What do you say?

I say that to my students ALL the time! The answer is "Thank You!" (in a sing song kids voice) so in that spirit here are some things I am thankful for:

1) My family!
2) My Faith I don't know where I would be without the eternal perspective I've gained and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
3) My job I am so blessed to work in the school that I do. I love the kids and the parents and my co workers. And so far my job has been recession proof :)
4) My dog No matter what kind of day I am having snuggling with her at the end of it makes it even better :)
5) My Friends I am surrounded by some amazing women and I feel so blessed to have all of them in my life (both near and far)
6) My home!!! I love my tiny castle! It's been a real joy living on my own and for some reason I am enjoying all those "home making" things alot more too. I love to cook and craft more now than I ever did before.
7) My class. It always takes me awhile to fall in love with each group of kids, and each year the group is always different. This years group is great because they are still young at heart. They draw me sweet pictures, still play make believe games and love to watch Charlie Brown movies. They also like to write me stories about how much they love me and how great I am. Who can resist that?!?

The list goes on and on but I think I am going to stop here for now :) I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and ate lots of turkey!

Nesting

So my closing was SUPPOSED to be yesterday but no such luck....It should be in the next week, but at this point I am not taking anything for granted. I'm not super stressed out about it though which I guess it what matters the most! So that now the closing is within reach I've started to contemplate decorating. I am tired of these white bare walls! I went to Homegoods which is basically the home department of TJ Max. It's a GREAT store with good prices and lots of stuff for a brand new place! I had to laugh though, I remember going to the same store when I lived out in Utah and I wasn't really impressed....and now I can't get enough! I found a great accent chair and some throw pillows and some nick knacky stuff.....I would have bought more but I was with my mom and we were short on time!
Today I went to Big Lots! Same thing! Found some great decorating stuff super cheap. ....
I've been cooking and baking....
My friends call me Suzy homemaker....
YEP I am definitely in FULL NESTING MODE!
Going to Target tonight....I need a fall themed runner for my dining room table! :)

New Faces and New Places

I finally moved into my condo! Unfortunately thanks to Fannie Mae I am a renter until they approve of the project and then I can be a home owner! :) I'll post pics as soon as I get all my furniture. I'm not putting any paint on the walls until I am officially official though so no complaints about my white walls. So far CoCo and I are enjoying living by ourselves, I was toying with the idea of getting another dog if CoCo was lonely. It turns out she is not a big fan of the idea. So for now it's just CoCo, FiFi and I. South Tampa is treating us VERY kindly especially the 5 minute commute to work :) This is the first time I've lived in Tampa and not lived in my parents house. It's different, but good. I think I could probably become a hermit if I wasn't careful so I am trying to be more social, mostly this makes me tired!
Did I mention that school started! I have 17 kids and this year I get the special needs children. I don't mind this so much but I worry that I won't be able to meet their needs. They are all really sweet, but don't listen very well (all of them not just the special needs kids). We'll start working on that next week :)

I get by with a little help from my friends

(sigh) I know I know! It's been FOREVER since I have posted! I have to admit I kind of prefer facebook'ing my updates instead of the occasional long winded post. But my blog is kind of like a journal for me, and I enjoy getting my thoughts out of my head and into your heads every once in awhile! :)

I have to tell you that if you are reading this post then you are probably one of my dearest friends! (yes even YOU! I know we don't talk much, in person or on the phone, but if you are reading this then chances are you are near and dear to my heart!) And I just want you all to know how blessed I feel to have so many amazing people in my life. Heavenly Father takes such good care of me! I am constantly amazed and awed by how great my life is! I am grateful for the knowledge that I have and grateful for the way that knowledge has shaped the last 8 years of my life. It's been a WILD ride for sure!! But I don't know if I would change any of it (ok maybe falling in love with a certain jerkface boy...but only 1 regret in 8 years is not too bad!).

