True Confessions

Jenni's Visit

2012-01-29T23:12:00.000-07:00

At the first of December, Jenni and the kids came up for a visit over the weekend. We went swimming to the Clearfield Aquatic Center, made dinner and some fun treats, did some stuff at school, and had a good time. Here are some pictures!

Corbin was so proud of himself for being able to reach that shelf. He knocked over the picture
frame and then tried to put it back. He was really cute about it.

Making cookies.

Best cookies ever. And making them was pretty fun and messy, too.

Tired after swimming!

After 3 or 4 bites he said, "Oh, I remember I don't like this."

Arizona, Part 2

2012-01-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

I forgot that I had these pictures until I was going through my iphoto. When we were visiting Meg and her family, the kids wanted to ride bikes. Yep, all the kids. And there were bike races. It was hilarious. Nobody crashed--good thing!

Lucy. Isn't she the cutest?!

Ruby and Lucy ride bikes.

Meg and Lucy, Ruby and Brax

Ready, Set, Go!

This bike was just Sean's size. Or something.

Sean and McEwan

December

2012-01-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

So, I was on vacation for pretty much the whole month of December. Exhausting! It's really great to be able to go and visit family and not have to worry about work and real life.

My brother Sean came with me to Arizona. On the drive down, we stopped for a walking break at the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River in northern Arizona and took a look out onto Lake Powell (so many good memories!). There was a little message on the dam for everyone. :)

Arizona proved to be nothing as I expected. It was monsoon weather for the week, and instead of playing golf on the little course, we were thinking of launching the boat. But, at least it wasn't unbearably hot. I got to spend lots of time with Mom, so it was great. We went to a movie, met for lunch, worked on our quilts, and went to this really great antique store. If you ever wanted an antique of any kind, I'm positive that it was probably in that building!

I was also able to spend time with my step-sister, Megan, and her family. Her kiddos are just so funny and cute. Always a good time. We get along pretty well, and it's nice to spend time.

As my time for going to California got closer, I sent a message to Axton. Because the kid can read, I sent him this text (via Kristin):
Dear Axton,
I am so excited to come to your house! I can't wait to see you! Can we go to the park? Love, Michelle
Kristin said he shouted, "Yes!" and then ran off. Haha!

As I was getting ready to leave Arizona for California, Axton was getting anxious for me to be there. Kristin said he kept running to the door and opening it to look for me. I texted Nan and said I'd be there after naps and around dinner time. His response was, "No. Before dinner. After dinner would not be a good idea." That kid cracks me up!

Needless to say, he was so excited when I got to his house! California will be its own post because it rocked.

Hiking

2011-11-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I went and hiked Ensign Peak one afternoon/evening. I am off track and not working, so I pretty much do whatever I want. It rocks.

I hiked all the way to the top, and then went to the vista also on the way down. Both views are beautiful of the Salt Lake Valley. From the top, you are able to see all of the Salt Lake area and into Davis county and look out onto the Great Salt Lake. It was kind of hazy until the sun went down, so the pictures aren't the best. I love living in such a beautiful place!

My favorite view of the Salt Lake area.

Sometimes

2011-10-31T22:01:00.001-06:00

There are times when I get super into crafting and baking and all that good stuff. Halloween was one of those times. For the most part, I hate Halloween. It's for kids; I don't have any. Other then that I've found that Halloween is a time where a lot of people have an excuse to wear as little clothes as possible. It's like a free for all where you can walk around in your underwear (or less) and not get arrested.

Anyway.

I made these delicious sugar cookies for my parent volunteers in my classroom, my neighbors, and friends. My friend Jeannie gave me her family recipe, and holy moly, it's fantastic! The recipe makes about 80 cookies, and they are frosted with cream cheese frosting. You can't have just one.

Upon making the cookies, I found a few cute ways online to bag them up and deliver them. Here's what the finished product looked like:

Some cookies went in bags for my neighbors. I printed these.

Zoe's Birthday

2011-10-30T23:24:00.000-06:00

While I was off for Fall Break/UEA/Deer Hunt (whatever you want to call it around here), I went to Jenni's and helped with a party for Zoe's 6th birthday. Her first friend party! We did a princess party where the girls made crowns, played silly games, had cake and ice cream, and other fun stuff. I think they had a lot of fun.

Here's a slideshow.

Personalize your own free slideshow design

P.S. I can't believe this baby girl is six!

Out and About with Grandpa

2011-10-30T20:47:00.000-06:00

While I was off track (yikes! I'm behind in posting--like a month ago), I spent the day with my grandpa. We went to lunch at a mexican restaurant in Sandy, and then we took a drive up to Deer Creek. It was beautiful up there. The weather was perfect, it wasn't crowded, and Grandpa really enjoyed just sitting by the lake. We stopped in Heber on the way home and had some good old fashioned malts at one of the little places there. It was delicious! It was nice to spend time with Grandpa, and I know these times are few and far between. He was so funny. He talked the whole way home about wanting to get the camper going and the boat out on the lake. He talked about the camper being such a good, reliable vehicle that never broke down. Funny thing is, every time we were with them in the camper, I swear we spent time on the side of the road because it would always overheat! It made me laugh. It was a nice day. I think that Grandpa and I are very alike in ways. We're both living alone, doing most stuff alone, and we love to have the company of others among other things. It was nice to chat and spend time with him for a bit. I need to do it more often. Oh, and I got to see my favorite cat, Gato. He is so spoiled by Grandpa, but I think that's a good thing. Grandpa needs that kitty.

Wish We All Could Be Californians

2011-10-05T21:50:00.001-06:00

This post has a lot of pictures, and a lot of editing difficulties. Just go with it.

I love when I'm off track. This three week break couldn't come fast enough for me. This has been a challenging start to the school year. Anyway, on my off track, I headed to Southern California to spend time with the Fifield family. My friend, Bernardo (who is visiting from Brazil), also came along for the ride.

We drove down Tuesday night after I got off work and stayed at Jenni's house. I slept in the bed next to Zoe, and bright and early, I had a little body crawl into bed with me. Zoe never wants to snuggle! She snuggled with me and talked, and talked, and talked about kindergarten, her friends, and her birthday. She was so cute! Even though she woke me up super early, it was a moment I'll cherish. I'll take all of those I can get!

Wednesday, we drove from Monroe all the way to our destination, stopping only for gas and lunch. We arrived just in time for dinner. It was funny because Axton was crying when we got there. He *said* it was because he wanted to wait for us for dinner, but he may or may not have not wanted to eat in the first place. I'll take him wanting to wait for us, more specifically his favorite aunt, me. That cute kid!

While in California, Kristin and Matthew did a fantastic job of hosting us. We did a lot of fun things. Thursday we went to The Farm with the kids and saw all sorts of farm animals. The coolest things was the pigmy goats climbing above my head. They were in the trees and going from tree to tree by walking on two by four boards.

Axton ran right OVER this puddle.

One morning we went shopping to some of the outlets, and on our way home we stopped at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. We enjoyed the gardens and walked around the outside. Here I am standing with a piece of the Berlin Wall.

Who doesn't love cute baby faces?

Thursday night, Matthew took Bernardo and I to the driving range where we practiced our golf swings and looked pretty ridiculous, I'm sure. Going to the driving range is something I've always wanted to do, silly as it sounds. Mostly, I think I liked just taking a whack at those balls. I did find, however, that it's not about hitting the ball with all your strength. Also, I had to lose my softball swing to swing the club correctly. I had a really fun time and even hit the ball pretty hard. Thanks, Matthew!

Friday during the day, we packed up and went to the beach with one of Kristin's friends and her baby. We had sandwiches in the car and then just enjoyed the beach. After rocking Jayli to sleep, I just relaxed on my blanket, read my book, and then walked in the waves. I built some sand castles with Axton, and then buried him in the sand. What a silly kid! It was a fun and relaxing day.

Friday night we went camping. Well, the kind of camping where you go, roast hotdogs, make s'mores, and then come home and sleep in your own warm bed. Kristin and I made potato salad and got everything ready to take. We drove about fifteen minutes to a place that offered day use sites and had a fun dinner and picnic. The best part was playing on the playground with Axton and roasting my hotdog. I'll admit--I didn't know how to tell when it was done, so I just burned it. Better safe than sorry. Besides, I like it a little crunchy. Haha! That was my first hot dog in a loooooong time. Long time. Then we came home and played bowling and golf on the wii. Matthew and I are pretty competitive when it comes to that, but I was pretty good. Not going to lie.

Saturday we packed up and headed into Los Angeles. We went to the Griffiths Observatory, saw the Hollywood sign and took some pictures in front of it, and saw all the exhibits. We then had lunch at Tommy Burger (not that great) and headed to Hollywood Blvd. to see the stars on the sidewalks, the hand and footprints in cement, and all that jazz. I now know why they do all the premiers at night and with a red carpet and lots of lights. That place looks incredibly dirty during the day. I really didn't feel like putting my hands down anywhere. An experience, yes. Would I do it again? Probably not.

We then headed to the Santa Monica Pier. It was beautiful! The weather was perfect, and it wasn't too crowded. We walked up and down the pier, sat and watched the waves for a bit, and enjoyed the ocean view. Kristin and Matthew had an artist on the pier do chalk drawings of Axton and Jayli. Axton did such a good job holding still! I held Jayli while she had her picture done, and Kristin, Matthew, and Axton rode the Ferris Wheel. We ended the day at home with pizza and watching sports. A long but fun day!

Sunday was church as usual. Bernardo got to speak with some people who were from Brazil, so he enjoyed that. I was in charge of Jayli while the Fifields taught their classes and such. She pretty much slept the whole time. She was such a sweetheart! I think my favorite thing is just to hold her and rock her to sleep. Love that girl. After church and dinner, the Fifields and I went to a local park and took some cute pictures of their family. Axton decided he did not want to participate. It was kind of frustrating and hilarious at the same time. Oh, and I guess I should have known it would go well when seconds before I took the first picture, Jayli barfed all over Kristin.

Monday night, Kristin and I were able to go and see the movie The Help at a local theater. Movies are kind of pricey in California, but I guess you have to just go with it! We got popcorn and everything. Let's face it--we don't get out together often! The movie was excellent--I've now seen it twice. I enjoyed it more than I have any movie in awhile. It was nice of the boys to babysit while we had a girl's night out.

