Workin' 9 to 5!

I should have posted about this last week, since that is when I found out my exciting news. Oops! The exciting news is here... I have a job for the fall!!!! I am so excited. I will be teaching 3rd grade at Ellison Park Elementary which is in West Layton. (If you are going north you get on Main Street in Kaysville and turn left on Gordon Ave. The school is on your left.) It only takes about 10 minutes to get there from my house. I have been to the school a few times and met the other 3rd grade teachers once. I know the secretary and the principal well and they are wonderful people. I can start decorating my classroom as soon as I am home in July. I just had to share the exciting news. Now, it's back to grading papers! (The story of my life!) :)

40 days and 39 nights

When I talked to Garan on the phone on Mother's Day I told him that I was doing my best to not count down too much. (What that means is that I only write down how many days are left once a day and that I try to think about it only a few times a day.) The closer it gets the more I think about it. I am starting to get crazy questions and advice more and more. Funny thing is I can't really answer their questions and I can't really act on the advice yet. Anyways, the reason for this post is to make a small list (I'm a list maker). The list will include things I love about Garan and/or reasons I'm excited for him to be home in just a few weeks. Here we go...


1. He treats me like a princess
2. His cute smile and giddy grin when he has a surprise up his sleeve
3. The way he holds me
4. His positive attitude
5. His dedication to the Lord
6. His love of EVERYONE
7. The way he sings
8. The way he can always make me smile
9. When he tickles my back
10. He lets me sleep on is lap when we are watching movies
11. Holding his hand
12. His amazing cooking abilities
13. His STILL cheers for the Cougars although he goes to the U
14. He loves my family and they love him
15. He likes to read
16. He's competitive
17. His ability to speak in public
18. He's HOT
19. He can fix a computer
20. He loves his mom and sisters
21. He's generous
22. He dives with one hand, because he's holding my hand with the other
23. He helps my mom and I decorate for Christmas
24. He sings "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" at the top of his lungs with me
25. He supports my siblings with all of their activities (there are lots)
26. His confidence in himself and others
27. His love of everyday
28. His laugh
29. The way he says tortilla
30. He's so nice to my friends
31. He always makes me laugh
32. He dances with me in my driveway, his driveway, and the park
33. He has loved his mission
34. He has made me feel loved while one his mission, but lets me know he is a focused and dedicated missionary
35. The way he looks in jeans
36. HE always smells like a combination of gum and cologne
37. He listens to church music on Sundays
38. He writes great letters
39. He loves Disneyland as much as I do
40. He makes everyday better!

I realize that things won't be the same when he gets home, but I'm excited to see where things do go. Garan is amazing. I love and miss him so much and could not be happier to have him coming home so soon! Life is good!

Fun in the Sun!

Oh wait... it's not that fun! It was 109 degrees as I left my school at 4:00 this afternoon. When I got into my car is said it was 118 degrees... IT'S MAY!!! Today the students could not have recess, because it was so hot! This is a little ironic since last semester my students had to stay in, because it was cold. AHHHH!! I didn't chose my locations at seasons very well. Thank heavens for air conditioning. :) It will cool off by Wednesday and until then I will enjoy the beauty of the inside of my apartment.

It Breaks My Heart!

Opps... two weeks! I'm getting back to old habits about writing on here. It's been a crazy and wonderful two weeks. In that time I was able to say bye to my first class, and get my new class. They have year round school in Vegas so when I first got here my class was on "track break" or "off track". I was in a different class for the weeks my class wasn't here. At first I was disappointed, but actually I have learned so much from my different classes and my different teachers. I am more like my first teacher than I am now, but both a great at what they do. The first is a "planner" (which is very nice for a student teacher when you are working together). The other is very relaxed. Her key phrase is "Do whatever you want; whatever works best for you". I love having the options, but which I knew what she wanted. It isn't easy to have two teachers in the classroom, but it is coming along great. The kids in my class are very well behaved. So here is my situation... I need some advice.
There is a girl in my class who is really struggling in math. I don't mean a little, I mean REALLY struggling. I tried for 30 minutes to help her change her fractions into decimals. She just doesn't get it. I was getting a little frustrated, not with her, but with the fact that I couldn't explain it so she would understand. Time ran out and I asked if she thought someone at home could help her with her math homework. She said, "Probably not, because my nanny only speaks Spanish, my mom doesn't usually get my math, and I don't know about my dad." My heart was breaking. This girl looks a little Hispanic, but not a lot, she's probably half. She has an accent and I am thinking she speaks Spanish at home. I told her to do her best and I would see what I could do. I talked to the teacher after class and she said she knew that she was having a hard time. She told me that she offered to tutor her, but wanted to be paid since it was her free time. She gave the parents the number to Sillivan Tutoring and other tutoring places, but they haven't done anything about it.
I am busy. I am writing lesson plans, and preparing them, and also hanging out with my friends. I have been wanting to get to the gym more since I have 47 days until I want to look my best! BUT... I want to help her. She is very polite, so good in class, and needs the help so much. I want to tutor her just for a little while after school or before. I don't know if she rides the bus, or how it will all work out. Tutoring is expensive, I know, I know people who have gone. I was asking for advice at the beginning, but now as I write it out, I think I have my answer. It's off to writing more lesson plans. I will keep you updated on the tutoring.

When you think Tim McGraw... I hope you're thinkin' my favorite song!

I knew I wanted to go to a concert while I was here in Vegas... but I didn't know which one. I could go to one every weekend if I was rich... but I'm still a college student and can't afford that. So... I had to choose. After doing lots of research on the Internet, my roommate Emily and I found tickets for Tim McGraw for $50 on June 21 at the Mandalay Bay. My mom is flying down on Thursday, June 18 and coming with us to the concert as well. I'm so excited. What a perfect girls night out. I'm enjoying every second here, but this is one more thing on my list for a countdown. :)

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.