Recently Learned Life Lessons...

1. Cinnabon cereal does NOT taste like a real cinnabon. (Is it a normal reaction to cry about something like that?)
2. El Pollo Loco actually makes a kickin' fish taco. This is huge considering I hate fish.
3. Target has AWESOME clearance sales on baby clothes.
4. Even kids you were sure didn't have a soul are well behaved after watching their teacher have projectile vomit in front of the class.
5. Strawberry gum is great for cleaning one's breath after throwing up, especially when mint makes you throw up.
6. Nutella is better going down than going up.
7. Taxes suck.
8. Tax returns rock.
9. It is possible to shower, do your hair, put on your make up and be ready for work in less than 20 minutes.
10. Getting your Great Dane up in the morning takes much longer than 20 minutes.
11. Staying home from work to just lay on the couch all day is actually incredibly boring.
12. Having an awesome husband like Jordan makes life a million, gazillion times easier.

Bargain Huntress

I don't know about you but I LOVE a bargain. I especially love shoe bargains. I just bought 4 pairs of Sofft shoes for less than the usual price of 1. Yeah, I am pretty stoked. The great thing is that I was considering paying full price for these shoes...that is how awesome they are. :) Now I just need to wait for the mailman to come...

Our Ever Extending Family

It all started with the fish tank...our first tank. It is a freshwater tank and contains some of my favorite "kiddos". We have a bumble bee gobie named Bubbles that has to be fed by hand. He will only eat brine shrimp and I have to direct feed him or his feelings get hurt and he won't eat. We also have a pleco that I have trained to sit and wait for me in the morning. He knows where I will feed him and when. Yesterday I overslept and Platy (the pleco) was sitting, rather impatiently, waiting to be fed. After receiving his sinking pellets he gobbled them up, gave me a dirty look and rushed into his cave where he spends most of his time. Overall, we have 21 kids in that tank.

Our next kid that we welcomed into our home is a hamster named Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn is a black dwarf hamster with white little feet. She loves sunflower seeds and when we walk into the room she climbs up her cage and waits for us to hand her some. She is also an escape artist. She is fine in her cage but once you put her in her rolling ball she can get out of that thing in no time flat. Jordan and I were once eating dinner when I suddenly saw Kaitlyn running underneath the table.

Then we got another tank. This time a much bigger tank. Jordan planned on using it to house large fresh water fish but I convinced him that marine fish are cooler. So, we started making plans for a large salt water aquarium. Then, one of my past students needed to get rid of her turtle. I couldn't say no... so speedy joined our family. She spent most of her time at school in a 40 gallon aquarium and then summer came and she had to come home. We had no choice but to fill the 100 gallon and plop her in there. She is as happy as a clam but will soon be moving back to her old home as we are planning on using the 100 gallon as a salt water aquarium once we move into the house.

Speedy, the turtle, currently has 8 goldfish friends that we can't seem to get rid of. They are like those neighborhood kids that just won't go home...no matter how many times you tell them that they should. They eat our food and let me clean up their messes. They have grown from smallish goldfish to rather large goldfish and are too big to even be afraid of the turtle. We gave up hoping she would eat them (as she has done in the past) and have resigned ourselves to having 8 pet goldfish.

The next kiddo is my favorite and the bane of Jordan's existence. Scat, the bunny. She looks up at me with those big brown eyes and I just can't tell her no. Jordan, only tolerates her because I like her so much. She loves to chew on walls and carpet but is trained to only "relieve" herself in one spot in her cage. I can let her roam free in the house without worrying about having to clean up a mess. Now if I could only teach her to clean out her own cage...

Last, but definitely not least, is our newest addition, our 34 gallon all-in-one Red Sea salt water aquarium. We got the aquarium for a steal from a guy who was selling his aquarium store. It was used, but only slightly. For a while all we had in there was live rock, sand and algae. Then we added Rupert our hermit crab and a snail that turned out to be on its last leg. Rupert loved having all of the space to himself but then last Saturday we added Shim Shim the yellow tailed damsel. Shim Shim has already proved herself to be rather entertaining as she likes to end up back where the protein skimmer belongs. After an hour long rescue mission she is back where she belongs. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to go an incredibly discounted fish store and got AMAZING deals. We got 5 chromis (still waiting to be named), a Sri Lankan cleaner shrimp named Lanka the Shrimp, a Red Banded shrimp gobie, a Clown fish (like Nemo) named Rufus, a green flower pot coral, a mixed rock with some kickin' things growing on it (not sure of what they are called) and an bubbletipped aneneme named Picky Peter.