Tuesday Bernardo, Axton, and I drove down to the Los Angeles Temple and toured the visitors center and grounds. Axton was so stinkin' cute. He loved the kids activities in the visitors center. He only wanted to do that and take pictures. But, that kid did not want his picture taken! He gave the big old frowny face, as you can see in some of these pictures. The cutest thing was when we were walking around the large reflecting pool at the front of the temple. We were talking about how old you had to be to go in the temple. He asked, "Michelle? How old do you have to be to put bath toys in there?" Haha! I told him it wasn't for bath toys. I think he was kind of disappointed. We had lunch at KFC, and then headed back home.

Axton at the Visitor's Center. He looks so grown up!

When we got back, Axton had a special request. He just wanted to go and ride the escalator at Macy's. Last time I was here, he wanted to do the same thing, except he called them the Scary Stairs. This time he said (in his small little voice), "They're not scary, Michelle. It's an escalator." Well, I'll tell you what--when a three year old decides he wants to run up and down the escalator--it's a little scary for the adult! We had to ride them three times. I had said he could ride them two times, but then he asked, "Well, how about three times?" Three times it was.

Later that night, Kristin and I went back to Macy's where I bought some of my favorite jeans (Hydraulics), and then we shopped a bit around town after dinner. It was me, Kristin, and Jayli. The boys had gone to the church for activity night. I love just shopping with my sister, even if we don't buy anything. Spending time together is the best.

Wednesday morning, we left bright and early at 6 to head back to Utah. After driving all day, we finally made it back home at about 8. Long day and long drive, but definitely worth it!

See you next time, Fifield family! Love your guts!

Injured

2011-10-02T23:45:00.000-06:00

This is going to sound ridiculous, but it's true.

As I was in the shower, going to shave my legs, I went to squirt some shave gel in my hand. Now, I didn't have my contacts in, so I could see about three inches. I was holding my hand just around my neck area and pushed the shave gel nozzle. That thing was pressurized like a fire extinguisher! The shave gel shot out so hard and quickly that it rebounded right off my hands into MY EYES! And there is where it started doing it's foaming action, amidst my little screams and fancy dancing while trying to rise out my eyes under the shower head. It wasn't pretty.

Needless to say, as I head to bed, my eyes are very red and a little swollen. I've rinsed all I can rinse. I guess I'll just have to see what tomorrow brings. Good thing I found my glasses.

Pretty stupid, eh? Guess I'll just start wearing goggles in the shower. Or switch out that shave gel.

Jeans

2011-10-01T23:27:00.000-06:00

I spent entirely too much money on new jeans today. Worth. Every. Penny. After spending time looking around for a replacement at not-quite-the-cost, it's worth it. I've bought other jeans thinking they would work, but they just don't. So, I spend the money, and I love my jeans. Hydraulics brand, just in case you wondered. :)

Be ready for a bit of back blogging. I've been very lazy.

Technology

2011-09-17T10:12:00.000-06:00

Technology hates me. Or something. I just tend to break it or have a hard time making it work the way I would like. In the past two years, I've gone through four phones, two computers, an Ipod dock and player, and a TV. Make that two.

My TV is old. Analog, boxy, heavy, full of static, and just old. It hasn't been working well, and the color is starting to go right through the middle. I don't watch TV that often, so it hasn't really been a problem.

When I was in California, my sister offered to let me take an extra TV they had. Older, yes. Boxy, yes. Working, yes. So, I brought it home.

I had a friend come and walk me up the stairs and open the door to my place because I knew I couldn't hold the TV and open the door. It was heavy and tricky to get up four flights. But, I did it.

Then, I walked right in the house, set it on the couch, and proceeded to close the door. In that time, the TV practically leapt off the couch, crashed to the floor, broke apart from the casing, and caused me to almost poop my pants. It was loud.

I promptly turned to look at my friend in horror and proclaimed, "See! I need a man for this heavy technology stuff!"

Needless to say, I now have two very heavy nonworking TVs which I now need to haul back down the stairs. And a computer. And Ipod dock.

On Dating

2011-09-16T23:23:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to lie, being single in the church and in Utah at 28 is rough. The dating scene can get pretty ridiculous sometimes. Lately, I feel when I come home I just need this posted on the wall by the door.

Other times, I think I'd rather break my arm. Or maybe both of them.

Neglect

2011-09-10T23:54:00.000-06:00

I've been neglecting my blog. Yep, it's true.

Work and life have been totally overwhelming lately, and I don't really feel like rehashing it nor do I have time.

I may or may not neglect it for another day or two . . . or at least until I get home from my fun vacation in California. Then I might actually have something fun to write about.

Thinking happy blogging thoughts.

Yay for vacations!

2011-08-27T20:13:00.000-06:00

Time

2011-08-07T18:34:00.000-06:00

As I was pushing Zoe on this swing, I was thinking how time flies. I remember when I was the one on the swing. I remember holding Zoe the day she was born, wishing she'd stay little forever. I remember thinking that the days, weeks, months, and years took so long to pass. Now I find that weeks and months have passed, and I've hardly blinked. Oh, to be young again. For now, I' guess I'll just take the little moments I can get, like this one.

Grandpa's Birthday

2011-07-29T17:33:00.000-06:00

Grandpa Wood had his 80th birthday on July 29th. We celebrated with everyone on July 25, a perfect day to celebrate since it was a holiday and all.

Cookie Pops. Oreos in chocolate and sprinkles. For the kids. ;)

Best money I've ever spent!

This is a picture that I have from Grandpa's birthday back when I had to be about 3 or 4. That's me on the right and Jenni on the left sitting on Grandma's lap. Oh, how time flies! And little did we know then how much everyone would come to love popcorn because of eating it with Grandpa. Good times!

Wahoo!

2011-07-28T18:14:00.000-06:00

All my hard work paid off. And it was hard!

All of my students showed proficiency on their end of level tests this last year!

That's all. :)

Some days . . .

2011-07-21T22:06:00.000-06:00

Some days I just feel like this:

What? I like sweaters.

A 5K by Moonlight

2011-07-16T02:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, so it was more like neon lights. The Legacy Highway Midnight Run was excellent, but I was a bit overwhelmed by flashing, bouncing, blinking lights. And pretty much all of them were neon. I must admit, I'm a little bit motion sick just from that. It was like being at an 80's neon disco dance. 750 or so people with AT LEAST 10 glow sticks each (some of these people went CrAzY with the glow sticks! I didn't know they made glow sticks like that . . . .) makes a sight to behold. But, on the flip side, I could always see just where I was going, how many people were in front of me, and how many people were behind me. Bonus.

I finished the run in under the time I wanted. It wasn't my best time, but I was walking a lot because I wore the wrong shorts. Bad. They were rubbing all weird. I'm going to have to stick to my jogging capris or pants just for that reason. Hate it. Anyway, I did run a good portion.

I truly think that runners have some of the best sportsmanship. There were tons of people on a small trail, all running different directions. There was a half marathon, 10 K and 5K going on at the same time. Regardless, people were constantly cheering each other on, encouraging them to keep going, and just offering words of support. There were probably no less than 10 people who shouted words of encouragement while I was running the race. After feeling kind of all alone out there, running by myself, it was very uplifting and encouraging. Also, tons of people were there at the end, cheering on anyone who came across the finish line about 1/4 away. I think it made my feet a little swifter. I wanted to please the people, so their shouting had not been in vain. :)

It was not the most exciting thing I've ever done, but I did it. I set a goal, and worked toward it, and finished it. I can do hard things!

And I may not be able to breathe right until Sunday.

Before the race, sporting the 80's race shirt.

Glow Sticks!

Showing off the Glow Sticks before the race. Those things are kind of hard to put on by yourself!

Not the best picture, but do you like my hair?

After the race, with a little more color in my cheeks. Notice the clock. I'm tired.

Run, Run . . .

2011-07-14T23:17:00.000-06:00

all by yourself.

Yep, that's what I am doing. I'm running the Legacy Midnight 5K. It will be fun. With glow sticks and everything. Someone asked if I would do it, I said I would, and so I am.

Not so fun? All those who said they would sign up and run either didn't sign up, or signed up and then decided they didn't want to run. People never want to commit to things anymore.

Boo. I'll be the one with the glow sticks, running late with nobody around.

Guess I'll just have a little more time to myself.

Go, go gadget legs.

Wow. I tell you what. Wow.

2011-07-13T21:31:00.000-06:00

There has been so much sadness and suffering in the news and around me lately. It just breaks my heart! I think that there always has been sadness and suffering, but with advances in technology, it's now very apparent and easily spread. I was talking to a friend the other day from Brazil, and we were talking about all of the children who have died here recently from many causes. It was then brought to my attention that children in many South American countries are just sold as prostitutes. Kind of put things in perspective about how things could be worse. Geesh. Anyway, I've decided to stop reading the news for a time and just try to focus on all the good things in life and around me. I know that bad things happen to good people, but I just want to focus on the blessings that I have and this amazing journey of life.

I Wear My Sunglasses at Night

2011-07-11T17:41:00.000-06:00

So, last week as I was driving to Grand Junction, it was very sunny. Mind you, I was driving away from the sun for a majority of the time, but nonetheless, it was very sunny! Hours later as I arrived in Grand Junction, I had a brief freaking out moment getting off the freeway (it was about 9:45pm). As I was exiting, I just couldn't see! I couldn't see the lines on the road, the exit ramp, etc. because it was SO dark! I was wondering where the streetlights were, when it hit me. I reached up and took my sunglasses off . . . perfect.

Now you know what I dork I am.

Because I Needed a Laugh

2011-07-09T00:23:00.000-06:00

Some things never change. Zoe and Mike 2007ish, and again in 2010. Uncle and niece. Apparently this family trait runs deep.

Visitors from Phoenix

2011-07-07T09:35:00.000-06:00

The morning I got back from my trip, I got a text from these cute kiddos my step sister and her family. They were visiting from Phoenix. We were able to hang out that day. Megan, her husband Jake, and the kiddos: Four year old Braxton, twinners Ruby and Lucy, and baby McEwan (I don't have pics of this kid, but he is SO cute and such a funny baby!). We rode the tram up at Snowbird to the top. It was gorgeous! Then we went to Cafe Rio and shopped around the Gateway for a bit.

Mineral Basin (looking southeast from the top)

Meg decides to walk through the biggest puddle, and Braxton decides to promptly throw snowballs at everyone.

