Sticky

Yep. It's true. I gave all the kiddos suckers. They loved them, even though they were quite the sticky mess. Notice Axton's red shirt. All those dark lines are sucker juice dripping down his chin. :)

You Know You're a Dork When . . .

You love brand new socks. Spankin new. LOVE them!
You can't tell a good joke because you laugh before the punch line.
You reply to most comments or questions with song lyrics.
Signs with bad grammar make you cringe.
You're asked, "Are you a night owl?" and reply with, "Whoooo? Me?"

I could go on forever with this list . . . although I've just realized I probably shouldn't.

To Each Her Own

At Family Home Evening, we made gingerbread houses. Well, that was what we were supposed to make.

I had no desire to make one. None. So instead, I made this:

People scoffed, laughed, and said that it was a lazy man's gingerbread house.

What can I say?

I really like camping.

Ouch!

I am a bad educator. I checked my little brother out of school today to go snowboarding. With all the snow this weekend, could there have been a more perfect time? I think not! Hey, he is 17 and a good student. Life is short!


Usually, I'm a skier, but have a secret desire to be a snowboarder. Yep, it's true. I just think they look so much cooler! Sorry, skiers! In all honesty, I've wanted to try snowboarding for awhile. So when Michael said he would teach me, I didn't give checking him out of school a second thought.


What was I thinking?!


Snowboarding is much harder than I thought! Actually, it's pretty easy to get going--going fast! The problem that I had was stopping. That and running into every snowbank imaginable! Here is the only bad cell phone picture of the day. It's me buried up to my chest in powder trying to dig my way out. Don't worry! I had help from the ski patrol. Yep, it's true. I really did have a good time. I think I'm going to have to try it again. Sooner or later. Maybe later. Don't worry, I wasn't hurt. Mostly just my pride. Ouch.




I am wearing black pants. Please notice you can't see them. My legs were buried. "Swim," they shouted! It didn't work too well. I did manage to get my board off before burying my legs. I felt like it was my life preserver in the vast snowy ocean. :) Oh, and the orange tape is the out of bounds marker. Woops!

Dreams

I hardly EVER remember my dreams. Seriously, when I do, it's a miracle. Most of the time, I dream, wake up, and as soon as I open my eyes, *poof* gone. I've been having really weird dreams this week. These are from the past three nights. I can only remember four of the five, and I have a feeling the one I can't remember was the best, but here they are for your wonder.

Dream #1: Michael and I went snowboarding. Michael knocked his teeth out. We were at the dentist getting them fixed. The end.
I told my mom about this, and she said we weren't allowed to go anymore. We're going tomorrow. :)

Dream #2: I was with a friend riding on a double decker bus in a foreign country in Europe. We were about two hours from where we needed to be. It was night, and we were in a small city. Then, all the sudden, bombs were going off everywhere. Someone took us off the bus, and guided us down into a building and proceeded to take us down several flights of stairs to a shelter. Even though it was several levels down, there was a window we could see out of. Everyone was worried and didn't know what to do. I pulled out my phone and said, "Hey, I have service. I'll call my mom." The end.
Weird, I know.

Dream #3: This is the one I can't remember, but when I woke up, I remember thinking I'd already accomplished a lot and it was only 5 am!

Dream #4: I was camping somewhere and there was a bear up a tree, watching me. I proceeded to poke the bear with a stick until it became upset and started to climb down to come after me. I proceeded to run. The end.

Dream #5: For some reason, I have to take a college PE class. Let's just forget that I have a masters degree. Anyway, I'm with another girl and we have two small children with us. We're driving around down at the University of Utah (something else I've never done). It's a downpour--raining like crazy! For some reason, she has to leave, and I have these two children that I have to get across the street. I get soaked. I don't know what happens to the children after that. Next thing I know, I'm trying to find parking in this small lot of about ten cars. I park and go into this building. Inside, it's like a gymnastics studio. There is a girl standing there, stretching, and she asks me if she should document her bruises. I'm looking at her, and she has prosthetic legs. Clear ones that you can see right through, so it kind of looks like she is floating there. I am trying to find someone to ask about the class. Finally I figure out I'm in the wrong building. The end.

