Let's Hear It About Them UTAH JAZZ!

Really bad English, I know, but they used to always say that at the games. I am posting this AFTER our loss, because once you're a true Jazz fan, you are always a Jazz fan (or any sports team for that matter.) As I have previously posted we don't have a TV in our apartment, so watching these awesome Jazz games has been impossible. I would like to shout out a huge "THANK YOU!" to my roommates, who aren't really Jazz fans, for coming to Red Robin with me so I could watch the game. It's the first game I have seen of the playoffs and we lost, but it was fun company, good food, and a TV. :) I wore my Jazz jersey and had a blast. Tonight we are going to South Point (a hotel/casino right by our apartment to watch the game!) We will get some drinks (virgin... don't worry) and cheer on our team! I'm confident we will win, but not enough to put money down, so once again, don't worry. I'm super excited and am grateful for awesome roommates to come with me. Let's Go JAZZ!

Here are some pictures from the playoffs last year when we beat the Warriors. I was lucky enough to go to the game with three of my amazing brothers. Riley, Parker, Colby, and I had so much fun. We got our faces painted, cool shirts, and ice cream! Good times, good times!

Always Think Before You Speak!

So, of course everyone knows you should think before you speak. I know it too, but sometimes I forget. It's fun to be a teacher, because you get lots of fun and many times inappropriate comments. I was teaching a lesson on mode, median, and range for math and thought of a fun anticipatory set (something to get my students involved at the beginning of the lesson). I said, "I'm new to Las Vegas. What do you think my favorite thing is about living here?" A little background was that we were going to create a pictograph of favorite fruits in the class and then find the mode, median, and range of that graph. One of my students shouts out, "THE STRIP!" I immediately say, "No, it's the fruit." P.S. The fruit is very good and inexpensive here so I've been eating it like crazy. :) We quickly moved on and began to graph our favorite fruits, but that fabulous little student caught me a little off guard. I learned two things from that situation. 1. I need to think of ALL of the possible answers to my questions before I ask them. and 2. I think I need to take some time and get to The Strip.

The Results Are In!

I am so excited to officially announce that my Praxis PLT test score is in and... I PASSED!!! This was my final test out of 5 to certify me to become a teacher and I passed. It is an essay and multiple choice test based on how I will handle situations in my classroom. I took it the day before my birthday. So... now all I have to do is complete student teaching and I can officially become a teacher! :)

Viva Las Vegas!

I am not expecting this to be read, because I haven't written for so long, but I have some time and lots of things to say! :) It was a crazy winter semester, but I loved every second of it. I should have written, but chose to take in every second of the semester and found no time to blog. That was one reason, the other was that the Internet on my laptop didn't work last semester so honestly I wasn't on the computer much. We have wireless Internet in our apartment in Vegas and the connection is fabulous, so maybe I'll write a little more. Our apartment is nice. It's big, and I feel safe most of the time (when the doors are locked). :) My roommates are awesome. There are only four of us, but we have so much fun together. We play cards every night, but it's in our apartment, not out on the town... yet! :) We have a great pool and hot tub and find ourselves laying out on Saturdays and in the hot tub at nights. (Well, the few we have been here). My school is only a few years old and it's nice. The students are awesome. You can tell by the way they talk, dress, and act that they are from the fabulous city of Las Vegas. :) There is quite the difference between students from Idaho and students from Vegas, use your imagination. :) One of my students wrote some *#&*&*!@ words on the bathroom stall about my teacher. We think the most frustrating part is that she used incorrect spelling and grammar. :) Honestly, I love the students, but I am having a hard time with the administration and the teachers. The principal uses suggestive language about every other word and I feel is very unprofessional. The teachers are great when the students are around, but before school, after school, and in the teachers lounge I hear things I was not prepared for. I guess I have lived a pretty sheltered life. Before going to Ecuador they gave us all of these papers about culture shock. I didn't really experience culture shock in Ecuador, but I sure have in Vegas! :) I will have a fabulous three months here and be excited to come home. I had thought about serving a mission, but think maybe I'll be getting some questions here and can have my mission be here. I am praying harder than I have ever prayed and reading my scriptures more than I ever have. I am learning to keep the Spirit with me, when it's hard with others around me. Today we woke up and made fruit smoothies for breakfast. We got lots of sun while we were at the pool and my tan is coming along just like I hoped it would. Tonight we are going to the adult meeting for Stake Conference and after we are going to a sports bar to watch the Jazz game ( we don't have a TV at our apartment). I will keep you posted on the adventures here and get some pictures up soon. I guess I better go get ready for the day.