YouTube Videos

I have posted some of my favorite YouTube Videos to the left. If you refresh the browser, the type of video will change. Enjoy! YouTube is Awesome...

My Job

I am a junior high teacher, and I know most of you are thinking, "What is she nuts?" But I have to tell you, I LOVE my job. I liked it last year, but I love it this year. This year is my second year at my school, and I feel a lot more comfortable with my surroundings. As I was walking down the hall yesterday, I realized just how happy I was to be at my current job. I still hate getting up in the morning, just because I enjoy sleeping so much, but I absolutely love being at school, working with and teaching my students. They are really great kids and not the nightmare many of you associate with teenagers. They say the funniest things and I have found they are very respectful when you treat them with respect and show them you care about them and want them to succeed.

The best thing about teaching is when former students come back and visit you. Students you never thought would visit you. This happened to me a couple of weeks ago. A student from last year, who wasn't a very good student at all and was involved in drugs, came for a visit. I could tell things were different with him. He told me about some of the poor choices he had made in the recent months, and how these choices had led him to turn his life around. He isn't sleeping in his classes and he is trying to keep the commandments. He said his body feels clean now that he is off the drugs, he can tell the difference. I was amazed! He said he would probably stop by again before the end of the year, and I told him I would love it if he did. Did I say I love my job?

"The 5000 Year Leap"

I am reading a book called The 5,000 Year Leap: The 28 Great Ideas That Are Changing the World by Cleon Skousen. The book is about the leap in technology and innovation we have been able to make because of the ideas embodied in the Founding of the United States of America. The example Skousen uses is that the world had been traveling by horse and carriage for nearly 5,000 years, yet, in less than two hundred years after the Founding, we had landed on the moon. The freedoms we have in the United States fostered innovation and advances in technology that were previously unrealized. I find it amazing how much man has been able to accomplish when given the freedom to pursue and develop his ideas. We live in a truly great country with wonderful rights given to us by God, and protected by the Constitution. I have gained a greater appreciation for the vision of the Founders for our great nation as I have read this book. The Founders warned against a lot of what has happened to our country. I find that now, more than ever, we need to stand strong and unwavering and be unapologetic in our defense of what is right and just. God's plan is for us to have agency, and that is what the Constitution guarantees, our agency to worship God and contribute to society however we choose. I am grateful to the Founders for their willingness to fight for what they believed was right. I am grateful that fight made it possible for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be restored to the earth with all its saving ordinances in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I find it fascinating how the events of the discovery and colonization of the Americas, the American Revolution and the Constitutional Convention of 1787 all culminate in the First Vision in 1820.

My uncle was telling me about a class his father, who was a civil engineer, was in where the professor had drawn a time-line of the Industrial Revolution. The time-line was pretty flat from the time of Adam for several thousand years, then in 1820, there began to be a dramatic spike in the amount of technological advances. My uncle said my grandpa looked around the room and thought, "I am probably the only one who knows why that spike is where it is." The Lord's hand has truly guided the righteous leaders of this nation. I am so proud to be an American!

Amateur Sports

Yesterday, I went to a boy's basketball game at the school I teach at. The boys played their hearts out to the very end, even though they were behind by 20+ points. And the students that were in the stands cheered just as loud at the end as they did at the beginning. It was fun to see that kind of support among the students. I love amateur sports for that reason. The best part is to watch the players make mistakse, learn from them, and come back from behind, or just play to the end and lose gracefully. It reminded me of watching my brother play sports in high school and how fun that was.

The Dead Sea Scrolls & President Hinckley

I was at a fireside last night on the Dead Sea Scrolls. There was a professor from BYU teaching about the different DSS they have found and the treasures of knowledge they have revealed. It is fascinating to me how much there is that has been lost through translation of the Bible into English. The Jews were so careful in how they transmitted the Bible and copied it onto the scrolls. I have a feeling we need to study more about the Middle East and the Old Testament.

At the end of the fireside, the Stake President announced that President Hinckley had died surrounded by his family. I just think what a wonderful reunion that would be between he and his wife. He was truly a great man and prophet. My friend was telling me about BYU's graduation last April. When Vice President Dick Cheney entered the Marriott Center, the crowd warmly welcomed him, but when President Hinckley entered, there was such love for him and the Spirit was awesome there. One of the first times I saw President Hinckley at BYU was at a fund-raiser meeting. It wasn't even a religious meeting, and I could totally feel the Spirit testifying to me that he was the prophet. I am so grateful for the sacrifices he made to lead the Church, especially after he lost his wife.

BYU has the coolest slide show tribute to Pres. Hinckley
(Click to view the slide show)

Glenn Beck also had a touching tribute to Pres. Hinckley

Christmas and New Year's

This Christmas was a lot of fun. I got to go home for a week and spend time with my family. We went up north to my sister, Lindsey's for Christmas. I got the best Christmas present, I got a piano keyboard from my parents. I had been thinking just the day before I opened it how much I wanted a piano, but didn't know how I would afford it. I luff it! Then I went to Washington, D.C. to visit my college roommate, Amy. We rode the China Town Bus from DC to New York's China Town. Needless to say it was very interesting! As we were driving down the street in NY, the bus driver hit a parked car, ripping off the side view mirror. We thought he was just going to drive off without leaving his information, I was ready to report it (wink, wink), but luckily the driver was honest. We got lost on the Subway when we couldn't figure out which train to get on to make it up to Broadway. When we finally got to Broadway, we only had time to get a hot dog from one of the street vendors, one of the things on my list to do there. We saw "Wicked" and it was wicked awesome! I loved it! We then visited Times Square, The Rockefeller Center, and Radio City Music Hall. I even bought those goofy 2008 glasses off the street. We rode the bus back and had a great time in DC. We visited the DC Temple, it is so gorgeous. It looks like it floats in the trees from the freeway. I saw a missionary from my ward who is serving there. They also have a model of the Nauvoo Temple made entirely of LEGOS with Joseph Smith and Gordon B. Hinckley. It was so cool. Amy and I went to the Library of Congress. That has got to be one of the neatest buildings, all the mosaics on the floor and the artwork all over the place, the details of the place. AMAZING! On the way back I got stuck in Chicago, of course. All in all, it was a wonderful Christmas and New Year's. I have posted some pictures to give you a flavor! If you double click on the slide show, you can see the pictures bigger!

Catch up!

It has been a while. My summer was awesome, I didn't want it to end. But now I am back at work. I luff my job! I can't believe I get paid to do it, although at the same time I don't think the profession gets paid nearly enough. Two of my siblings are getting married in the next couple of months and I am so excited for them and to welcome the new additions to our family. I'm the last single one, more Christmas for me! (Yeah right!)

Babies & Weddings

I love this time of year! Not only do we get to enjoy beautiful weather and surroundings, but it seems like everywhere you look people are getting married or having babies. My sister is having a baby this weekend and I am so excited! Another girl in the family. My roommate is getting married in a little bit and a lot of other people are doing likewise. The best part though, besides the new niece, is the tulips...I LUFF tulips! HAPPY SPRING!!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! I hope everyone has a great day. We am going to celebrate Single Awareness Day by watching "The Little Mermaid" and eating popcorn and eating orange juice. Tasty! May I also say, "Happy Birthday Arizona"?

Ugly Betty

Watching TV online is now my favorite way to watch. Limited commercials, watch it when you want, it's awesome. I am totally hooked on Ugly Betty. If you haven't seen it yet, you need to go to abc.com and watch some of the episodes. I cry almost every episode because I am laughing so hard. Also, Lost is back! I can't wait to find out what is going on with that island. Can I say I am so in love with Dr. Jack Shepperd? Yummy!