Thanksgiving

 I never had time to write about my Thanksgiving. I really miss being home with my family but luckily I live in the days of technology. For whatever reason my sound wasn't working on my computer so while I skyped my family on the computer we were talking over the phone. Usually we talk for a little while as the whole family gets a chance to say hi and I catch them up on my life and then they go eat together. This year they invited me to dinner with them! I got to sit at the head of the table (the window) and be there with them. It was nice because I was able to just sit and listen to their conversation and laugh with them. We exchanged some corny Thanksgiving jokes, sang Happy Birthday to Molly, and watched Pittsburgh Dad.

Sorry family there was never a time someone was not eating or grabbing for more food!

 Happy Birthday Molly!

It was the best Thanksgiving since I have been home with them! I cannot wait for Christmas for this to be happening again, but with me their this time! Prepare yourselves family! :)

Student Update

Sometimes I am really frustrated still with my students because they can be such brats. But I had my first student move away with no warning. I felt so sad that he was no longer going to be coming to my class anymore. Then it happened again with another little move who already moved once this year. These kids need stable homes and places to go home to that is constant. So many of them don't have good homes to begin with. So on the rug today I had all my children sit down and I told them how much I actually did care for them and like them. I had just been gone away to trainings for 2 days so they were really happy to have me back. Just in case tomorrow another one decided to move away without telling me.

A child leaving the classroom the other day said, "goodbye ya old woman!" "Just so you know I am the youngest teacher in this school!" "You mean they get older than YOU?" HAHA I was busting out laughing

Me telling my children  I won't be going home to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving. 2 days later we were painting turkeys and a boy came up to me with 3 other boys. He had painted his feathers black and yellow. They showed it to me and all started singing black and yellow! I busted out laughing.

I am going to keep this one all positive about my class, because there are things still happening that are frustrating and interesting but I will save those for another day. Many days these are the small things I have to remember because a lot of my children are very frustrating but I do love them and I really knew that when I started losing them.

NICOLE!!

 Once upon a time I was alone for a weekend so Nicole came up to South Jordan to visit me! It was really exciting news for me because I love her. She is a friend I have had since about the age of 7 or 8. We went to church together and then moved out west to go to college and now both of us live here for now. I love when I get to see her, she is married now so sometimes I think I don't see her as much but it is probably the same.

Anyway I made a list of things for us to do so that we weren't just sitting around and we did really well with the list. ..

 Make fresh squeezed lemonade...check! so yummy and I think Nicole wants one of these now :)

 Go to Ikea and pick up the missing bed piece, then play Skipbo while waiting for the mattress to be delivered, then making the bed!

 We then ate lots of leftovers, sat and chatted about life, went to Hobby Lobby to buy 50% off ornaments and painted them.

 Nicole copied mine but that's okay hers turned out better, then Jeremey had his own ideas......

 This was pinterest inspired. Paint your hand white and press on the ornaments creating almost perfect snowmen. Really only my middle finger worked, the other 2 I had to paint over to fix.

 Jeremy's flamin' heart! So awesome!

I would just like to add that Nicole is one of my most avid blog readers and she gets way excited when she finds new things to read on here...so this one goes out to you Nicole Ellis!

Sports

I feel like I have always enjoyed being active and playing sports. I started with the typical little girl and did the tap dance and jazz dance. But that was not for me. Then I remember moving and trying out gymnastics. That also did not last long. Then came soccer, t-ball, and swimming. I did each for a year or two and then quit. T-ball eventually lad into softball, and after taking a few years hiatus from swimming I returned again. I also tried out basketball and really hated that. For years the swimming and softball would stick with me all the way until I graduated high school. I even swam a little bit in college. I loved hockey but stuck to watching and not really playing, I would play floor hockey in the basement or in the winter on the ice rink. I loved going to games and being my brothers biggest fans. Junior and senior year of high school I played on the powder puff teams, one year tying and the second year winning. Like I said I love being involved and active. These so far are all pretty much team sports and does not include all the games of pickle, wiffle ball, frisbee, bag-o and so on that went on in the big backyard.

I always feel better when I am being active and since moving to Utah I have become active again. Lately I have helped play on a friends flag football team, ward volleyball, lots of frisbee in the summer, and also softball games during the summer as well. It feels good to be so involved, except volleyball lately has taken its toll on me. I have never been seriously injured in all my years of sports, just the occasional bruises and bumps and scraps. These recent volleyball games have taken there toll on my legs though.  Right before our tournament I decided I needed knee pads and they helped, but when I took them off after 5 hours they sure were bloody!

I moved!

I MOVED to a new house! There are some great ladies in my ward that needed a new roommate and they choose me! Well actually I bought my bed and set it up the week before so that I did not have to deal with it the next weekend. I would like to say that I felt very very grownup buying my own bed and it is a queen so I feel like it is a big girl bed too. I wished my dad was here to help me put it together, but he taught me so well in how to build things that I knew I would do okay. I will say that I only messed up once where I out on of the sides on the wrong way and had to take out like 16 screws to fix it, that was a little frustrating!

