2.28.2013

first day of school: practicum style

today was like the christmas morning of school days this semester. 
i could hardly sleep last night; i was so excited. i've had my outfit planned for weeks. today i started my first practicum! basically, this means all of my classes stop (except for two stupid night ones) and rather than being in class on byu campus, i am placed in an elementary classroom for a whole month. A WHOLE MONTH! i'll be in the same classroom for four weeks just observing, learning, teaching occasional lessons, and loving my life. 
this is a beautiful, amazing thing because: 
1. i can finally put all of my knowledge/strategies/techniques/materials/theories to USE! i'm sick of being told what to do, i just want to go do it! you know what i mean? i'm getting antsy.
2. my liaison (boss lady) is also my FAVORITE teacher slash idol. 
3. my morning commute has just been cut down from 35 miles to 9 miles. halle-freaking-lujah. 
4. i can get face-to-face advice from a real-live teacher. 
5. i can ask my mentor teacher the purposes behind her actions. most of the time when we go observe, we're placed in a classroom mid-lesson for 20 minutes, then we leave without saying a word to the teacher. every time, i have so many unanswered questions! 
6. i will only drive to provo a maximum of TWO days a week rather than the usual four or five.
i'm straight up giddy about this one, guys. giddy. 
7. i will become familiar with the elementary school system from a teacher aspect. 
(really that's just code for: i get to go in the teacher's lounge!)
8.  this will confirm that teaching is my calling in life. 
9. minimal homework assignments for the next month! 
10. i get to plan, prepare for, and execute my very own lesson plans. hooray! 

i feel like the past three years have all led up to this moment! i will do an early childhood practicum now (1st grade), an older one during the summer (3rd, 4th, or 5th grade), and start my internship in the fall. i can see the light at the end of the tunnel! i am so ready for this. the next four weeks should be an interesting roller coaster of emotions. i am so happy and excited but i'm also slightly nervous, intimidated, confused, and inadequate.  i'm sure as the days go by i will feel more and more comfortable.  at least i had a few students welcome me with love notes today!
wish me luck! 

2.27.2013

celtics vs. jazz game

scotty's mom made his wildest dreams come true this past christmas when she bought him tickets to the jazz vs. celtics game. seriously. he was practically jumping for joy haha! but i mean, what kind of mother could resist buying her son tickets after receiving a note such as the following?
HAHAHA! he kills me. so monday night was the big night! we had so much fun! scotty was in heaven. they ended up going into overtime and the celtics won by 3! it was an intense game! 
 here are some other snippets from our night: 
-the couple sitting directly behind us got engaged! we were right there in the middle of the action. 
the cheerleaders walked up from the court with a bouquet of flowers for the girl.
-"justin bieber has been in this very arena"
-seeing a celtics player named chris wilcox and thinking of our singles ward bishop chris wilcox. 
we miss you, bishop!  
-paying $12 for ice cream and a soft pretzel
-"the smell of beer makes me homesick" 
-scotty losing his voice
-wearing the only two green things we own
-taking trax so we weren't stuck in traffic (best idea ever)
-"i'm asking for basketball tickets every christmas!"

thanks ron and kim for the gift! 

2.24.2013

THAT couple

ever since i was a little girl, i've always admired those old, madly-in-love couples. 
you know the kind. 
the ones who finish each others sentences.
who still have twinkles in their eyes when they see each other. 
who can perfectly order for each other at a restaurant. 
they're wrinkly and grey, but they are still so passionate about making the other person happy. 
who have hundreds upon hundreds of memories and inside jokes. 
i've always dreamt of having that history of love.
and i will. but right now, our relationship tree is just a fuzzy little stub popping out of the ground. it grows taller and stronger each day. i'm still learning new things about scotty. he's still trying to understand the emotional side of women. i'm becoming more open to learning about sports and cars. he's becoming quite the shopper :) i can't predict what he'll order at a restaurant, and he doesn't know what size shoe i wear. even after a year of marriage, i feel like our relationship is still so new and tender. i love growing with him and living our lives together. i love spending every day with him. and i loved friday night, when a few things happened that made me realize maybe that old-couple love isn't so far away, afterall.