View of the Salt Lake Valley

Ruby, me, and Lucy. Love them!

The Tram

Coming down from the top. Still a lot of snow for July 5!

The Hartley Family

Ruby and Lucy watching Braxton jump on the trampoline.

This car is all car seats! Notice the baby's feet sticking up.

Ruby, Brax, and Lucy at the Gateway

Road Trip

2011-07-07T01:48:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, I finished my last day of school, packed up my stuff, and made my way toward Grand Junction, Colorado. After driving for a very long time (okay, not too long, but long enough!), I snuggled into my nice hotel room with some Cafe Rio and my laptop. Bliss.

The next morning, after a delicious breakfast of bacon, a waffle, and scrambled eggs, I headed south from Grand Junction over the San Juan Mountains, the scariest mountain pass drive ever! The speed limit is pretty much under 20 the entire way with it being windy, steep, and pretty much no shoulder on the road. If you miss, it's over the cliff for you! Eventually I ended up in Durango, Colorado at Misty Z's house. The cutest girl ever! It's a pretty relaxing place. See the pictures.

On my way there, I drove through the small mountain town of Ridgway. Colorado. I swear I passed a sign that said, "Ridgway. What we lack in wineries, we make up for in winers." It could be the other way around, but I can't find anything online to verify it, and I couldn't take a picture right then either. But, I do remember thinking it was hilarious, and that I should write it down.

While there, we had pedicures done (Misty, her mom, sister, and me), a bridal shower, bachelorette party dinner, and . . . wait for it . . . s'mores! That's right, my great friend roasted s'mores with me for a late night treat. We made them on the BBQ, and they were pretty good (almost as good as a campfire!). We are camping friends, after all!

After leaving Colorado, I headed back home and played phone tag with my mom the whole way. I probably had 15 dropped calls . . . thanks AT&T. Just one more area I now know my phone doesn't work. I-70 is a pretty major route, but apparently no phone service. Add that to my list of Richfield to Phoenix, Richfield to Nephi, and Boise into Oregon. I then took a short detour to Monroe, Utah to visit the cute Madsen family. After dinner, some playing, fireworks, and homemade cake and ice cream, I hit the road again to make it home just after midnight. Ahhhhh, to sleep in my own bed.

Vacations are exhausting!

Enjoy these pictures of some beautiful Colorado and Utah scenery. We live in an amazing place!

Walking by Misty's house. Over the hill ahead is a small lake.

My favorite. Driving West on I-70.

Apparently this baby is doing a fishy face. Haha!

People

2011-07-06T22:23:00.000-06:00

I read this awhile ago, and I have been thinking about it a lot, so I decided to share it with you. (Sorry about the caps. . . I used cut and paste, then just went with it).

SOMETIMES PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE AND YOU KNOW RIGHT AWAY THAT THEY WERE MEANT TO BE THERE, TO SERVE SOME SORT OF PURPOSE, TEACH YOU A LESSON, OR TO HELP YOU FIGURE OUT WHO YOU ARE OR WHO YOU WANT TO BECOME. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE MAY BE (POSSIBLY YOUR ROOMMATE, NEIGHBOR, CO-WORKER, LONGEST FRIEND, LOVER, OR EVEN A COMPLETE STRANGER) BUT WHEN YOU LOCK EYES WITH THEM, YOU KNOW AT THAT VERY MOMENT THAT THEY WILL AFFECT YOUR LIFE IN SOME PROFOUND WAY.

SOME PEOPLE COME INTO OUR LIVES AND QUICKLY GO. SOME PEOPLE MOVE OUR SOULS TO DANCE.
THEY AWAKEN US TO NEW UNDERSTANDING WITH THE PASSING WHISPER OF THEIR WISDOM. SOME PEOPLE MAKE THE SKY MORE BEAUTIFUL TO GAZE UPON. THEY STAY IN OUR LIVES FOR AWHILE, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS IN OUR HEARTS, AND WE ARE NEVER, EVER THE SAME.

AND SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU THAT MAY SEEM HORRIBLE, PAINFUL, AND UNFAIR AT FIRST, BUT IN REFLECTION YOU FIND THAT WITHOUT OVERCOMING THOSE OBSTACLES YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER REALISED YOUR POTENTIAL, STRENGTH, WILLPOWER, OR HEART. EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON, NOTHING HAPPENS BY CHANCE OR BY MEANS OF LUCK. ILLNESS, INJURY, LOVE, LOST MOMENTS OF TRUE GREATNESS, AND SHEER STUPIDITY ALL OCCUR TO TEST THE LIMITS OF YOUR SOUL. WITHOUT THESE SMALL TESTS, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE, LIFE WOULD BE LIKE A SMOOTHLY PAVED, STRAIGHT FLAT ROAD TO NOWHERE. IT WOULD BE SAFE AND COMFORTABLE, BUT DULL AND UTTERLY POINTLESS. THE PEOPLE YOU MEET WHO AFFECT YOUR LIFE, AND THE SUCCESS AND DOWNFALLS YOU EXPERIENCE HELP TO CREATE WHO YOU BECOME.

EVEN THE BAD EXPERIENCES CAN BE LEARNED FROM. IN FACT, THEY ARE PROBABLY THE MOST POIGNANT AND IMPORTANT ONES.

IF SOMEONE HURTS YOU, BETRAYS YOU, OR BREAKS YOUR HEART, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY HAVE HELPED YOU LEARN ABOUT TRUST AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING CAUTIOUS WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR HEART. IF SOMEONE LOVES YOU, LOVE THEM BACK UNCONDITIONALLY, NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY LOVE YOU, BUT BECAUSE IN A WAY, THEY ARE TEACHING YOU TO LOVE AND HOW TO OPEN YOUR HEART AND EYES TO THINGS.

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT!! APPRECIATE EVERY MOMENT AND TAKE FROM THOSE MOMENTS EVERYTHING THAT YOU POSSIBLY CAN FOR YOU MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE IT AGAIN. TALK TO PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE NEVER TALKED TO BEFORE, AND ACTUALLY LISTEN. LET YOURSELF FALL IN LOVE, BREAK FREE, AND SET YOUR SIGHTS HIGH. HOLD YOUR HEAD UP BECAUSE YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO. TELL YOURSELF YOU ARE A GREAT INDIVIDUAL AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, FOR IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF; IT WILL BE HARD FOR OTHERS TO BELIEVE IN YOU.

YOU CAN MAKE OF YOUR LIFE ANYTHING YOU WISH. CREATE YOUR OWN LIFE THEN GO OUT AND LIVE IT WITH ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS.

Or Not

2011-07-03T22:24:00.000-06:00

Dear Earring Makers,

Thanks for saying that these earrings are for sensitive ears and are nickel free. But, just because you say that doesn't mean it's true. They are not for sensitive skin and my ears are so sad because of it. Bleeding ears really do hurt. I love earrings, but I don't think these ones are for me.

Thanks.

Mom, You'd Be So Proud

2011-06-25T00:03:00.000-06:00

All these years that I've been learning to quilt, I've ALWAYS had to have my mom help me with my binding. And in many cases, help actually means she did it. I've even mailed her fabric, she's made the binding and then given it back. It's been wonderful, for it's the worst part of quilt making for me. Getting down the folding and cutting on the bias was kind of hard! Well, I finally did it. It may have been the time crunch and utter desperation to get this quilt finished (pictures to follow), but I finally bit the bullet and did it. Yay!

Okay, it only took Google, three texts, and two calls to my mom. Love you, Mom!

You're My Favorite

2011-06-21T20:53:00.000-06:00

Yes, I tell all my nephews and nieces they are my favorite. Because they are! :)

Just a quick note to say, I love this kid. EVERY time I am on Skype with him, he asks if he can come to my house. Every time. He has even said, "Can you come get me and bring me to your house?"

Soon, buddy. Soon!

And Then It Hit Me

2011-06-21T20:44:00.002-06:00

Just as our year is ending, I'm realizing how much I love my little class. I feel like one of their parents because I know some of their strengths, weaknesses, favorites, dislikes, and see some of their truest moments. Today was a good day. A great day. Despite all the crazy antics of third grade, they are wonderful little spirits.

Read about it here.

Life is Hard

2011-06-19T19:22:00.000-06:00

I can do hard things!

Delicious!

2011-06-12T22:52:00.000-06:00

I've now made chocolate chip scones several times. I love the recipe found here. I've now started experimenting with it and adding other options. Today I made cinnamon raisin scones, and they were delicious! Now I can stop getting one at Carl's Jr. in the mornings. I know, I know. But they are so good, and those biscuits totally remind me of summers with my Grandma Rene where we'd go to Hardee's in the mornings and get a cinnamon raisin biscuit. Carl's Jr. and Hardee's biscuits are one in the same. It's true. Read the package. Anyway, now I can make my own. They're cheap, easy, and a great breakfast to grab and go!

Keeping Me Up

2011-06-08T01:12:00.000-06:00

I've been reading The Hunger Games series. Bah. I hate it but I can't put it down. I've read two books in three days. It's seriously bad for my sleep. I still can't decide if I like it or hate it.

On another note, did you know my sign is Sagittarius? A half-beast, half-man. Sometimes I feel like that. I little beasty but still human. I guess it's appropriate that it's my sign.

Wahoo!

2011-06-02T01:31:00.001-06:00

I no longer have a car payment. And I now have way cheaper car insurance. Sweet.

And now, in other news, my car has recently become a place for birds to sit and poop. I almost can't contain my joy.

And my headlight went out. Again. For the 52nd time. It's super annoying.

I'll enjoy having no car payment while it lasts!

This Makes Me Happy

2011-05-29T23:40:00.000-06:00

Momentarily, anyway. :)

Honest

2011-05-28T00:18:00.001-06:00

"Better to write for yourself and have no public than to write for the public and have no self."

Bah!

2011-05-22T14:46:00.000-06:00

For those of you who don't know, and there's a good chance that many of you do, electronics and I do not get along. At all.

2011-05-22T01:17:00.000-06:00

The Bird Trend

2011-05-18T10:08:00.000-06:00

I laughed so much at this video. Putting birds on things is such a popular trend right now. Cute and a little ridiculous. Haha. So, here's a video for a little laugh today.

Crafty Things I've Recently Finished

2011-05-06T18:30:00.000-06:00

Finished being the key word in that title. I always have projects that are not quite finished or that I'm thinking about.