 I'm almost there, but man my arms were getting tired!

Woot Woot I am done!

Then I bought a mattress on black Friday for a super good deal. The store opened at 8 and since I had already been out shopping for a few hours it was perfect timing. It was a door buster deal so I made sure I was there and lined up outside before they opened and I was the only one! I really was only outside 1 minute early but it made the lady chuckle. I went in tried it out and decided that it would do for me. My friend Katie was with me and she was real supportive of my decision. We were talking about how grown I was being. On my way to check out I just wanted to test some of the beds out that were super expensive because I knew they would be like heaven and they were! The lady asked if we would do her a favor, she asked if we would jump on one of the beds for her!? Say what! So we jumped on a temperpedic kind to see if we could knock over the wine glass. And just for doing that they donated $10 to a cancer society, how cool! But while we were jumping I said to Katie that I didn't feel as grown up anymore jumping on beds in a mattress store :)

I don;t think my friends were real excited going mattress shipping with me at first but I think in the end they really enjoyed it!

I am just throwing this picture in to show what my jeep looked like after Black Friday shopping, and that's without the mattress set! We got some real great deals! My bedding, sheets, and pillows were some of them.

 Once my mattresses were delivered I put to good use all the things I bought! Thanks Nicole for your help with this :)

Project number 2 was getting these shelves and putting them together so that my room was not so empty. I really love them and was successful in putting them together with only one mishap!

 I would just like to say that I am impressed with myself because everything I own (except the bed) fit in the jeep to drive over to my new house!

 Changes are hard and I will miss the Lingard's, they have been so good to me, but I am excited for my new adventures here in the firmont house!

