote it down and we are TOTALLY SAYING IT WRONG!!! How embarrassing I can't even say my own last name! hahahaa.

School Trip

2010-07-24T22:38:00.001-07:00

The beautiful places the school took us! I have tons of sweet pictures!!!!

Super heros!

2010-07-24T22:34:00.001-07:00

Haha the first one says red blue superman in Chinese but the English he wrote red and blue spider-man. It made us laugh. The second one is super cool!

Children we got Volunteered to Entertain hahah gotta love China

2010-07-24T22:31:00.001-07:00

We actually had a of fun with these kids. They were funny. We were also asked to join in their class pictures though we hadn't taught them

My students hard at work and play~

2010-07-24T22:27:00.001-07:00

Our Day trip in Hefei

2010-07-24T22:24:00.001-07:00

This is the same place where the TV show was located. Leilani walking the tight rope bridge. The ferris wheel in the background was my first one to ride on ever!

My Students

2010-07-24T22:20:00.001-07:00

5 girls

11 boys

Makes it very interesting!

Lunch Time!!!

2010-07-24T22:18:00.001-07:00

I am starting to get really tan! Nick is so cute. He was sucking on the bone.

Counting Down~

2010-07-22T20:48:00.001-07:00

Okay everyone I am down to less than a week till I will be home in America. I just said goodbye to all the summer camp kids this morning. That was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done. I have come to love these children so much over the past few weeks. There was one boy I decided I would bring home if I could only bring one. His name is Zack and he is stinking adorable. He even lets me cuddle him. I was saying goodbye to all my students trying to hold back the tears.... knowing you may never see them ever again is a very hard thing. I went to one of the 13 year old boys I met a week before camp. We were having a hard time saying goodbye to each other. I gave him a hug and he lost it we both started crying while we just held each other. I have his email so we can keep talking but man I love that boy. He is so helpful and tries so hard to understand. I am going to miss these kids so much. They really were like a family to me the time I was with them. They take care of me and we have so much fun together.

On another note I am coming home in 6 days!! I have will have been here almost 6 months. I am ready for American food and to celebrate some great times with my family. I have bought a few more little things. I am excited to hand out things when I get home. I got lots of gifts for people. Even if I can't give a gift to every person I know I have pictures I can show them. I have almost 12 gb full of picts. I was told to take a lot so I did.

Right now we are in Huangshan, Tunxi. On the 26th we will take a sleeper train from here to Shanghai. I will spend 2 nights there with Leilani and Nora. Once I have done that they will put me on a bus to head to the airport. I am sooo excited. We are going to do some sight seeing in Shanghai before I come home. I can't wait. My USB is full of picts and almost all my memory cards are too. Not much else is new.

Funny things said: It's a fly dragon instead of dragonfly. Also half to nine instead of half past 8. We met some Americans when we were traveling with the school. They were just as happy to see us as us them. They wanted to speak English ahhaha. They gave us a lot of advice about the expo. I think I am going to go and see what they have. We found out a lot of good things that will help us. I have a lot of good stories when I get home. I am looking forward to eating pizza with my family the first night I get home.

ME HAVING FUN!!!

2010-07-18T16:45:00.001-07:00

Straitened hair and using these things to sword fight with the students. haha

Most Picts are on my Camera... More to come

2010-07-18T16:43:00.001-07:00

Don't forget it's crazy Monsoon season here!!!

Hanging Out

2010-07-18T16:41:00.001-07:00

Kids

2010-07-18T16:40:00.001-07:00

Summer Camp!

2010-07-18T16:39:00.001-07:00

Chinese TV Show Obstacle Course~

2010-07-17T21:23:00.001-07:00

So we just got back from participating in one of those crazy Chinese game shows we see on TV. I was not happy we had to do it at first but I had a ton of fun. We even got a free T shirt. I will wear it in America it's so cool! Today was full of first for me. First time: riding a ferris wheel, zip lining, and being in a TV show. We are going to see if we can get a copy of it. We sang Twinkle Twinkle little Star and then I sang it in Chinese for them. It was a lot of fun.

The show is called Boys vs Girls. The boys ended up getting more guys to the end. Because they did that we had a "punishment." The punishment was for us to jump into the water. The water was dirty but were already wet. One of the hosts said he would jump in if I did. I agreed because I had to jump in either way. We were going to get out and I saw the host. He was not in so I told him to and got the audience chanting for him to jump in. He emptied his pockets and jumped in. We then got in a water fight. We had a lot of fun. Our internet connection here will not let us send pictures so I will have to post them after I get home

In the beginning they told us it would take 1 hour and 5 and a half hours later we were finally walking into the hotel. It was okay with us because we will always remember that day.