Other dreams I have include being struck by lightening, dying, and repeating this three times, and I don't really remember my dreams. Hum. I am going to try to write them down more often, although they never make sense! The end.

Off-Trackness

What have I been doing with myself, you wonder? Well, I've been doing WHATEVER the HECK I WANT! Yep, that's the way I roll when I'm off track. I heart not having to work until January!

I spent a week in Phoenix, Arizona visiting family there and getting to know them a little better. Caught up with a few old friends, and even had the chance to see the Mesa Temple. The weather was wonderful--my perfect temperature--at between 60 and 70 degrees. What's the temperature right now? 2. Yep, that's right. As I sit here typing this, it's a chilly 2 degrees outside. Wow. I tell you what. Wow. I love the snow and sweater weather, but I'm kind of missing Phoenix.

After Phoenix, I headed to Las Vegas where I enjoyed a night of singing and dancing to The Cranberries. I went with some friends from out of state. We all met in Vegas and enjoyed the concert, some shopping, good food, and fun. Don't worry, no gambling here! :)

This week, I've just been cleaning, hanging out with friends, a little work, and spending some time with the family. Mike and I have made caramel popcorn and plans to go snowboarding. Finally, my little brother can teach me something! :) Just kidding. I've learned a lot from him already.

Attitude

So, I've been in a funk lately. I've just kind of had a bad attitude about life in general. Being Thanksgiving and all, I'm going to try to remedy this by making a listy-list of small, silly, and random things I am grateful for. I am blessed beyond measure. Here goes.

Family and friends, even the crazy ones. I heart all your faces.
A car--to get to work, to get home, to see the world
My cell phone and computer. I love talking to my family each day.
Music. It lifts my spirits. Who doesn't like singing in the car?
Fall leaves and sweater weather
The beautiful mountains and scenic places of Utah
The gospel and my cute ward
Contacts. Wow. I tell you what. Wow.
The best roomies ever
Axton, Zoe, and Dante
A wonderful job and class that I love
The ability to play the piano, guitar, and violin
My freaking fantastic educational opportunities
The chances I've had to travel near and far
A good, hot shower
Service that blesses my life and the lives of others
Comedy and laughter. Need I say more?
Sleeping in on a weekday morning
Mom's waffles for breakfast
Gazing up at the night sky
Reading and finishing a good book
An exciting date
Spending time with those I love

Poetry, Poetry

I made my students write one, so I wrote one, too.

I Am
By Michelle Marie Husbands 2009

I am from warm almond poppy seed bread,
From Best Ever Cookies baking in the oven,
From mixing bowls, spoons, cookies and cakes,
From Mom’s homemade lasagna and stroganoff,
And family sitting on the kitchen counter to talk.

I am from wide open spaces, sagebrush, and dust
From small town living and nosey neighbors who care,
From a small yellow brick home, 3000 square feet, and small apartments,
From warm and cozy linens on a cold night,
And always finding a place to call home.

I am from the majestic Rocky Mountains and lush, green pastures to red rock deserts,
From the somewhat unpredictable greatest snow on Earth,
From Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon, and camping in the great outdoors,
From inland and overseas traveling adventures
And the Beehive State who welcomes all.

I am from twenty generations of foreign blood.
From English, Irish, Scottish, and Swedish heritage,
From pioneers, insurance salesmen, mothers, and nurse practitioners
From hardworking people who love their families and God,
And from a long legacy of faith and religion.

I am from the land of freedom, America the beautiful
From a variety of cultures and customs, each special and unique
From a land of work that brings opportunity
From a country who overcomes and helps others
And where respect is given to everyone.

I am from a crazy, mixed up, and loving family.
From brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, parents and step-parents
From dinners, movies, and popcorn at Grandma and Grandpa’s
From dinners, shopping, games, and adventures together
And from happily ever after where there is room for all.