TV and Guest Room Trays. $2 on Clearance. Used to be a puky-almost-neon red. Now, classy.

I made this fun wreath for a total of $4.00 and two hours. It's for my spring mantle over my fireplace. I LOVE IT!

I made two of these white/blue ruffle pillows for my couch. I'm kind of partial, but I love them, too.

I didn't make this cute baby (Good Job, Kristin!), but I did make her cute dresses with the help of her mom when I was out to visit. They're reversible, too. She's outgrown them already, but they were super cute on her!

I thought I had more pictures of things to put here, but I guess that's all for now.

Memories

2011-04-28T23:23:00.000-06:00

Today I just needed a break, so I went browsing around in a decorating store. I love looking at this kind of stuff, even though I don't buy anything 99% of the time. Anyway, as I was meandering through the aisles, I came upon all the spring and Easter decorations. They distinctly reminded me of my sweet Grandma Wood. I'm not quite sure why, but they did. I remember when we were younger and visited for Easter, she would have a chocolate covered cake egg for each one of us with our name written on it in frosting. She was always so cute and thoughtful like that. What a random memory to have when seeing bunnies and chicks.

That's Why They Have Professionals

2011-04-27T22:53:00.000-06:00

BAH! Family pictures are hard. You would think with adults it would get easier. Haha. I love my family, but sometimes it drives me a little crazy that we just can't get a good picture. I feel like it's more important to me to get a good picture than to some of my other family members. Maybe because this is the only family I have right now. I can't just go out and get pictures taken of my family. Plus, we probably won't be together again for a bazillion years. Anyway . . . Here they are, the good and the bad. If we can't laugh at ourselves, what's the point?

First, the bad. I just have to laugh. Let's play the games Who's-Not-Looking and Weird Gestures and Movements.

Winners: Axton and Jayli!

Winners: Madsen Family!

Winners: Zoe & Dante, courtesy of Matthew is pulling faces behind me.

Two for one! This has to be my FAVORITE. I didn't take it.

Uh, Dad. The camera is over here . . . and it's called smiling.

And don't forget the cat! Is that a smile, Sean?

Okay, okay. Enough with the laughs and onto the good ones. Here are some of my favorites!

Yeah, so we really don't have a whole family one where everyone is looking at the camera or smiling . . .

The siblings

Madsen Family. Can you tell who was acting up? ;)

The sisters

My Mother and I

Grandma Rene and the grandkids

Lately

2011-04-20T21:32:00.000-06:00

My brother, Kevin, got married. Yay!

But lately, I have been sick. So. Sick. The kind of sick where you can sweat off ten pounds, mold your body to the couch, and lose track of the days sick. The kind of sick where, between sleeping, you watch 14 hours of love saga pioneer movies on the Hallmark channel, mostly because you can't get up to change the channel nor do you care.

Awful.

Good news! After a week and on two rounds of antibiotics, things are definitely looking up. My voice is almost back to normal, and I'm not waking up every four hours for painkillers. Take that, strep! Now, if only I can get a good schedule and make up for some of that lost sleep (the good quality kind). I'm not dead yet! Pretty sure modern medicine has saved my life.

Meet Rodrigo

2011-04-08T00:37:00.000-06:00

Rodrigo is my handy dandy sewing machine. Why Rodrigo? I do not know. I’ve always had a preference for latin names. Once upon a time, my hermit crabs were named Javier and Rosie. The jump to Rodrigo was just natural. Normally, I don’t name things, but my machine and I have a love/hate relationship, and there can be a lot of tension. Tension problems with the machine, that is! Anyway, so when I’m frustrated that my machine is chewing fabric or breaking thread, I just yell at Rodrigo. Don't worry, I also have a seam ripper named Jack.

Rodrigo and I have been getting along great lately. My ward was working on putting together some humanitarian school kits and needed bags sewn for them. I was a little ambitious and decided to do twelve bags in one week. With work and all, it was a little hectic to get them finished. I sewed them assembly line style, and after awhile, I started to feel like I was working in a sweatshop, minus the sweat. I was sewing straight lines for what seemed like for-ev-er! I finally finished all of the bags, but I was left with a small longing for better sewing skills. I want to make things that are more fantastic than just square bags! It made me a little envious that I wasn’t born in say, Indonesia. Okay, not really, but with everything that’s made there, they must have some people with mad sewing skills!

After catching the sewing bug, I decided to make this apron for my sister-in-law-to-be’s shower. It was a recipe shower, so I thought that an apron would go perfectly! It was simple and worked up quickly, and it’s oh-so cute! I want to make one for myself.

Still feeling the sewing bug, I decided to make myself a skirt. I love the internet! There are so many great patterns out there! Well, with that cute apron still on my mind, I combined an easy wrap skirt with the idea of the tie from the apron, and I now have this fabulous wrap skirt with an incredibly cute tie around bow. I wore it to work and had many compliments on it. It was super easy, and it only took less than 2 hours from drawing and cutting the pattern, placing it, cutting the fabric, and sewing everything together. The best part? The total for this skirt is around $6. And it’s lined, too! $6! Can I get a woot?!

Sometimes I think, “Geesh, Michelle. You don’t need one more hobby!”

I've Been Busy

2011-04-08T00:24:00.000-06:00

I've been really crafty lately. Crafty, and handy around the house. Here's a little of what I've been up to.
Two parts to this first picture.

Part 1: I found this door at Ikea as is for $1. I brought it home, painted some fun designs on the glass, and put it on the wall. My stepdad Lance helped me hang it so it's earthquake proof and all. Wouldn't want that falling on my head! Anyways, I love it!

Part 2: I have wanted a shelf to go behind my couch for, oh, since I got a couch. First of all, shelves are spendy! Also, I couldn’t find one the dimensions that I wanted. I didn’t want to have to put up a shelf with weird supports either. Done that! So, I decided to build my own. I went down to Home Depot, bought some wood, and brought it home. I predrilled the holes and screwed the pieces together to form a ledge-type shelf. It’s about twelve inches wide and six feet long. I did a little detailing on the front, and painted it to match. Hanging it up was a little tricky by myself, but I did it. I love it! I’m currently looking for some buffet lamps to go on both sides of it. I found some I LOVE, but they cost $500! WHAT?! So, I might be looking in the wrong places.

Don't worry. All those filled holes? Yeah, my stud finder is FAULTY. But, I found them. It's all patched and painted now. No worries!

After gaining some confidence with my shelf, I decided to try and build a little chair for my nephew, Axton. I know his parents (or at least his mom) have been looking for a little reading chair for him for awhile now, but they are all so expensive! Well, after buying some wood at a steal, and with some great help from my friend, Jennifer (Thanks for letting me use your shop and for helping me!), I had all the pieces cut and sanded. All in all, the chair probably took a total of 2 hours or less to put together. It would’ve probably been easier, but my tools leave something to be desired. Anyway, here is the finished product for under $5! I found the plans at this site (that I LOVE). I already have a project list! I hope Axton loves this chair as much as I loved making it.

Next, but not last (future post in the works), I started to plant a garden. Here are my little seedlings. I planted green onions, chives, spinach, tomatoes, and some flowers. Let's just say that it's not going quite as I had hoped, and as of today, my little garden is quite unruly. I have to figure something out. They need to be replanted, and I almost did and put them outside (because it was getting so warm), but then it went all day-before-Christmas on us again with a blizzard. Seedlings are hard! I may or may not have to buy starts. Time will tell.

Needed: A Few Strong Men

2011-03-31T16:30:00.000-06:00

I have an ancient upright piano that I love dearly. Ancient as in 1902 and hundreds of pounds. My poor piano has been somewhat abused from being moved (I think it's now a curse word in my family) around and has lost a caster. This makes moving it very difficult and cumbersome, not to mention that it's a little difficult playing a tilted piano. So, I thought I would replace the caster because I've been thinking about it for awhile. I wasn't sure how I was going to do this, seeing as how the piano is ridiculously heavy, and there was no way I was going to be able to unscrew and screw back in the caster. I thought maybe I could just jack up the piano? You know, like a car. I could figure out how to hold the other two wheels on the side in place and *poof* piano goodness.

Just for the sake of it, and seeing as how I'm no professional, I decided to google how to fix piano casters. I found an excellent site that was even very humorous about the whole thing. But then I laughed out loud and stopped reading at the first direction:

1. Lay the upright piano gently on the floor.

With me and what army? That is SO not going to happen.

Budding Artist

2011-03-25T21:25:00.002-06:00

Can you guess what this is?

I couldn't. I had to ask the creator.

Leave your guesses in the comments! :)

Adventures in Snowshoes

2011-03-12T20:00:00.008-07:00

Today I went snowshoeing for the first time. It was so much fun! Well, the part where I walked on some snow that was a little bit melty and my snowshoes and myself promptly sank up to my bum was not so fun. Mostly because it took a lot of energy and time to dig my snowshoe out. I may or may not have sat there for a minute and said, "Help, help!" in a completely ridiculous voice while waiting for my friends to catch up. They thought I was just sitting down on the trail. Haahaa! Lesson learned! Never go snowshoeing alone in the spring! Well, unless you want to be that person they're looking for on the nightly news.

We went up Big Cottonwood Canyon to the Spruce Campground. It was a very popular area, but it was also quite large. We only saw two other groups of snowshoers, and we all went on different trails. We mostly stayed to trails that others had already made, but we did venture off a little bit. Our GPS had a frowny face. It was a beautiful and excellent way to spend a Saturday. Plus, I learned they do guided snowshoe adventures for students, for free! I wish I had found this out in November.

False Advertising

2011-03-07T00:14:00.004-07:00

Haha. Okay, so I came across this picture that I took back in September while traveling through Oregon. That is NOT a horse.

I Need

2011-02-25T22:47:00.002-07:00

A man. Or someone with a stronger grip than me. Or an amazing acrobat.

I decided to get my place all sparkling clean before I leave here for a bit, and in the process, decided to check my dryer hose. See, my dryer takes FOR-EV-ER to dry anything. I read that sometimes the hose just needs to be cleaned of lint. Seeing as how my hose vents up and out, I figured I'd give it a shot. This is no easy task, mind you. I have a stackable unit that's in the size of coat closet. After some maneuvering, the hose was easy to get off. Getting it back on, however, not so much.

After about thirty minutes, I couldn't get it back on. Boo.

My next purchase might just be an all-in-one VENTLESS washer/dryer combo.