So I am in my 30's now. I am not 30 or 31 anymore. I am 1/2 way to 33! Most of the time when I look in the mirror I see this girl who acts and sort of looks like a 24 year old (I am definitely a late bloomer!) but then I look more closely and I see more gray hairs and little laugh lines (I love my laugh lines though, maybe because I love to laugh:) ) And reality comes crashing back (I am always surprised when I think about how old I am) Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being in my 30's! I feel more comfortable with myself then I EVER did in my 20's. I've finally given myself permission to be GOOD to myself because I have EARNED it!!! I'm finally on the road to having my act together (for the most part, still lots of road left to travel though). I love what I do for a living, especially that I have the summers off! Which gives me time to stop and think and recharge every year which is a HUGE blessing. (sigh) So where am I going with all of this? Well I'll tell you!

I was talking to my sister about my future long range plans, and I was telling her that maybe when I get closer to 40 I'll go to medical school and become a pediatrician. That way I can still work with kids and support myself in the style to which I would like to be accustomed. :) She looked at me and said "Why don't you just get married?!?" She has a very valid point. But here is the thing: When I think about the future and what I am going to be doing, having a husband and kids really doesn't enter into my mind anymore. I didn't realize that until she pointed it out to me. I've been by myself for a LONG time and I have to tell you that I've gotten REALLY good at it. Please don't misunderstand, I believe in marriage and I believe that the family is the cornerstone of Heavenly Father's plan. But the majority of the relationships in my life, all aspects of my life (friends, family co-workers etc) have involved me sacrificing and jumping through rings of fire to make the other person happy and them not really giving a crap if I am happy or not. Yes I am to blame for that too, but it is what it is. My personality just naturally accommodates itself to selfish people. Now since I have joined the church that's all kind of changed in the friendship and co-worker department. But not so much in my love life. And the thought of having that kind of relationship for eternity is heart breaking! I'd rather be alone. Heavenly Father and I have had MANY long discussions on this subject...All I can tell you is that I am really happy with myself and my life right now and I have NO desires to rock the boat so to speak.

(sigh, sigh) sorry this is super long! Just something that's been on my mind and I just needed to get it out of my head! No worries I am not closing the door on marriage or a family. If the right guy came along.....
But I am NOT settling for some goofball just to join the marriage club. And I don't really feel desperate to get married anymore. And let's face it, the number of really great guys my age is not very high. And if you factor in my location and religion it's pretty much zero. And I was surprised to realize that I am OK with that....for now :)
Thanks for listening (or reading or whatever). A few of you have become like family over the years and I can honestly say that I wouldn't have made it this far and be in such a great place if it wasn't for your love and support! :)

Favorite Way to Manage Money

(sigh) ....So I'm almost a grown up now. I can still remember telling my mom that being a grown up was over rated (I was 27 at the time...the good old days). So far I still think I am right! But there are some perks. Like making more than $10/her and having the summers off. :) I am hoping to add home owner to my ever growing list of grown up accomplishments too. But I figured if I am going to have a mortgage payment I better get my financial act together! Enter in the budget. My very good friend Anne Marie turned me on to Dave Ramsey and I read his book and bought his financial software. It's based on the envelope system, which basically tells you to spend all of your income on paper before you get it and then you know EXACTLY where your money is going. Its a REALLY good system and I highly recommend it! However I had trouble with the actual envelopes themselves. You put cash in an envelope that is earmarked for specific things like grocery, clothes, gas etc. I didn't like fumbling with the envelopes, carrying cash or trying to keep track of receipts. And then my good friend Kat recommend a computer program called Mvelopes. It's a FANTASTIC website also based on the envelope system but it tracks all your bank accounts/credit card transactions etc and has electronic envelopes that you "fund" electronically and then when you spend money it shows up as a transaction that you can "assign" to a specific envelope. It's great for me b/c I can just use my debit card and I don't have to keep track of receipts. I highly recommend it! It does cost money, but for me the convenience is WELL worth it! And I also highly recommend using a budget! It's WAY stressful at first, and I am sure I will make a few more mistakes along the way but there is a tremendous sense of PEACE knowing where your money is going. I don't put things on my credit card anymore so I am truly debt free! AND I feel somewhat empowered because I am the one deciding how my money gets spent. (sigh) Ok so maybe being a grown up isn't THAT bad.... :)