1. we had a real conversation without speaking.
there we were, sitting at zupas for our friday night date. raving (again) about the deliciousness of the wisconsin cauliflower soup and trying to judge which of our two strawberries was covered in the most chocolate.
suddenly, a familiar song came on the radio. 
i looked at him, and he looked at me. 
i gave him a look, and he gave me another look. 
i gave him a look that confirmed i knew what his look was referring to.
we knew exactly what was going on.
then we both smiled because our silent discourse was a success. 
(and then i practically inhaled the rest of my soup because it is so divine!)

2. i still get butterflies.
after zupas, we headed over to the temple and did an endowment session with our ward.
it brought some much-needed peace back into my life. and while i was sitting there, i glanced over at scotty. i had this feeling of happiness fill my whole body because i know we are going to spend eternity together. as stupid as it may sound, my stomach did a little somersault because i was so excited at the thought.

3. we thought the same exact thing at the same exact time.
once we got home, we were suffering from post-temple dehydration. no water or drinks for 2.5 hours?! i was dying. i gulped down a whole water bottle, while scotty raided the cupboards for a package of koolaid. he searched and searched, then realized he had went through his last packet a few days ago. he asked how such a thing could possibly happen. i advised him to put koolaid down on the grocery list. he told me "koolaid shouldn't have to be on the list - we should just buy it every time!" haha. suddenly i needed to go to the bathroom. i left him writing on the grocery list to go take care of business.

while in the bathroom, i had a great idea. i ran back to the kitchen and said, "scotty! you should just write koolaid on every single page of our grocery list pad!" he looked up with a smirk and said "that's what i just did!" and then i thought to myself, wow. we are becoming THAT couple. 

here's to growing old together. 

2.22.2013

5 things

i saw this cute post on bri's blog and i thought it was so fun! i love getting to know about other bloggers and their interests, quirks, etc. so all of you should do the same! 

5 Things...

...you'll find in my purse.
1. my moleskine planner. i feel incomplete without it!  
2. burts bees. 
3. quarters. i have a special stash saved for mall candy machines.
 
4. pills. you better believe i have about 8 different types of medicine in my purse right now! 
gotta be ready for anything :) 
5. orbit wintermint gum. one of life's necessities. 

...you'll find in my bedroom.
1. our heated blanket. it is the second love of my life right now. 
2. not a tv. this is a current debate in our home :) 
3. clothes on the floor. scotty and i aren't the cleanest people around... 
4. homework assignments and books. 
5. huge pictures of us from our reception. i love them, but scotty thinks they're a little too much haha.

...I've always wanted to do.
1. see a broadway play in new york (and do some serious shopping).
2. work at disneyland as princess belle. 
3. teach elementary school. only 6 more months until this becomes reality!
4. tour europe with my husband. 
5. meet oprah winfrey. 

...I'm currently loving
1. fresh flowers on my dining table.
2. justin bieber's believe acoustic album. 
(yes, i'm still listening to it everyday)
3. these pants from target. i have FOUR different colors! 
4. spending quality time with my cute husband. 
(lately it's waffle dates, board games, and movies) 
5. easter candy. it's the most wonderful time of the year! 

...quirks I have
1. i refuse to eat lunch or dinner at mcdonalds, but i love their breakfast mcmuffins.
2. i enjoy silence. sometimes i drive for 30 minutes before i realize the radio wasn't on. 
3. i lock every door. all the time. even if i'm walking 100 yards to the mailbox. 
4. i don't like ice in my water. 
5. i like writing in all lowercase letters. if e. e. cummings can get away with it, why can't i?