Like the Movies

2011-02-19T21:23:00.003-07:00

It was like the scene from a bad movie. Not bad as in terrible, but bad as in scary, weird, and humorous all at the same time.

There I was, vacuuming my carpet. My vacuum was smelling strange, so I tilted it up to see if the brush was still turning. I looked down, my hoodie string got in the brush, which WAS turning, and the next few seconds we a little panicky. Let's just say, it takes no brains to have this happen, but it takes some skills to try and turn off the vacuum while at the same time ripping out my string as my face got closer and closer. Haahaa. I'm such a dork.

Don't worry, all is well.

I think it's time for a new vacuum. It's still smelly.

Those Days

2011-02-19T15:05:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I just need one of those days where I sleep in, linger in my jammies, and watch some mindless TV. Today was one of those days. It was nice, while it lasted. I went to pour myself a bowl of cereal, and there was no milk. This shouldn't be surprising to me, seeing as how I'm the only one here, but it must have slipped my mind. So, now my lazy day is over. I should go shopping for groceries. Back to reality.

Sit! Stay! Bad Phone!

2011-02-15T07:59:00.006-07:00

Geez! I have to have my phone replaced, again. Yep, that's twice in 2 months. Bad hardware or something. My phone screen just died. Not gonna lie, it kinda makes me want to just get a go phone or something cheap-o and be done with all this smartphone business. Blah!

Maybe I should just get a landline?

Hahaha. Funny.

Still waiting for a replacement after going to the Apple store. Sad. I can see only a portion of my screen.

But, wait! There's good news. After talking to my nephew, Axton, on the phone, I think I'll be okay. I said, "Axton, my phone is broken!" He replied with, "Oh, well I can help you fix it." Sweet! Don't even know why I bothered with Apple. I'll just give it to the three-year old and let him bang it around for awhile. Should do the trick.

My Other

2011-02-09T16:56:00.002-07:00

Check out my other blog. It's about the funny things kids say. I've decided to start taking notes.

Funny

2011-02-09T08:30:00.002-07:00

My principal asked if I wanted to learn Chinese. I laughed. A lot.
The answer was yes, but the idea of doing so overwhelms me!

Need a Little Fun?

2011-02-08T20:15:00.002-07:00

I created this word cloud of one of my favorite songs from a fun website I've been using with my students. They love to type in their spelling words, poems, or anything. It sure makes typing practice fun. But, let's face it. It's just plain fun. Try it out.

Yarn, people! Yarn!

2011-02-02T21:14:00.005-07:00

Oh, teaching has its moments.

In third grade this week, I've been helping the students understand multiplication, and today I was teaching the kids more about problem solving. We had practiced a few together, and I was explaining their next task. I was holding up a picture card from which they would use the details to write a multiplication sentence. For example, one had bouquets of flowers. They were to write something similar to this: Sally has 5 vases of flowers at her shop. Each vase has 6 flowers in it. How many flowers does Sally have in all the vases?

So, there I was, teaching. The lesson had been fantastic. I was holding up a picture card that had cats on it that were playing with yarn.

"So, if you were using this picture to write your multiplication sentence, you could look at all the things that come in groups. You could write about their ears, their eyes, their legs, their balls . . ." to which about half the class (mostly boys) BUST UP laughing(falling out of chairs laughing), and I promptly yelled out, "Yarn! The cats are playing with balls of yarn! Look at the picture!" There was a lot of clarifying, pointing, laughing, and me shaking my head.

We all pretty much lost it for about five minutes. What's a teacher to do?

And yes, at the end of it all, some kids were still oblivious as to what all the laughter was about.

The Cat is Out of the Bag

2011-01-25T22:16:00.004-07:00

That's right. The secret is out.

I know right now you may be thinking, "WHAT did Michelle commit to NOW?"

Chinese-English Immersion is what. That's right. I just couldn't pass it up! My current school is a dual immersion school with English/Chinese. This year there are classes of kinder and first grades that are learning Chinese. Next year, second grade will be added (that's me!), and the next year third grade will begin and so on.

What this looks like:

* SECOND GRADERS. Scary! I hope they don't cry.

* 2 classes, 28 students in each class

* 1/2 day teaching English Language Arts Core with each class

* Students are in Chinese Immersion class the other 1/2 day

* Me gaining a smorgasbord of organizational and time management skills

* More meetings than I'm already involved in

* Me getting to focus more on implementing Language Arts

* Occasionally getting to hear students sing/speak in Chinese--Cute!

What it DOES NOT look like:

* A class full of students from China (These are our regular kiddos.)

* Me speaking Chinese

* Me teaching Chinese (I don't know Chinese!)

* Me getting to extensively teach math concepts

I know that this kind of goes against me taking all these new math classes, but I was given this opportunity, and I can't say no to a challenge! Hopefully it will be a fun and challenging year. This doesn't begin until this school year ends, so the transition will be at the beginning of July. Until then, I'll try to work through my feelings of overwhelming panic and just be happy for this exciting new opportunity!

Lucky Me

2011-01-21T21:41:00.005-07:00

I have a new niece. Lucky me! I feel like I've been waiting to meet her forever, even since before she was born. And I'm still waiting! I hope to be able to visit soon.

She was 5lbs. 1 oz and 17" long. Born 1/15/11. Look how beautiful she is! Tiny, hairy, beautiful!

Arizona

2011-01-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

I've been trekking to Phoenix every now and then to visit family. Mom's down there, and I also have a few step-siblings down that-a-way. Megan and I really get along. Personally, I think it's because we're both so crazy. Or funny. Or both. Anyway, it's fun to visit, especially when I get to see these stinking cute kids. They are the best babies ever!

First up is Megan with her new baby, McEwan. December 27 new. So cute!

Here is one twinner, Ruby. She's the momma's girl. Very detail oriented.

Next up is twin number 2, Lucy. Lulu. She's so silly and has the cutest laugh ever!

Here's the newbie again sporting his custom onesie made by, ehhem, me. :)

The twins playing in the rocks and with chalk. I have no idea why. :)

I can't seem to find my pictures of her oldest, Braxton, who is four. He's also cute! I'll have to look for those. Anyway, Meg and I have a good time just hanging out and taking the kids around. When I go, it's a fun vacation, although not much of a break. :)

Not the Cat Lady

2011-01-13T21:36:00.008-07:00

My single friends and I joke all the time about cats. People assume that just because we're single girls that we like or have anywhere from one to dozens of cats. That we sit around all night, knitting, watching movies, eating chocolate, and petting our kitties. We've all heard of those older, single cat lady types. Good thing I'm allergic.

Anyway, so every once in awhile, the jokes come out. One of my friends got a webkins kitten for her birthday. I know, mean of her brother. The other day while browsing on Etsy, I came across this gem of a picture frame, promising that I'd get it for whoever loved it most:

Seriously? That would have to be one cat lover!

Today, I decided that if I never get married, and by some weird twist of who-knows-what my cat allergy disappears, I will get a cat. A tom cat. Maybe he will look something like one of these gems of nature:

And his name will be Husband.

"Here Husband. Come here Husband. Has anyone seen my Husband?"

Dare you not to laugh. :)

It was either that or Tuna Breath.

Brrr!

2011-01-10T17:23:00.003-07:00

So, it's pretty chilly outside. Some days, we have inside recess. Today, we didn't. But boy, oh boy, was it still super chilly! Usually I let kids stay in if they want to. We had quite the interesting conversation today. Picture me trying to explain to 26 kids how we get a cold from the cold virus, not from being too cold. Simple, yes? No. Not when they still think they can catch a cold from being cold. It was a no-win situation. They still had to go out. :) Fresh air for 10-15 minutes isn't going to kill them.

I Must be Crazy

2011-01-09T19:51:00.003-07:00

I said I was done. Finished. Complete. No more school for me. After two degrees and two endorsements, I'd had enough.

But, here I find myself studying again. I'll be busy doing math for the next little bit. I'll let you know how it goes.

I don't know why I do this to myself.

Someday, I'll figure it out.

Oh, and stay tuned. I just may have a small career move coming in the near future.

TV and Reality=More Real than You Think

2011-01-05T20:10:00.004-07:00

So, tonight while I was making dinner, I just turned on the TV for some noise. Hey, I live alone. Anyway, there was a family comedy on, and this is what I heard.

Mom: Not everything you read on the Internet is true.

Kid: What?! You mean there aren't beautiful singles in my area waiting to meet me? I have to update my blog.

I laughed for a few minutes. So true.

2010 Year in Review

2010-12-31T22:53:00.001-07:00

Well, I figured I should write a quick list of things that have gone on this year. I'll start at the beginning because it seems a very good place to start. :)

I lost two roomies to marriage. Good for them, hard for me. That's life.

I moved home. See above.

I commuted 63 miles one way every day for nearly four months, or I commuted through eight construction zones each day, or I spent three hours each day in the car, or I memorized two CD's, or I drove roughly more than 300 miles a week, OR I spent about $180 in gas each week. Yeah, it's a little crazy. I truly had time to think about this during all those long drives.

I traveled to Phoenix. Yeah . . . I don't know what it is with me and long drives.

After searching near and far, I finally bought a place of my own (the near one).

Spent the better part of a month laying by the pool, reading and soaking up the sun.

Bought my first couch and real bed and dresser. Oh, I love them. Makes me feel grown up.

I finished my first five years of teaching and continued on to a 6th. Yay! I'm not a statistic!

Completed my English as a Second Language endorsement to add to my degrees.

I took a trip to Wales, was mugged of all my money, and lost my passport, without ever leaving the country. Yeah, I was hacked. Don't worry. Hacker: 0, Me: 1.

Lost my sweet, loving Grandma Wood. Saddest day ever.

I drove through California wine country and up the Pacific coast, visited the Redwood Forests and hugged a big tree (lifelong dream!) and saw the beauty of Oregon, and I was able to spend time in Seattle with my brother, Kevin.

I became a bit of a budding photographer.

Bought Miss Molly Mac, one of my better investments. Hello, Mac. Thanks for not crashing! :)

Successfully avoided another Halloween party.

Survived another year of directing the school play. My LAST year. Please remind me of that come oh, August. Please!

I participated in my first craft boutique and did well.

I gained a new nephew. Cutest baby ever.

Lost all my family. Okay, the just moved to California and Arizona. Not lost, just far far away.