Favorite Way to Read a Book

Sssooo as usual I am stressed out about being a grown up (Does it ever get any easier?!?). I put in an offer on a condo, but it's a short sale and I am still waiting to hear back. And I have decided to enter yet another grown up phase called "budgeting". Yeah for someone who has really never paid attention to what she spends money on EVER it's been a little stressful! Anyways the point is that when I get stressed out I have 2 ways to cope. I eat copious amounts of chocolate (usually dove chocolate) and I read voraciously! Needless to say I have been doing both on a grand scale! However I don't like to go to the store and buy books (that takes too much time), and I still have a good memory so rereading isn't really an option. Enter the amazon kindle app for my iphone. I can just buy books with the click of a button and they are "delivered" wirelessly to my iphone. Freaking FABULOUS! So I know all of you bookworms are wondering what I am reading and I will tell you! :) It's ironic because when I was a kid I liked to read grown up books and now I guess I am a grown up but I only really like to read kids books! :) Why? They are good stories without the sex and violence! Anyways here is a list of the books I've read in the past month (this should give you an idea of how really stressed out I am!):

The Graveyard Book, Stardust and The books of magic 1, 2 and 3 by Neil Gaiman
Twilight New Moon
The Penderwicks on Garden Street, Jeanne Birdsall
The Alchemyst, Michael Scott (This is a series that I plan on continuing)
Started the 5000 Year Leap
The Mysterious Benedict Society, Trenton Lee Stewart
The Mysterious Benedict Societty and the Perilous Journey, Trenton Lee Stewart
The Lightning Theif , Rick Riordon (also a series and I am about to start the next one)
And just so you know these are NOT short books! I've probably come close to about 5,000 pages so far! They are all great books though! I guess it could be worse, at least I don't drink or gamble to relieve stress! :)

One of my favorite weeks....

Is SPRING BREAK! :) If you are not a teacher then you have NO idea how mentally exhausting my job is. Don't get me wrong, I love it! I am kind of a renaissance girl when it comes to jobs....I've had tons of different jobs in different fields most of them requiring no more than about 30% of my brain. I love the fact that I am NEVER bored EVER. I love the people I work with and I love working with kids. I love the fact that when I send them on to 4th grade they are a little better off and better prepared for the world due to knowledge that I've given them. To say that I've been blessed would be a HUGE understatement. That being said, imparting knowledge to 3rd graders is HARD WORK! And so by this time of year, after FCAT testing is over and the kids don't understand why they still have to learn etc I am bone tired! It's a kind of mental and physical exhaustion that I had never experienced before, even when I was a missionary (and that is saying something!) This year is better than my first year of teaching in terms of tiredness. Last year all I could do was sleep and watch tv and decompress! This year I am finding time to do some fun things too and maybe even a project or 2 (like making a quilt out of my old jeans....we'll see) Life is so good right now! I love this time of year when school is winding down and you have 8 whole weeks of freedom in front of you who knows what I will be up to this summer....
On a more spiritual note General Conference was fully AWESOME! I especially enjoyed Elder Hale's talk about finances (I decided to take his advice and not spend money on a trip to Savannah) and Elder Holland's talk about the Savior and how we are never alone (that one hit VERY close to home and of course I cried) What a great way to start SPRING BREAK! Did I mention that I am on vacation right now? :)