Last Year

Words Cannot Describe

. . . how terrible this movie was. At the beginning, I thought I'd give it the benefit of the doubt. Bad move. This movie was so horrible, I wanted my money back. I wanted my money back, and then some. People should actually probably be paid to see this movie. I don't know if any amount of money in the world would be enough to make me see it again. Even if I was able to sleep through it. About every five minutes, I wanted to walk out of the theater, except I didn't because I had a little hope in Hollywood. Wrong thing to have hope in. Not that the movie was inappropriate, because it wasn't, but it was just so incredibly stupid. It seriously makes me wonder about how someone was thinking, "Hey, this is a great idea for a movie," and then a bunch of other people said, "Yeah. That sounds like a blockbuster." Seriously? Then, of course, the trailer people make the movie actually look good. What's a girl to do? I guess read more reviews? I rarely go to movies anyway, but this certainly was a bad choice. Do not see the movie The Box.

Not My Kind of Culture

So, for my ELL (English Language Learners) class that I'm taking, I have to attend four cultural events around the area that are outside of my culture. That's not as easy as I first thought. The instructors gave us a link to the Salt Lake County website where so-called "Cultural Events" are posted. It only took me moments to realize that these weren't my type of culutral events, even though they did fall outside of my culture. Two of my choices included a film screening of My Neighbor, My Killer and an informational night: Hepatitis Information and Bingo! Thrilling choices, I know. I'm just going to have to look a little bit more, although I'm extremely disappointed I missed these opportunities.

Camping

So, over Halloween when everyone else in the state was dancing like crazy to silly music, I was freezing my butt off camping in Moab. I had a fantastic time with my friend, Denise, but it was a bit chilly. And there was even a bird in our tent! We named him Fredrick. It was my first experience with a tent heater, and I was very skeptical, although it's probably the only thing that kept my fingers from frostbite. We camped up a canyon, drove through parts of Arches, and hiked Negro Bill Canyon. It was beautiful. I can't believe I forgot about it, but here are some of the pictures. Yes, I know I'm a dork. I'm embracing my dorkiness!

Ridiculous!

Sometimes I find myself awkward. :) For example, I can't put on my mascara or put in my contacts without opening my mouth. Eyes open, mouth open. Ridiculous. I also can't swish with mouth rinse and take out my contacts at the same time. I find myself stopping the swishing while my finger goes into my eyeball to grab my contact. I can't quite figure it out because it's not like the motion of my finger is connected to the swishing of my mouth. Anyway, I figure it's like the whole walk and chew gum thing, which, I guess by pure luck, I can do!

The strange things I think about when I'm getting ready for bed.
Am I the only one?

Not My Babies, But I Love Them as if They Are

Watching the rain . . .

Our Cheesiest Grins

Just Me and the Boys

My Zoe Girl

A Phone Conversation I had with Zoe:

Zoe: Hi Shelley.

Me: What are you doing?

Zoe: I'm shopping. Guess what?

Me: What is it?

Zoe: (Screaming in excitement) We bought donuts!

Me: You what?

Zoe: (Screaming a little less): We bought donuts!

Me: Those will be yummy! Guess what I'm doing?

Zoe: What is it?

Me: I'm shopping for a birthday!

Zoe: *Gasps*

Me: A girl's birthday that's coming up soon.

Zoe: *Gasps*

Me: What might a girl want for her birthday?

Zoe: (Screams) Everything! Bye, Shelley, Love you!

At which point Jenni takes the phone and tells me Zoe really does want everything. How cute!

Because Sometimes I Need a Laugh

So, the other night I was out with a bunch of friends. We were going to a formal dance in our party dresses, and therefore, nobody had pockets. Well, I did want to take a piece of gum with me, so I put it in my bra (along with a few other things). Somewhere down the evening, I mentioned something about, "Oh, it's in my second purse," to which a girl replied, "Oh, your brocket?" I about died laughing right there. I don't know why, but that word just makes me giggle. Now, I know there may be some very confused men out there right now (if there are any reading this, that is). So, here's the definition of a brocket, provided by urbandictionary.com. It also makes me laugh.
BROCKET: When one uses their bra as a pocket, it is called a "brocket". A common requirement to having a brocket is to have boobs.
Man: Can you carry my cell? Woman: I don't have any pockets. Man: Put it in your brocket.

Have a great day! :)