I made my first trip to Simi Valley, Hollywood, and the greater Los Angeles area. Not my last.

Spent the holidays in Phoenix visiting family, painting my first set of kitchen cabinets, playing with babies, shopping, and staying warm. Gained another nephew. Lucky me.

I've met some great new people, made some new friends, and had my share of ups and downs.

Nothing too terribly exciting.

Overall, I guess life is good, but I hope that the best is yet to come.

Scaring Myself

2010-12-31T17:19:00.004-07:00

So, there I was. It was between two and three in the morning, and I needed to get a little gas, just to be safe. As I came over the next hill, I saw a Chevron gas station with the pumps lit up. (Aren't 24hr pumps a great thing?!) I pulled in and proceeded to swipe my card, put the nozzle it, etc. I stood there quietly looking around. The place was as still and quiet as an empty building. Now, I compare it to an empty building, but that is only because there was no sound except for the soft elevator music playing at the gas station. I glanced back at the gas pump and became horrified! .53 gallons?! I'd been pumping gas for a few minutes now and .53 gallons was all I had? This was the slowest gas pump in the history of gas pumps. Seriously, it wasn't like there was a rush on gas at the moment or anything. Did I mention it was freezing outside? 20 degrees to be exact. I stood there, pumping gas, and began to look around. There was an older motel, lights off except for the vacancy sign flashing. There was a lone semi with the running lights on, pulled over for the night. Not a soul in sight. A slight fog was also creeping in. I looked back at the gas tank. I now had a total of $4.00 or about a gallon and then some. I looked again at my surroundings and thought to myself, "This is how people get murdered!"

I quickly hung up the gas pump, took my $4.00 receipt, jumped back in my

car, and drove off into the night. It's a good thing I didn't really need that much gas.

I've watched too many scary movies. I scare myself.

On a more humorous note, here's a billboard from that town. No, I didn't take it, just saw it. Someone else took this. Thought we could all use some comic relief.

Here, There, and Everywhere

2010-12-29T22:45:00.003-07:00

I've been traveling. In 35 days, I've been home for 3. It's been fun, but at the same time, it's been exhausting!

I spent the week of Thanksgiving in Monroe, Utah at my sister's house. She had another kidlet. See the previous post on that cute kid.

I was then home for three days to do a boutique. It went well, but I think it could have gone much better. I don't think it was successfully advertised, the location wasn't the best, and it was pretty short notice. Live and learn.

I then headed to Simi Valley, California to help Kristin, Matthew, and Axton unpack their new house. I really enjoyed spending time with them and having a bit of fun, too. We made sugar cookies, caramel popcorn, went to the park (it was like Fall there all over again), played games, and we even went and had lunch on the beach in Malibu. A fab break from the coolness here.

After leaving Simi Valley, I headed to a car dealership to get my transmission fixed. My transmission range sensor to be exact. That's another story. I'll post it.

I drove through the evening hours and arrived in Gilbert, Az about 2 in the morning. I was able to spend from the 14th-27th in Gilbert and Surprise. While there, I went shopping and browsing with my mom, caught a movie, and spent time with my step-sister and her family. I even got to see her brand-spankin-new baby when he was born. Lance came down, and we were able to visit all of his kids during Christmas. It was fun, and the weather was beautiful! Even when it was raining, I thought it was a nice relief from the 75 degrees. Now that I'm back in Utah, and it's a blizzard, I'm not so sure. :)

Story Time:

Car Woes

So, there I was getting gas. As I went to drive off, my car wouldn't drive. It lurched, the engine light came on, and I may or may not have thought angry words. I tried driving forward again, and this time it worked. Not 100 percent oh-that-was-weird worked, but the this-may-get-me-to-a-shop worked.

I drove around the corner to where there just happened to be an AutoZone car parts store. I knew that they did free engine light testing at these stores. (Unfortunately I knew this from prior experience). When I got in the store, I told them why I was there. The man looked at me and was all, "Uh, we don't do that here. They passed a law in California that shops can't do that because dealerships were complaining that they were losing too much money." I said thanks, walked out the door, sat in my car, and cried. Cars make me so emotional.

So, I called the Suzuki hotline and found the nearest certified dealer, 40 minutes away. I followed my GPS there, and I couldn't find it. I looked up and down the street for the name the hotline had given me. No luck. So, I called the phone number that I had for the shop. It was one of those don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-the-entrance shops. Apparently, the shop name had been changed and it wasn't really a Suzuki shop anyway. Nonetheless, they could do repairs.

After speaking to the rep and telling him my situation, it was decided that yes, they could check the engine light, but no, they couldn't work on my car. Not until around 1:30. It was just before 11:30. He said, "See, well, it's almost our lunch, so we can't work on it until later. But there's a waiting room a few blocks down at our showroom if you want to go there." So, they did the diagnostic ($115! (no wonder shops complain about free ones) $52 in Ut.), and yadda, yadda, yadda, it's going to be a little expensive. I said to just fix it. I didn't really have a choice, seeing how I needed to get to Phoenix. I hate cars. So, I told them I was going and would be back at 3:30. That's when they said it would be done, and my phone was dead. I had no intention of sitting around for almost four hours.

I walked down the street, crying. The day had definitely not been what I'd expected. I found a store, bought a drink and some Exedrin, and got myself together. Then, I did what any girl would do. I walked into a nearby salon and got my hair cut. Hair therapy. It was totally worth it. Best money I spent in that expensive day. My long straight hair became layered and a little shorter. I kind of regret it, but it's just hair. I like my new cut, but I just have to find some new hairstyles because I have more short pieces than I'm used to.

Anyway, car seems to be running fine. I made it home safely after 2,000 miles and hours upon hours of driving. I guess that, all in all, my car has been good to me. With almost 90,000 miles in less than 5 years, I've been pretty rough on it. Still, I kind of hate cars.

Deal With It

2010-12-26T17:21:00.003-07:00

So, I've been on vacation for awhile. Since the day before Thanksgiving to be exact. My car is a mess, I have bags and boxes of stuff in random places, and I've completely lost any sense of routine. I'm really ready to get home.

ANYWAY.

So, I've been working on this quilt while I've been in Phoenix. At the beginning of 2009, I signed up to take a sewing block of the month class with my mom. It was five bucks a month, and in December you have a quilt. It all sounds good, until you actually have to make all the blocks. This isn't a beginner quilt, and I am a beginning quilter. I think it would make some intermediate quilters shed a tear or two. Well, I'm proud to say that here it is, two years later, and I'm practically almost done! I still have some hand stitching to do, and I have to get it quilted. I want to learn how to quilt it myself, but that's a discussion I'll have to have with my sane self later.

So, my mom was at work at the clinic, and I was trying to do the second piano key border around my quilt edge. It wasn't working. I texted my mom and told her I needed help. She called on her break. I said something to the fact of, "Mom, this border just isn't working. I think one side of my quilt is like 2 inches longer than the other side." She replied with, "Well, Michelle. Some women have one boob that's bigger than the other. Deal with it."

Thanks for the advice, Mom. :)

Oh, and don't worry. I dealt with it.

A Snippet of My Year

2010-12-23T17:51:00.001-07:00

Another Holiday Baby

2010-12-03T00:09:00.003-07:00

My sister loves having her babies around holidays. No kidding. Oct. 25 (Pretty close to Halloween), Feb. 29th (Hello Leap Year!), and this cute little guy was born on Nov. 24, and, coincidentally, his birthday will be on Thanksgiving next year and I'm sure for many more. Anyway, I took some newborn photos of him and his long skinny self. I miss his skinny legs already.

Boutique Stuff

2010-12-01T22:07:00.003-07:00

By request, here are two things I'm selling at the boutique. Adjustable baby/toddler dresses and painted signs of all sorts. I have about 30 dresses but just chose a couple.

Shameless Advertising

2010-11-30T21:54:00.003-07:00

Look! It's a boutique, and I'll be selling cute stuff at it. Come one, come all! If I see your smiling face, I'll probably give a discount. I'm nice like that. Plus, a portion of the proceeds go to benefit the Youth Impact Center. You can finally shop for a cause without buying something pink.

Hobby or Business?

2010-11-16T23:21:00.003-07:00

I'm selling some of my crafty things at a boutique.

It frightens me quite a bit.

I do not know why.

I have a ton of work to do now that I've committed.

Rings, necklace pendants, hair clips/headbands, stenciled glass, coasters.

A mesh of beautiful things. At least I think they are beautiful.

Nothing on the line but my pride.

Wish me luck! :)

Winter

2010-11-09T07:36:00.002-07:00

I love winter. I really do! But sometimes, it just seems to run up and kick me in the shins.

My Alter Ego

2010-11-04T00:35:00.000-06:00

. . . is always crafting.

Sometimes it's crocheting up a storm, or at least several unfinished projects. Other times my sewing machine is putting out smoke. Then, for days I end up picking modge podge or epoxy out of my fingernails. It's never-ending, and I love it.

Love it!

I could do this all day and night. Literally. I've been getting to sleep kind of late these days. Here's what I've been up to:

I've also sewn several cute girlie onesies, but I'm not going to post them because surprises are fun! I sewed two outfits for the twinners in Arizona. I've made a few skirts for my niece, Zoe (like the first picture, but all different), and even refashioned a men's shirt into a girl's dress! That one gets its own post. I also made some cute coasters, painted a mirror, and am currently in the process of stenciling some designs for decorating my place. I'm so excited to show those off!

My point is that I could live in the craft store. Maybe Ben Franklin? Live there. For years. I can spend hours in there, not buy anything, and leave totally happy as if everything in the world is good again.

Except my sleep schedule. I'd rather create than sleep. As evidenced by the late hour of this post.

Oh, Alter Ego, I love you and loathe you.

Miss the Most

2010-11-01T21:20:00.001-06:00

You know what I miss the most about being a kid on Halloween? Trading Halloween candy.

I Should've Walked Away

2010-10-30T22:40:00.009-06:00

Today, I really wanted a truck. Or some brains. Something.

So, this morning I decided to venture down to IKEA to look at their as is section. I was hoping to find some wood to do a project (seeing as how I'm feeling super crafty lately) to decorate my living/dining area. I didn't find any. I should have left it at that and walked right out of the store. But, it was raining, so I decided to browse just a little longer.

I stumbled upon this great shoe holder or cute sideboard for my dining area.