Favorite Way to Make it RAIN

I bet you didn't know I could make it rain did you? I'll share my secret powers with you. :) First you have to have a car covered with pollen and oak seeds and leafs. Next you have to rinse off all the junk from your car with a hose. After that doesn't work and more stuff sticks to your car plus a little present from a blue bird (Why do I like spring again?) decide that you are going to pay the $8 at the gas station and get the super duper car wash. On a Saturday afternoon wait in line behind a few other cars at the gas station who had the same idea. Thankfully you have your iphone so download a new book to read. Oh don't forget to add one 9lb shih tzu who couldn't stand you leaving her again so decides to run out the door. She is so dang cute you decide to take her with you. Only when you and said shih tzu are in the car wash does it occur to you she will probably freak out. After you calm shih tzu down and car wash is over wait about 48 hours. Then the heavens will open and it will RAIN ALL DAY LONG! Notice that present from blue bird is still stuck to your window.

It NEVER fails to rain after I wash my car. It's my very own rain dance! So don't worry about the drought here in Florida. I'll just was my car every once in awhile and the reservoirs will be full in no time! :)

Favorite Time of Year

I love Springtime! It's sunny and warm and breezy right now. In another month or so it will be hot and unbearably humid! But right now the sky is blue. I am 2/3'rd done with the school year. 9 more weeks till summer vacation! 3 more weeks until spring break! The only thing I don't like about spring is the pollen in the air. My car has a thin layer of yellow dust! :) Standardized testing is over so I can just relax and teach. Life is pretty good right now :)

Favorite Phone

In the beginning of January I decided I wanted to get an Iphone. It was after Christmas and still about 3 weeks until my birthday. I'd actually been wanting one for awhile but I had to wait for my contract with Alltel to be over. I had the money so I bought it, just because I could :) Can I just tell you I love that thing! It is freaking AMAZING! I had an itouch so I knew that I could download some pretty sweet apps but now I have everything all in one package! I have a phone, an endless source of games, I can watch tv, I can watch movies, I can read books (I am currently reading Vanity Fair), I can listen to music and check my email, I can even post this blog entry from my phone if I want to! I can take pictures, I can check my facebook, I can put dates in a calendar, I can play 3 different versions of solitaire, I can access online articles and other things that save in Evernote (www.evernote.com, such a cool idea!), I can find out the name of a song just by holding up my iphone to the music, and this is just scratching the surface! Oh and just for some extra fun I have an app that has all the scriptures, ALL the manuals for sunday school and RS, plus the hymns, preach my gospel, true to the faith and a bunch of other church stuff, how cool is that?!? I am constantly amazed and impressed by the technology that is in that thing! The phone part works great too! And it has a speaker for talking or listening to the music (which I am using right now, I'm not the biggest fan of earphones). It's the best thing I've bought this year (and considering all the crap I've bought that is saying something!) What in the world will they think of next? :)

Favorite Soap

I know it's been FOREVER!  Sorry!  There are actually 2 favorites I want to blog about today.  First is my new favorite soap it's called Sister Agnes Soaps (wash your sins away!  Oh if only!) And can be found  here: http://www.sisteragnes.com/main.htm  It's not really made by nuns.  It comes from this wonderful store called Milagros here in Tampa.  They smell AMAZING!  Just fresh and clean and sweet no matter which scent you pick (although the milk and honey one is my fav).  And you can even go there and make your own soaps if you want (on my to do list near the top).  I also have their salt scrub, whipped body butter shower wash, and I had candles made in my favorite scents!  They make everything right there too and will make things to your specified scent (like the salt scrub which I had done with a nice lemon eucalyptus).   I HIGHLY recommend it!