2.17.2013

valentine's day 2013

we had a wonderful valentine's day this year. and by "valentine's day," i really mean february 15th. because on the actual holiday, i had class until 9:30. YES, 9:30. normally, this wouldn't be a big deal because i would just leave, but this particular class has QUITE the attendance policy. if i miss two classes, i fail. simple as that. so i wasn't taking any chances. we were fine waiting a day to celebrate. 
 
 
i'm so lucky to have this cute man in my life! i love spending time with him and laughing with him. wherever we go, he makes it fun. scotty is perfect for me. and i'm glad he appreciates a good, expensive meal like i do haha. we made breakfast, exchanged cards, baked, ate candy, went out to dinner, shopped around the mall, and then we counted down the minutes until we could see the newest and cutest addition to my side of the family. 
EVA MAE BLYMILLER
sweet little eva entered the world on valentines day. i am obsessed with her. we already have a connection because of the whole holiday-birthday thing. i am so happy for my cousin angela! 
 
i hope all of you enjoyed your valentine's day as well! 

2.15.2013

ashley's finger and the three bares

once upon a time, a princess named ashley lived in a magical land called utah. she was married to her handsome prince scott, and they were so happy together. just before they were wed, prince scott placed a ring upon the princess's finger to insure all the peasants and other princes knew she was his. the ring was beautiful, and it made the princess feel warm and giddy inside. but, like in most fairy tales, an evil power came about. it loosened one of princess ashley's diamonds, and she was forced to part with her precious emblem of commitment and love. she took it to her fairy godmother, kay, and pleaded with her to fix it. with a flick of fairy godmother's wrist, she sealed a ziploc bag and sent it off to corporate. princess ashley was devastated when she learned she wouldn't see her ring again for up to 10 business days. but alas, there was nothing to be done.
ashley's left hand felt empty and bare; her heart was broken at the sight of it. while the princess was leaving fairy godmother's cottage, the most wonderful idea came to her mind. "with the prince's hard-earned money, i shall buy a new temporary ring!" she took her carriage to the kingdom's market and entered forever 21, hoping to find something to fill the empty space on that left hand. after many wasted minutes, she left with the "most realistic" and wedding-ish like piece she could find:
as her royal feet stepped out of the store, she realized her purchase was a mistake. this cheap and oversized ring would make no substitute. the ring was too big, too ridiculous, and too fake. it was almost insulting to think that that $3 piece of plastic could represent her marriage. so for a second time, princess ashley found herself with a bare finger.

next, ashley traveled across the market to a place she hadn't been to for at least 10 years. claire's was sparkling and full of girls - surely she could find something presentable there. she spent the last $8 she had to purchase a ring smaller, prettier, and definitely more wedding-ring-esque.
she hurried home to greet her prince and tell him of her adventures. she figured her problem was solved, and now all she had to do was wait. a few days later, she awoke and glanced down at her hand. behind the fake ring, her finger was a bright filthy green. surely she could not go about the kingdom with a green finger! although it received many compliments, this second ring was of no use to her. it was too dirty, and making her finger too ugly. 

days went by. there was no sign of princess ashley's ring being done, and her chances of finding a replacement were destroyed. the princess waited. and waited. and waited. all the while, her finger was sad and lonely. finally, as a valentines day miracle, princess ashley received a call saying her ring was fixed! she rushed back to her fairy godmother and slipped the gems onto her finger... a perfect fit! just as beautiful as she remembered! her happiness was restored, and the kingdom celebrated in her honor by exchanging flowers, chocolates, and gifts of all kinds. 
the prince, the princess, and her ring all lived happily ever after. 

