Update

So this was a few weeks ago...

So life as an intern is ridiculously busy and on Friday I just about had a breakdown. I had just had a meeting with my Facilitator (Mentor teacher) and found that I had 3-4 observations next week between Tuesday and Thursday. One by a BYU person and two from my principal. Then I went and had a meeting with my team and they filled me in on an assembly, kids marketplace, PLC times were being changed because of Parent teacher conferences coming up. On top of that I am in the middle of my teacher work sample, my TELL practicum (Certification for teaching English Learners), Math Benchmarks due on the 7th and a new end of year testing program starting on March 10th. I had to grade the tests from the week but I also had to plan some amazing lessons for these observations and make sure that I am meeting the needs of my students. In other words everything was coming at once and I was feeling extremely stressed. On the ride home I heard this song and I think it was playing just for me on that moment! ;)

Fast forward a few weeks...

Today I had what I hope is my last BYU evaluation as an intern... If not, I will survive. Then I got home and got an email about ordering a cap and gown for graduation. I got so giddy looking at everything for graduation. I was looking at announcements, and rings (I never got a class ring from high school), and caps and gown information (but there isn't much variety there). Then I got onto my BYU account and looked at my standing for graduation. It is so exciting to see all the "Completes" and only two "In Progress" notifications (My TELL Practicum and Internship) and I just want to point out I AM GRADUATING COLLEGE!!!!! I know that lots of people do it but I have always been so proud of myself for getting there and finishing. I have never been a decisive person but I knew when I signed up for college that I would finish it and yes it has been hard and there have been plenty of times that I have been sick of everything, but I can happily say that in April I will be Graduating from Brigham Young University with a B.S. in Elementary Education, a minor in TESOL, and a minor in Music!!!!!! ... and now I feel like this is the video for me! ;)

Also, my kiddo's are doing their wax museum tomorrow. Being the person that I am I told them to make their presentations interesting so I don't eat chips during their presentation... I showed the video first so they got the reference

Lastly... Just because I heard this today and fell in love here is an amazing cover of Say Something (Which has been stuck in my head for days... the song, not the cover). If you haven't seen it yet, you are welcome!

A Teacher's Battery Life

So true... and I go back to school in a week!

Bring it on!

I was stalking some blogs and I found something I really enjoyed on my cousins blog. She had a bucketlist of sorts for 2013. I think that is a brilliant idea and I want to try it for 2014. Some of these things are about to happen but I am going to count them because when I look back at 2014 I can say I did ________ during 2014! I want to keep it pretty simple and I want to go with 14 ideas (for 2014) so here they are:

1. Read at least 1 book each month
2. Graduate college
3. Learn 5 New songs on my Ukelele
4. Learn to play at least 5 Hymns
5. Not eat anything after 8:00 (except for special, planned occasions and weekends)
6. Indexing/Family history for some time most week
7. Try a new recipe each month
8. At least 1 get-together each month (attend or host)
9. Get out of Utah for a trip... anyone want to have me come visit ;)
10. Plan my week, or day...
11. Memorize at least 1 scripture each month
12. Temple visits each month
13. Volunteer at the MTC
14. Try something new each month

2013 in review

With all of the 2013 review posts I have decided I should join in. I haven't updated my blog for a while so here goes (By the way, there is absolutely no order to this madness):

2013
I performed (Well, half performed [I got sick]) in my last BYU Lu'au... unless they decide to change the requirements.

I started teaching and have the most adorable class of 28 third graders!

I finished my last college class. All that's left is the internship.

I faced some major disappointments but they worked themselves out in time.

I turned 22 and had a song that I could sing... ;)

I made some great friends and new traditions.

I lost my grandma but she's in a better place now.

I have gained the respect of parents and had some laughs from their kids (Lots of laughs).

I played a massive game of connect the dots (sidewalk version)

I worked my last football game with BYU catering and had some adventures in the tent...

I had some good friends get married (though I didn't make it to all of the weddings).

I got bangs.

I've taught my class in 4 different classrooms, 2 different schools and I got my carpet redone on a Monday while I temporarily taught in the portable (third graders should not be in a portable!)

I have seen some beautiful sights

And last but not least I grew up and bought a car!

Life these days

This internship takes way more out of me then I ever thought it would!!! Luckily my class is great and I love spending my time with them! Yesterday I got to go to the play of one of my students. She was in the production of Forever Disney and it was so fun to go watch it!

Yesterday we also discussed the BYU/U of U game today and who would win. I had one student who was positive that both teams would win because they would tie. I guess if BYU and U of U tie we call it quits and forget about overtime! ;)

We also got to go on a field trip Thursday. It was great, we learned about the solar system and heat and light at the planetarium. We then learned about the environment at the landfill. After our field trip we had an assembly about the jog-a-thon for our school. There was a little skit for the assembly and I got to star in it as Cinderella. After the assembly I had kids coming up to me concerning my awesome acting skills but since not everyone was at the assembly not everyone was on the same page... Here are some of my favorites:

S1: Hey look, it's Cinderella!
S2: Yeah, that is so cool!
S1: Do you want to play with us?

S3: Hey look it's Cinderella.
S4: No, thats Miss Fiso
S3: Cinderella
S4: Miss Fiso
S3: Cinderella!
S4: No, she is a third grade teacher

S5: Hey look it's Cinderella
S6: From the movie?

Summer is for Parties!

This week (my last week of Summer freedom) Has been great!

Yesterday I got to try out paint twister. It was a blast!!! Afterwards we had a paint/water balloon fight and it was great but messy...

Today I had a back to school party. We went to the playground to play. We had swing contests and played the dot game with sidewalk chalk. It was great! Oh and I got into my classroom this morning!!!!

Jonathan won but I came in 2nd...

Abigail had an unfortunate encounter with the baby swing!

Sunday Thoughts

Today in Relief Society we had an amazing lesson taught by my lovely roommate. The topic for this lesson came from conference it was a talk by Elder Hales Stand Strong in Holy Places. He talks about the challenges that we face in these latter days and the importance of standing in holy places and wearing the armor of God. There was one part of the talk that I found thought provoking.

"In January of 1982, I spoke in a devotional on the BYU campus in Provo, Utah. I invited the students to imagine that the Church was on one side of the podium, and the world was just a foot or two away on the other side. This represented the 'very short distance between the world was and where the Church standards were' when I was in college. Then, standing before the students 30 years later, I help up my hands in the same manner and explained, 'The world has gone far afield; [it has traveled; it is nowhere to be seen;] it has proceeded way, way out, all the way out of this [building and around the world]. ... what we and our children and our grandchildren have to remember is that the church will remain constant, yet the world will keep moving- that gap is [becoming] wider and wider... Therefore, be very careful. If you judge your actions and the standards of the Church on the basis of where the world is and where it's going, you will find that you are not where your should be."

In my mind I see a house (the church) and a tent (the world). The house is constantly changing but foundation is the same, it is unmovable like the morals taught in church are the same though revelation (thereby change)  is always present. On the other hand the tent is constantly moving from place to place like the world's ideas of morals are always changing they are not steady and can come down at any time the same way a tent might when it comes under pressure. We are blessed to have a church that has a strong foundation. It is able to withstand the opposition that presents itself.