The second is ACUPUNCTURE!  So if you didn't know I was having some hard core pain in my hip.  It only hurts when I am standing up....but since I am a teacher I am ALWAYS standing up!   Of course this has been going on for like 6 months but I am a dork and just figured it would go away sooner or later (I know, I know not my smartest move).  Of course it got worse so I decided to see a chiropractor.  I have trust issues with doctor's in general but my sister used to play kickball with this particular doctor and vouched for him.  He's actually really good (here is his website: http://www.floridawell.com/index.php).  And he recommended acupuncture to help with the pain.  I'm not sure I understand how it works, but I can tell you that it definitely does work!  It turns out my left foot doesn't know how to stand correctly.   So I have this blue tape (bright blue I might add, you think they would have like flesh colored or purple but oh no it has to be bright BLUE) around my ankle to teach it how to behave.  So far so good. :)  

Valentines was good.  I got a TON of chocolate from the kids (so sweet, but I am not eating chocolate because of my diet).   And hung out with my sis on actual V-day.  The weather is gorgeous here and I wish it would stay like this ALL year long!   Hope everyone is doing well! :)

Misery really does love company

So I don't know about everyone else but I have been super TIRED this last week.  I mean like take a nap during the week tired!  (which I NEVER do)  And the kids have been a little bouncy this week too.  Not terrible, just a little over the top for them.  One of the reasons I love my job is because whenever I am tired or frustrated with my class I am usually not alone.  And it is just nice to have other people in the same boat with me.  It makes me feel less like a freak I guess.  Usually when my class is acting silly so is everyone elses.  The days that I am tired so is everyone else.  I don't wish everyone felt the same way I do, but it really is comforting!  This week I started taking an ESOL class and there are teachers from all grade levels and backgrounds and EVERYONE agreed their students have been wacky.  In fact we were all looking up outside for a full moon when we walked out after class!  So nice to know what it's not me it's  Them! :)

Favorite Day of the year...

Today is my birthday! :)  I keep trying to get excited about it, but it's not really that big of a deal to me.  Although I do appreciate all the happy birthday wishes I have been receiving! :)  Maybe it's because I have been celebrating for the last week or so!  My teacher friends got me cupcakes and a few of my students bought me cute gifts (even though I told them that all I wanted was their good behavior).  And I've spent the last few days in Orlando at a technology conference.  Usually I make a big ordeal (complete with mass email reminders to everyone) about my birthday, but this year  I didn't.  Who knows maybe I am maturing and growing up?  I doubt it though! :)

Favorite Social Networking Site....

Well it's actually the only one I belong to. Facebook. I was a little hesitant about joining one of these things. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole world being able to find me on the internet (although I do blog, but it's not the same). And for the record I hate myspace. But this turned out to be alright. It's a little more grown up than myspace and I like the idea of getting a 1 or 2 line update on people that I am friends with but don't get to talk to very often. And I added the Facebook app to MY NEW IPHONE so I can check it whenever I want to. I'll blog more about the iphone later but so far I am loving it! :) So many apps so little time. So if you are on facebook feel free to friend request me. Oh and Danica they have a group for our mission! Actually they have like 5 groups for our mission, how crazy is that?!? :)

Favorite New Salad Recipe

This is a recipe for Spinach Strawberry Salad that I found on allrecipes.com  (which I am adding to favorite websites).  This salad was YUMMY and very easy to make (including the dressing).  I substituted pine nuts for the sesame seeds and poppy seeds because I didn't have any around.  Really you could use just about anything to give it that "crunch".  Enjoy!  I love allrecipes.com!  They have EVERYTHING!  And people are good about posting comments so if you are not an expert chef (like myself) you can see what other people did or didn't like about the recipes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

 DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

2009 is looking mighty fine!

Like my new cute background? I made it myself using tips from cutestblogontheblock.com
So here we are in the new year! 2008 was a year of lots of growth and positive change. I posted some goals at the beginning of 2008. (see 2008 will be great)

Here is an update on some of those goals:
I decided what masters program I am going to apply to and I am taking the GRE tomorrow! (say a prayer for me!)
I am 1 class away from my permanent teaching certificate and will be done by May.
I was in the process of buying a condo but Heavenly Father has other ideas (more on that later).
I went to the Temple more often!
I am a better visiting teacher (but I still have a long way to go).