2.13.2013

DIY foam soap

i like to splurge on things. clothes. nice meals. name-brand cereal. you name it. in order for me to be able to conduct my guilt-free shopping sprees, i am required to cut back in other areas. one of those areas is soap. just like five year olds across the globe, i get a little thrill from washing my hands with foam soap. i'm convinced there's no other way. 
it's an essential in our home. however, each bottle costs approximately $2.99.  sure, that may not sound like a lot. but let's say i use two bottles a month (one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom) (... i love washing my hands, okay? don't judge) . that's $5.98 per month. multiply that by 12, and we're spending almost $75 a year in soap! stupid! i could put that $75 toward things that are a lot more fun than soap! 30 soft pretzels at the mall. a really nice new coat from nordstrom. 9 cafe rio salads. 3 weeks worth of gas. 15+ cups of yogurt at yogurtland. 3 trips to the nail salon. see what i mean? why use $75 toward such a trivial thing as soap when it could be funding my happiness or my hunger issues! luckily, i found a trick! i no longer need to buy soap each month, and i can keep experiencing the finer things in life... like soft pretzels. 
here's all you need to do to become a money-redirecting machine like i am: 
1. acquire empty foam soap bottle. 
2. remove lid and squirt in some dish soap (just for like two seconds).
3. fill the rest of the bottle with water. 
4. shake bottle while jumping for joy. 
5. kiss that bottle goodbye on your way out to cafe rio, nordstrom, or wherever your heart desires! 
i'll probably never buy a new bottle of soap for as long as i live.
enjoy!

2.08.2013

friday facts

1. tuesdays and thursdays are stupid because on those two special days i have classes until 9:30 PM.
2. sometimes i come home and i'm real grumpy. 
3. you would be grumpy too if you spent 12+ hours on campus and didn't get home until after 10. 
4. my husband is nice. 
5. he knows how to make me not so grumpy. 
6. a little late night snack & snuggle session can turn any frown upside down.
7. ramen is my happy go-to snack.
8. if you're looking for a health blog... go somewhere else.
9. he's a keeper.
10. i'm so incredibly happy it's the weekend!

2.03.2013

mean girls on my mind

i am in the primary presidency in my ward. i love it. i adore the children and i'm sure it's way more fun than sitting in a room full of old ladies :) today i taught a lesson about the creation. it was going really well, which wasn't surprising because i spent a week preparing. i felt like i really knew my stuff. my words were smooth and i was really confident. everything was going just as planned.
i was talking through each of the 6 days of creation, and when i got to the third day something really weird happened. totally unexpected. i said, "on the third day, God created..." but in place of grass, herbs, and trees, all i could think about were dinosaurs and homosexuals.  i didn't know what was happening. i paused and waited for my brain to sort things out. on the third day... uh... uhhh... and i had to look down at my notes. it later occurred to me that my favorite movie of all time, mean girls, had brought this embarrassing mixup upon me. 


HA! i couldn't even believe it. my obsession with mean girls has gotten to the point where i don't even realize i'm quoting it anymore... it's just part of me. it's a way of life. it's the reason i only wear my hair in a ponytail once a week, and the reason i wear pink on wednesdays. i'm a woman possessed. i spend about 80% of my time talking about mean girls, and the other 20% of the time i'm praying someone else will bring it up. 
let's hope my next primary lesson doesn't have any correlation with mean girls. 

2.01.2013

playing with fire

remember my new year's resolutions? i sure do. out of the 10 goals i made, 6 are still going strong. haha. it could be worse, right? one of my goals for the year was to give up soda. i thought that particular goal would be the hardest one (by far), but i haven't even had a sip! i am really, really proud of myself.  i'm also a little disturbed by the fact that i violated the "no ditching class" goal before the "no drinking soda" one. whoops. 
last night was a test of my dedication. i went to sonic for the first time this year. my throat was killing, and i just needed something to soothe it. i pulled up to the familiar drive in and remembered how delicious a tall, chilled, route 44 dr pepper from sonic was and considered ending my little soda fasting session. but i am here today to tell you that i stood strong and held my ground! i even checked the sonic website to make sure the slush i ordered didn't have sprite in it. 
i drove away with no soda. yes- sugar and empty calories. but no soda. is it sad that this might be one of my proudest moments? i just want all of you to know that if i can go an entire month without drinking soda, you can do anything. all you need to do is believe. 


... speaking of believe 
just go listen. "as long as you love me" and "be alright" are exceptional. pretty sure a combination of drinking my orange slush, listening to this album and singing along cured my sore throat.