I looked it over, pulled out the drawers, walked away, came back, and then called for a second opinion. I know, I know. I'm a big girl, but I just like to talk it out. See, I don't need it, and have a hard time making large purchases (I just have to say here that yes, I needed a new computer) and justifying them. Why? Because it's just stuff. I don't need stuff. After talking to my mom and deciding that 1-I love decorating, 2-I spend a fair amount of time at my home, 3-It's okay to find some joy in life and this furniture may bring me a bit of joy, and spending probably upwards of an hour looking it over, I decided to buy it. It was a great deal! 50% off! Plus, I figured my time saved putting one together was more than enough reason to buy it already assembled. Done and done!

Pushing the cart out the door, it was pouring. A complete downpour. Cloudy with a more than a chance of meatballs downpour. I got wet just looking at the rain.

I backed my car into a loading zone space and began rearranging my seats to fit this in. No matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't fit. I didn't anticipate this. I've moved dozens of times and have always found a way. Mind you, it wouldn't fit by about 1/4" or less. A minuscule amount! After three strangers trying to help and looking at me like I was crazy, I knew I needed to do something different. Oh, and did I mention I also bought this STEAL for .99 cents! Woot! So, I had to fit that in the car somehow, too. My plan was to slide the sideboard in the back, then the door up through the back and over the sideboard. My math brain and spacial planning skills totally failed me today.

After four or five attempts to get this in the car from every direction, I decided it was time to just take it apart. Mind you, it has been pouring buckets this whole time. And people are looking at me with that sad you'll-never-get-that-in-your-car look. I had more than one person tell me that, and several tell me that I should get a truck. Anyway, so I went into IKEA and borrowed a screwdriver. I then followed my own water trail back out of the store in an attempt to disassemble the piece (which I was ticked about anyway because it wasn't that simple). I thought I would take the top off and that elusive 1/4" would find its way back to me and *poof!* It would fit.

Not so.

I couldn't get the thing apart! In all fairness, I think it's glued. :l

I walked my soaking wet self back into the store, returned the screwdriver, and asked if they had some rope. Don't ask me why I didn't think of this before. I just didn't.

I put the door in the car through the trunk as planned. Then, I threw some cardboard on the top of my car, rolled down the windows, and got about 30 feet of twine from the box on the wall. Yep, they have boxes on the wall with twine. Right there in my eyesight this whole time. Really, I think I would have thought of this sooner had it not been pouring, or if I had a roof rack, or a truck, or a man.

I took out the drawers and put them in the car and then lifted this on to my roof. I figure I've been in the 15 minute loading zone for oh, close to an hour now. In the rain. Soaking wet. Seriously, it's a good thing I had on a belt, but those flip flops this morning weren't a good choice.

It only took me about ten minutes to tie the whole thing down and get it super secure. Perfect! Then, I went to get in my car to roll the windows up . . . I'd tied my door shut. Total rookie mistake. I couldn't even get in through the window because it was only part way down. I may have looked super defeated and glanced around with the I-hope-nobody-else-is-watching-this look. Fortunately, I only had to undo the rope about three steps to fix this problem. Success!

After a total of about 2 or so hours at IKEA, I pulled out of the parking lot praying that I could make it home without furniture flying off my roof. I drove from 123rd to 33rd on surface streets, just in case. I had visions of how easy the twine was to cut at IKEA, and in my brain, I thought "What if the windows are cutting the twine right now?! Finally, as it started to pour even more, I just decided to get on the freeway and get home.

I got home, got everything up to my condo, and I'm excited to see how everything turns out. Yay! So, Ha! to all those people who told me I couldn't do it. The only casualties of the day include my soaking wet car seats, my soaking wet self, and a little bit of my pride.

All the Halloween Fun I Can Handle

2010-10-30T10:00:00.001-06:00

Friday night Kristin, Matthew, and Axton came down for dinner, games, and a movie. We had pizza with drinks, Kristin and I did some crafting (see below), played several rounds of Guess Who? (Axton calls this his game), took turns winning and losing at Sequence and did popcorn and a movie. It was pretty fun for a Friday night.

I've been doing a few Halloween crafts to help my love of Halloween grow. For those of you who don't know, I hate Halloween. I think I just hate the costumes and such. Maybe this comes from college. It's the only day of the year that people can dress however they want--or I guess not wear anything--and get away with it. Any other day of the year, they'd be arrested. On Halloween, wear hardly anything but underwear, and it's called a costume. Creeps me out.

Anyway, so even though our night was just a regular night, here's how it became a little more reminiscent of the oh-so-creepy holiday of Halloween.

My friends Jen and Emily came over a few weeks ago, and we painted these pumpkins. They are fake and can be used year after year! I painted a swirly tree, moon, spiders, and a cat.

Scary Straws! Axton loved his scary straw. Matthew, Kristin, and I, however, mostly tried to keep soda from coming out our noses. :)

We used these coasters for our drinks. Kristin and I made them last weekend.

They make me giggle.

We made some cute everyday ones for our own houses, too!

I printed off these labels from a website. Can't recall which one, but they were fun on the drinks!

I made these a few weeks ago, one for each of my sisters, my mom, and myself. Kristin helped me paint the glitter on the frames. Kind of silly. :)

Because I Like My Toes

2010-10-26T23:02:00.002-06:00

Oh, the joys of home ownership. Really, I've been lucky and haven't had any problems. But, as the snow started to fall, I figured I better turn on the furnace so there could be some heat around this place. Furnace on. Check! Hot air? Hello? Hot air? No hot air. Sad day.

So, I did what any single girl who has no idea about furnaces would do: Googled a repair company. There was one right down the street! He came, he looked, and he said, "Hope you don't need heat tonight."

Good thing I have that fireplace. It's much more useful than just being cozy watching movies.

Long story short--okay, it's a short story--is that I need a new part. He's going to come back and fix it tomorrow. I have no idea what it will cost, but my guesstimate is somewhere around $200. It could be a lot worse. Let's hope that it's not!

New Hobby

2010-10-12T23:29:00.011-06:00

I'm into photography. Lately, kids and babies. Love it! Here are some pics from recent shoots. I think they are the cutest kids in the world. I could be a little prejudiced, but that's because I'm their favorite aunt. More to come, but for now I promised I wouldn't ruin any surprises, gifts, etc. I really enjoy this hobby, and I'm thinking of branching out a bit. It's two things that I love, together! Kids + Photography. I really enjoy editing the photos, playing with lighting and colors, antiquing photos, cropping shots, etc. Stay tuned for upcoming baby photography.

FAIR WARNING: If you are related to the Fifield or the Madsen families, you may want to skip this post. I only posted 3 photos out of 200+ and 6 of 400+, so take your odds. I don't want to be the spoiler of any surprises, gifts, etc., but I do want to show what I've been up to lately.

You've been warned . . .

At our last location, I said, "Show me some attitude." She replied with, "I don't have attitude," and struck this pose.

. . . which turned into this face. Can you tell someone's tired?

This girl has grown like a weed. She's beautiful.

Love those eyes. And this kid.

A walk in the park

This kid posed himself for this. I told him it was his turn, he sat, put his little leg up, looked at the camera, and this is what we got. Love it!

Little Miss Long Limbs

He said, "Wow. Look at those really tall cows."

This kid can never keep his pants up. Axton, eat more snacks!

Just taking a break (or so he thought) on the playground.

Such a thoughtful kid!

Age Old Problem Unsolved

2010-10-03T13:34:00.002-06:00

So, I recently decided to go through my sock drawer, toss the ones filled with holes, match the wanderers, and try to make sure everyone had a mate. I did pretty well, with about five socks being loners at the end. Here's the thing that bothers me the most: they weren't white! Usually, all the socks that have lost their matches should be white, at least in my mind. This happens because over time, when I can't find a sock, I just find two that are close and put them together. For example, they might be the exact same cut and style, just a different color thread on the toe. Still good as a pair. Anyway, wearing socks like this is bound to cause mismatches. However, I started buying only colored or patterned socks a few years back because then each sock had one--and only one--match. They were easy to pair up. Now I have five mismatched socks. No pair possible. Where do these socks go? I've checked all baskets, around the washer and dryer, and just about everywhere (well, except where the match is, which apparently isn't here at my house). Looks like I'll be wearing mismatched patterned socks. I can't bring myself to throw them away. Apparently, it's the new thing. There's a website, or several, that sells ONLY mismatched socks. How cool is that!

Pacific Coast 2010

2010-09-26T22:44:00.003-06:00

During my off track time this September, I took a weekly road trip through Reno, Sacramento, Fort Bragg, and up along the coast of California. I went through Oregon, and then to Seattle. From Seattle, I came back to Portland and back home through Boise. I went by myself and camped along the coast, sometimes staying in hotels. It was fun to just be able to drive, stopping when I wanted, eating where I wanted, and spending as much time where I wanted to spend it. A great adventure.

Create a free slideshow design

My Sweet Grandma

2010-09-26T00:34:00.000-06:00

I've been away from the blogging world for a bit. A lot has happened. There will be some back-blogging going on. One major thing that has happened lately is the passing of my dear, sweet Grandma Wood.

Grandma had been struggling with end stage Alzheimer's Disease (or at least the doctors think that was it--not entirely sure) for the past 2 1/2 years. It's been heart-wrenching to watch her go through this. Looking back, I can recall the day when I went to visit her and she didn't know who I was. This was the first time of many that this would happen, but it was devastating to me. Grandma and I have always been so much alike. Anyway, I cried all the way home. Then I cried some more to my mom on the phone, and then I went and spent like $150 on new clothes. A little retail therapy I guess.

Over the time she was sick, it seemed that sometimes she had no clue, and other times, Grandma would know exactly who I was. A month or two before she passed, I was visiting her, and as I went to leave I kissed her on the forehead and said, "See you later. I love you." Grandma sweetly replied, "See you later, and I love you, too." I was shocked! This is the first time I had heard her speak in quite awhile, and it would also be the last. It's a great memory for me, for somewhere deep inside of her sick body, I know her sweet spirit was still there. Of course, being the girl I am, I cried all the way home. Don't worry, I didn't stop at any stores.

It's been a heartbreaking process, mostly learning to let go. Letting go of hopes that I had to have my grandma at those milestones in my life. Sisters, I am jealous of you. I wanted to have her there at my future wedding, holding my babies, and celebrating with me. Sharing with her the trips I've been on and places I've visited. I wanted to have her visit my new place, my home. Changing those realities has been hard, but I know that I've been so blessed to have her a part of my life for as long as I did.