And here are some other things that were goals but I didn't mention in my original post:
I paid off all my credit card debt and I am completely debt free!
I started a weight loss program in august and I've lost about 50lbs so far!
I finished my first year of teaching 3rd grade and SURVIVED! I am 1/2 way through my second year and loving almost every minute of it!

Goals for 2009:
For sure get my permanent teaching certificate.
Take more classes on teaching writing
Now that I am debt free I'd like to be better at saving money.
Get into grad school!
Work on my crafty/sewing skills
Do more genealogy/temple work
Now that I have become better at eating right I'd like to exercise more!

Favorite Thing To Do With My Time...

....is PROJECTS! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! It was low key around our house which was nice. I decided to try making the Nearly Lethal Sm ores Tart found on Brownie Points Blog (see favorite websites). It actually turned out to be REALLY good! I am becoming more and more impressed with my crafty/culinary skills. :) The tart is really more like a pie with a gram cracker crust, chocolate ganache and honey vanilla marshmallow topping. I made everything from scratch accept the crust. It was a hit and will probably turn up again at holiday celebrations (special thanks to my friend Hatsuho for blogging about the marshmallows, she doesn't know it but she created a monster!). I also made some bath bombs on Christmas Eve as a gift (also see favorite websites). I need to make some more for myself! Those things are a little slice of Heaven. AND I finished my mission photo book last night! 45 pages of memories I can't wait for it to come in the mail!!! I also did some computer stuff for my dad. Today I did some shopping and some cleaning and some studying for the GRE. Tomorrow I am going to finish cleaning out the closet and some Rubbermaid drawers full of crafty stuff so I can make room for all the new crafty stuff I have recently purchased. I need to do a lesson plan for relief society (they called today to ask if I would fill in), pick up Joanna from the airport, feed her cat before I pick her up, clean FiFi's cage, get my toes done, get my hair did, eyebrows waxed, find a chiropractor because I am pretty sure my hip is out of alignment due to carrying a heavy messenger bag, find a dentist, possibly go see a doctor for a check up. Research color printers and decide if I need a new one, take my color laser printer to staples because it makes an AWFUL sound when it's printing, drop off the clothes that I cleaned out of my closet earlier this week at a goodwill, go with my family to the outlet mall (dad is coming too) return the SECOND COACH purse I bought myself, even though it was an amazing price, it's not leather and I can do better, and then if I have time.......
RELAX before it's time to go back to work in January! I guess I will sleep when I am dead! :)

The New Theme

Sssoo I decided to do a little re-vamping of the blog. And as my good friend Carrie pointed out I chose a background that was more Sssarah. :) But I decided to kind of switch my focus (ie instead of So What's your point? The point is to talk about some of my favorite things. You gotta shake it up every once in awhile right? So enjoy reading about some of my favorite things! :)

My Favorite Commercial

Sssooo Normally I hate commercials! I feel like my intelligence is being insulted. Not to mention that I do NOT enjoy seeing those commercials for erectile dysfunction I personally think those should be illegal! Don't even get me started!!! But this commercial made me laugh out loud! I hope you enjoy it!

Shrinky Dinks

Definitely one of my favorite things is Shrinky Dinks. If you don't know what a shrinky dink is or you have never shrinky dinked before I feel sorry for your childhood! You can go here and watch a video and see the actual shrinking in action. Well ever since I realized that shrinky dink paper was still in existence I've been looking for a reason to shrinky dink. I am so grateful I am a teacher! For the holidays the kids got to pick out a "stained glass" pattern that I then copied on shrinky dink paper. Color in with permanent markers and VOILA! Shrinky dinked ornaments! I didn't get a chance to take a picture, but they turned out really great. And now my kids have something that they can keep forever (if they want to) and I got to indulge my inner child (who also loves to shrinky dink). I love a win win! :)