Thankful November part 2

November 12- I am grateful for laughter. I feel as though I am genuinely a happy person that likes to walk around smiling and laughing. I have had many people tell me how much they appreciate it. I love that it is such a part of me that most of the time I do not even have to make a conscience effort, but it is just so natural for my personality. I also am grateful for my awesome sense of humor and my love of corny jokes! If you truly know me then you know it is hard for me to go a complete day without smiling or laughing at least 20 times. My philosophy is that smiles and laughter  can make anyone's day go from bad to good. I love corny jokes and sarcasm. I love being happy! I am grateful for my sense of humor :)
November 13- I am grateful for music. I. Love. Christmas. Music. I don't think I could ever say that enough. I think secretly my brothers are glad that I no longer am with them everyday from October to December because that is about the time period I listen to Christmas music! It is just so happy and cheerful! If you were wondering my all time favorite song is I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas! I think it was 2 years ago that I got 3 hippopotamus' for Christmas, SO GREAT!
November 14- I am grateful for nature. I have this weird obsession with nature and being able to see all that God created. To me it is most peaceful when I can be walking through woods full of trees and reach a crick or waterfall. The sounds, smells, sights just put me in a sense of aww that I cannot fully describe. It has become a new goal of mine to truly travel the world to visit some of the amazing nature that is around the world. Ecuador and the Amazon were very eye-opening in new parts of nature I experienced!
November 15- I am grateful for clean clothes. This comes because I had a little boy that came late to class today and I was later told it was because he was with the social worker. Him and his sister did not want to come to school today and Amber was trying to figure out why. Well you want to know...because their mom does not do much at home I guess and they had no clean clothes to wear to school. For a 6 year old and 9 year old to already understand the importance of that kills me. I cannot fully judge this mom because I have no idea what goes on in her life, but these are the types of families I work with and many days it breaks my heart.
November 16- I am grateful for the 6th grade classes at my school. Next week at school I am doing an activity with all of the first graders. We are making hand print wreaths. I made one of my own and it is so cute. It was after the fact when I started gathering materials and such when I actually did the math as to how many hands I was going to need. Approximately 12 hands per wreath for 125 first graders.....yeah that's 1500! I don't have that kind of time to cut that out. But thankfully teachers are willing to let their students help. I am so so so thankful for them!
November 17- I am grateful for friends. I do not know how I have passed this one up so far this month. I have been so blessed as to make friends fairly easy and be able to really get along with some great people. I do have some really great friends and we have some pretty great times. I am especially grateful for those friends I was able to make in Utah (pretty much a foreign country to me)!
November 18- I am grateful for Tess Barker and missionaries. Tess is going on a mission in 10 days to New York! Today at church was her fair well. Her brother Dylan also spoke and between the 2 of them it was such an amazing hour to sit and listen! I am also grateful for the missionaries in the field serving right now! Erika has been gone for 17 months and comes home so soon! I cannot wait to see her again and hear of all her amazing experiences.
November 19- I am grateful for Corinne Lingard who keeps a smile on my face. I was sitting in my room this morning and I did not she was home from college yet and all of a sudden I hear little mermaid really really loud. All I could do was laugh and keep listening. Thank you Corinne for keeping me laughing!
November 20- I am grateful for wonderful supportive teachers in the first grade. Jeanna, Jenni, Wendi, and Kelly are such a big support in my first year in helping me. Even though Jenni, Wendi, and Kelly are also new teachers we do this together. I also have to thrown in Trent, Allisen, Amber, and so many others for their help in support of some of my crazies!
November 21- I am grateful for service. Thanks to loving parents who taught me the importance of serving others and not only thinking about ourselves. Thank you dad for taking the time and inviting me to help serve at the chicken dinners every year at Fort Days and taking me with you to work the food pantry. I miss going every November and so I started the tradition back up and I went today.
 November 22- I am grateful for a day off of school for everyone to in theory celebrate what they are thankful for. I see the blessings more readily as I sit and write down one each day. I am thankful for great friends to invite me over for delicious dinners when I am not able to be with family today. But I am also thankful for my family and that I have the opportunity to see them in about a month!
November 23- I am grateful for technology that I was able to Skype with my family on Thanksgiving for a long time. It was so nice to sit at the table with the, as they ate and be apart of that! Not only that but the speakers weren't working so we used our cell phones for the audio and Skype for the camera! 
November 24- I am grateful for Nicole Ellis and even though she is married she still comes to hang out with me. We made a trip to Ikea, squeezed our own lemonade, played skipbo, waited for my new mattress, helped make my new bed, ate leftovers, and painted sweet ornaments. Nicole you are the coolest and I am glad that we have been friends for 12+ years!
November 25- I am grateful for the scriptures. The Book of Mormon, Bible , and Doctrine and Covenants. I am grateful for payers being answered through the scriptures and the chance to study them with a great friend. A friend who is willing to share thoughts, insights, and revelations as they come. I am grateful for the spirit that was present to make our time even better.
 November 26- I am grateful for my amazing mother! Today is her 50th birthday and while we joke around about that she is joining the 50's club, I see no sign of her actually acting or looking her age. She is active and works hard all the time and never really stops going. She is an awesome example to be of how a mother raises children and treats her family. She has been a big support in everything since the day I was brought into this world by her, (not the easiest way either). My mom has supported my decisions in everything from going to Idaho for school to now living in Utah for the time being. I could go on and on, but again I am just so grateful to have turned out to be such an amazing daughter! (she had to get it right, she only had one :)! I love you so much Mom, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
November 27- I am grateful for I am grateful for the good friends in my life. I have made so many friends that are always pushing me to be a better person. I did not like my singles ward at first in Utah but finally I got involved and have made some really great friends that like to help keep me busy! Not only do I have friends in Utah but all over the country!
November 28- I am grateful for airplanes. I have to express my gratitude that I have been able to get over my fear and just go with it. I figured out this year I have spent over $3,500 on plane tickets....whoops lol I guess that is what you get when you live on the other side of the country from a family that you love and kind of like to see a lot!
November 29- I am grateful for I am grateful for food. I enjoy eating even though I can be a picky eater. I am grateful I have the means to buy and make my own food and not go hungry. I am grateful that I don't have to eat left over thrown away pizza out of the dumpster after Little Caesars throws it away. (that's a story for another time).
November 30- I am grateful for sweet friends that are allowing me to move into their humble abode tomorrow. I will be living with some pretty sweet ladies! The house is pretty great as well. Good times here we come! Moving kind of stinks but when you have as much stuff as me (a jeep full) it is not a very hard task. I packed everything, loaded the jeep, drove 3 miles, unloaded, and unpacked everything in about 3 hours.

Food Pantry

When I was growing up, my dad and I would go work the food pantry at St. Micheal's church in Ligonier. I always thought that it was a lot of fun and especially liked to see people so happy and breathe a sigh of relief that they had food to eat for hopefully the month. I love serving others because obviously helping others is good, but it always makes me feel good to and I know it makes me a better person in turn. I wanted to start that up again to have that in my life. I searched the Internet and found one that is at a local parish on my drive home from work.

Tuesday I went and it was already closed because out was some special day. The head man Dennis was still there and he saw me and said there was no more food. I tried telling him I was there to volunteer and not for food. After forcing 2 bags of lemons on me he finally understood what I was saying. He told me to come back the next day if I wanted to help.

Wednesday I went back and it was so good! He stuck me in this little pantry and quickly went over all the food and how much they were allowed of each thing. I was trying to keep up but I think a few times I let them take too much.  But with each different person that came in to collect food I made sure to not judge them for any reason because I have no idea what their circumstances are. Because of that I think each of them could tell I wasn't judging them and I cared about them having their needs met. With each one that left, we exchanged well wishes.

There were a couple that seemed embarrassed to be there but really I could care less why they were there, just the fact that they were able to provide for their families. Each day that I go and work I love it more and more. The people are becoming more familiar with me and they are more open to me being the helper or now they are calling me the assistant manager!

The funny thing about this is that every time I go Dennis is always trying to send me home with something and I try to not take it, but when it is food that will go bad I usually do. So I come home with lemons and yams and bread and more. I have to tell my roommates that I am not going there because I am poor and need the food! Sometimes I am not sure if they believe me.

Service makes life sweeter...go out and serve today!