I have wonderful memories of my time spent with Grandma. I remember riding in the camper on trips to Bear Lake, playing cards and eating red licorice. Riding in the station wagon, standing on the seats and singing crazy songs. Going to the park down the street to play for hours--Grandma never seemed to mind how long we were there. Playing games of Sorry!, Trouble, Pick-Up-Sticks, and Boggle. To this day, I can't play Boggle without thinking of Grandma. We spent hours looking at old photo albums and having Grandma tell about them. We counted pennies in the penny jar. We spent hours trying on all her clip-on earrings and long necklaces. Grandma always tucked us in for the night and made up bedtime stories that usually involved a frozen pond and ice skating. In the mornings, it was breakfast to order. She would always make us whatever we wanted. Oatmeal, toast and jam, waffles, or french toast. All with a side of orange juice, which we never drank.

Grandma was always dressed up and put together, complete with red lipstick and a purse containing pink Extra bubblegum. You could always ask for a piece. Grandma used to make caramel popcorn just for me because she knew I loved it so. Her recipe is still the best ever.

I always knew that family was important to Grandma. Along with Grandpa, she was always at any important event in my life--from my blessing to my graduate degree graduation--and made me feel so important. Cards, phone calls, visits, and birthdays. Cutting--and laminating--articles about me she came across in the paper. She was always showing she cared.

Oh, how I miss her sweet smile and laugh.

Her tender hugs and kisses on the cheek.

That bright red lipstick smile.

And I know that someday, I will see her again.

I'm Back!

2010-09-20T20:31:00.000-06:00

I know, I know. My blog has been missing me. Thanks for the calls and concerns. But, I have big news!

I got a new computer! Yay!

Remember, oh last Decemberish, when I smashed my computer screen? That computer has been basically unusable for awhile now. So, after much deliberation and internal struggle, I've purchased a computer that I think I'll be happy with for many, many years to come.

Meet Miss Molly Mac.

It's true. I'm a Mac owner. Yes, there is going to be a slight learning curve, but I'm adjusting quickly. I'm going to have a really hard time putting it down or away or whatever. Really. I'm going to have to schedule in my computer time so that it doesn't take over my life. I'm perfectly okay with that.

Woopsies

2010-08-11T18:37:00.000-06:00

It's kind of like I forgot that I had a blog. I've been disconnected. Literally. No internet connection at home for awhile. I have it now, but I just don't care. It could be that I'm super busy with work, school, and life. It could be that my computer screen is smashed to spidery smithereens, and I can't stand to use my computer very long. Please forgive me. I'll try to be better.

I Don't Know Why

2010-08-11T13:55:00.000-06:00

Red was a very elderly man--in his 90's I'm sure--who always came into the Sugar House Sizzler when I was a waitress there during college. He had a wonderful voice but a terrible memory. When Red would come and sit in my section, without doubt another server would come over and say to him, "Red, I don't think Michelle has heard your song." Red would then begin signing this song by Hank Locklin. He wouldn't just sing, he would get up and dance, too. After, he would tell you about his sweet wife (who was deceased) and show you her picture. I just had this song on my mind today and thought of Red. :) I can't even find the song on Youtube, or I would share it.

I don't know why I love you like I do;
I don't know why I just do.
I don't know why you thrill me like you do;
I don't know why you just do.
You never seem to want my romancing;
the only time you hold me is when we're dancing.
I don't know why I love you like I do;
I don't know why, I just do.

Statistics

2010-07-19T13:26:00.000-06:00

I'm starting year 6 of teaching. SIX! Take that! I've made it through my first five years of teaching. Most new teachers quit within the first five years. Believe me, there are times I've wanted to. Wahoo! I'm not just another statistic.

Random Pictures

2010-06-22T16:34:00.000-06:00

Yeesh. All these pictures have been living in my camera or phone. Now, here they are for your viewing pleasure, in no particular order. I'd like to do more of these, when my life is more orderly. ;)

Customize your own free slideshow design

Home Again Jiggety Jig

2010-05-19T23:41:00.000-06:00

Or, just finally home. So, I've moved! And I like you enough to show it to you. I finally made the plunge and bought my first place. Maybe plunge is the wrong word, since it's a third floor walk-up, and it wasn't necessarily as easy as jumping in. Anyway, I signed on May 11, and I have been spending all my off-track time moving in and making the place my own. Actually, I'm still moving things around and making the place my own. I'll probably be doing that for a few months to come. I have so many ideas, and oh-so-little time to make them all a reality. But, here's a sneak peak of my new place with pictures from the listing of when I bought it. If you want to see the real deal, well then give me a call and come on over!

Cabo Cruising

2010-05-08T15:58:00.000-06:00

April 9-15, I went on a cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with some of my friends. It was very fun, although getting sea sick was probably the least exciting part. We had some fun times, ate delicious food, and played in Cabo. My favorite activity was riding four wheelers on the beach, Migrino Beach, on the Pacific Ocean side of Cabo. It was extremely beautiful, and I didn't mind the driving fast part either. I've been reprimanded for not blogging for awhile, so to apprease the readers, here are some pictures from that trip. More to come in the near future when I can sort through the hundreds of pictures that everyone took.

Denise and I sporting our four-wheeling gear. We are going to be on the Amazing Race someday.

Emily and I riding in the backseat of the car. We spent a lot of time together. :)

Taking in the view from one of the decks onboard the ship. Good thing nobody pushed me overboard.

Yes, that is a cooked snail that I'm about to put into my mouth. It was actually pretty good. Tasted like chicken. . . or mushrooms. ;)

Emily and I showing off the exquisite view from our cabin. I think it's hilarious they even spent money on a curtain!

On our tour of the Cabo harbor, we saw this little guy, hanging out by himself. He looked dead, but he wasn't.

One of the views on the tour of the Cabo harbor. The water was beautiful! The other side of the arch is the Pacific Ocean.

Frozen in Time

2010-04-17T20:42:00.000-06:00

Just thought I'd upload a few pictures that have been living in my camera for awhile. Most of them are pretty recent, well, at least from 2010. :)

The February/March Birthday Party

Everyone had a set of candles: Jenni, Dante, Nan, Axton, and Tony. Dante lost no time blowing his out. Notice he's pretty proud of himself.

The Madsen Family Sealing, Jordan River Temple, March 6, 2010

Double Trouble

Scott and Mike

Seriously, every time I hold this kid he thinks that he's going to stay and his mom's going to leave him. That's what I get for watching him for a week. Geesh!

Last but not least (for a moment anyway), my students. We made silly-eyed glasses for a fun day activity. I almost peed my pants. :)

Time

2010-03-28T23:39:00.000-06:00

Time is a precious thing to me. I've been wasting a lot of it. A LOT. Driving three hours a day. It's ridiculous. Needless to say, I haven't been taking time to blog. Or anything else for that matter. I've got to do something about it soon. Preferably before I fall asleep on the freeway, have a tire blowout, get a speeding ticket, or totally lose it from lack of sleep. If you would have asked me six months ago where I would be now, this would not have been it. Not even close. Funny how that works.

Brain Cramp

2010-02-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a project. Hours of reading and looking and writing and who knows what. Its hurting my brain, just a little. The end. :)

Ice Castle

2010-02-19T14:11:00.001-07:00

A Story

2010-02-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Once there were two friends who decided to go get a Krispy Kreme donut. After much debate, Jeannie picked her cinnamon donut while Michelle picked her maple iced, a classic. The donuts were put in a box to eat when the friends went back home to watch a movie. On the way home, however, Michelle (who was driving) had to stop and fill up the gas tank. As she is filling the tank, she hears the familiar click of car doors locking. She glances over to see Jeannie, locked in the car, taking a generous bite out of her donut! Michelle's maple iced donut! Jeannie's excuse? The maple iced just smelled and looked so good.

Moral of the story?
Don't leave Jeannie alone in the car with a box of donuts.

The Best!

2010-02-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

So, the other day, I wasn't feeling very good at work. All in all, I was just kind of having a bad day. I had been emailing Misty back and forth that day talking about all sorts of nonsense. Anyway, guess what shows up for me at work? I have the sweetest friend EVER! Misty, thanks for making my day!

A Little Sad

2010-01-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

Surprise! I'm moving. We all are. Marriages are a good thing, right? I wish them luck, but I will miss my roomies! More than I can even express. I hate this new adventure, but I guess everything happens for a reason. Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. I will miss late nights talking as we sit on the kitchen counters. The spot by the stairs. Piling on the bed to all watch a movie or talk about far fetched plans, dreams, and ridiculous things. Canoeing trips, Park City retreats, concerts, Idaho trips, the occasional party, Boggle and Sequence. Tiffany scaring me in the dark hallway. Mitzi's blow dryer as my alarm clock. Driving and singing in the car with Kimberly. Playing the guitar with Shanley. I feel like my little family is being split apart. Like we're orphans being sent to different parents. It makes me really sad and my eyes just keep leaking. A lot. Good thing we have plans already to hang out, but somehow it's just not the same. Girls, I love your guts and will miss living with you more than you'll ever know! I heart you!

Humbled

2010-01-14T23:51:00.000-07:00

It's kind of been a crappy week. Things just have been out of whack. But today, as I was watching the news, I watched them report about the devastation in Haiti. They showed a primary school that was as flat as a pancake. 700 students were inside, and there was no activity or movement. They are all considered dead. I started bawling right then and there. Things could be worse, always. Things are just things, and money is worthless. I am seriously blessed beyond belief.

Dear 2010

2010-01-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

I hate you. You've been nothing but stressful. Full of resolutions, unexpected expenses, doctor visits, car repairs, broken parts, moving worries, and now a smashed laptop screen. And that's in 12 days. Go back where you came from.

I know, right?! What does it make me want to do? I know! I'll put it in a box. Then I'll put that box in another box. Then I'll mail it to myself, and when it arrives, muaahahahaaa, I'll smash it with a hammer! Warranty should cover that, right?

Cured

2010-01-11T23:46:00.001-07:00

Nine days. It's been nine days since I've had any carbonated or caffeinated beverage. Today was a little difficult, but then I read an article online at ksl.com. Apparently, forty-eight percent of soda fountains (the best kind of soda) are contaminated with fecal matter. I'm miraculously cured from wanting soda. And that was even before they mentioned E. coli and meningitis. Cured.