With all of these kiddos it takes me longer to take care of them, than it does for me to do my hair and makeup in the morning. I love my kiddos and everyday when I get home from work the first thing I do is say hello to everyone. It is great and I am already planning our next addition. Can anyone say Great Dane named Oso? :)

This is for you mom...

I am alive. :) hehehe. Sorry, Mom has just been giving me a hard time that I "dropped off the face of the planet." Never mind the fact that Jordan and I spent New Year's Eve with them. It is a good thing Jordan and I decided not to move to Alaska after all...

Anyways, this is likely going to be my last post on this blog. Rather than keep this one up, Jordan and I have created a new blog all about....US!!! :) So if you are interested take a gander....

http://auntgooseandtio.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!!!!

It's Been a While...

But I have an excuse, I promise. Actually, I have lots of excuses. Let's see, in the 4 1/2 months (WOW! It has been a while) since I last wrote I have been busy with...

-Jordan coming home
-Getting engaged
-Enrolled full time at 2 different colleges pursuing two different programs
-Started teaching full time- Special Education no less (If you want funny stories you will have to ask Jordan. He does the best impressions of my class)
-Got married (Pictures to come)
-Moved out of my parents house (a larger feat than it sounds)
-Finished and presented my Masters project. I AM FINALLY DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course when Miqui texted asking, "How does it feel to never have to go to school if you don't want to," I had to laugh. I still have at least 2 more years. Stupid Special Ed. Credential.

Wow, when written down that doesn't really look like very much huh? It sure seemed like a heck of a lot more as I was working through it... I guess the old saying is true "Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand." But, I promise all of these reasons are really good reasons for me not blogging....
Of course, the only reason I am blogging now is I was looking for an excuse to not mop the kitchen floor. Jordan and I are leaving for Sacramento on Wednesday and I want the house clean. I just am having a hard time working up the gumption to actually do it... Shoot, I have nothing else to say so now I've run out of excuses. Off to mop the floor....

My family,

is the greatest. They are crazier than all get out but they are the greatest. Anyone who has put up with me for the past two years for any length of time should get a medal and my family should win the nobel peace prize. They are probably more excited than even I am that Jordan will be home tomorrow. (No, that was not a typo. He will be home TOMORROW!!!)

Just to show you how awesome my family is Yannette, my older sister, is going to meet Jordan at the airport tomorrow since I can't make it. Not only is going (dragging along a 6 month old I might add) but she is also making him a sign and taking noise makers! I am sure airport security is going to love her. The best part of it all is that she is going to give him a pair of crocs. I won't spoil her fun in telling the story but I am just sad that I will miss his face when he sees his newest pair of shoes....

less than 48 hours

until Jordan will be in the United States. I can't believe it! I bet you can't believe it either....

Some choices

Okay Netty, I am still working on "your" background but here are some that I have created. If there is on that you like, I would be happy to give it to you. Or if you like one but would like some changes, I can do that too. Just let me know...

Blog Backgrounds

are kind of fun. I am still working out the kinks. Miqui has a new background but it still needs a little bit of work. My background is very simple but I like it that way. All in all today was a fairly productive day- at least in the scrapbooking world. My lesson for Monday is still not planned and I have a million things still left on my to do list but are weekends really meant for getting things done? I didn't think so.

Oh, for those of you that are counting, as of 52 minutes ago, Jordan has only 10 more days of being a missionary. Can you believe it? I know I hardly can. It is like Christmas. You know how you look forward to it for so long and it feels like it will never get here but suddenly it is Christmas Eve? That is how I feel right now...except even more excited. 10 more days... I had finally broken the habit of biting my finger nails but the last 2 days have kind of shot that one. It is a good thing I have a manicure scheduled for the exact time Jordan's plane is supposed to be landing.

A few more...

      

        

More....

Still blocked....

Scrappin' Block

I am currently suffering from scrappers block. I am frantically trying to get as much of Jordan's missionary scrapbook done before he comes home (11 days!) and it seems the pressure is getting to me. Since I couldn't think creatively regarding missions I stole some pictures off of Net's blog and came up with this...

                                              

Today

started off well. Okay, not really. I over slept, really over slept. I have just enough time to jump in the shower, jump back out and run to the car. Of course in my haste to get to the car I forgot how to walk. Yeah, did you you know that there are 8 steps from the landing to the 1st floor? Yeah, I didn't know that either until I found out this morning- I counted each one with my @$$. From that moment on I knew my day was going to be just fantastic. Actually, I gave myself a whole pep talk on the way to work on how just because it started off poorly didn't mean I couldn't have a good day. Apparently, my pep talk didn't work.

After catching 3 students blatantly cheating on test corrections, it just got worse.

Yannette wrote about the stupid things people do. I think this act of stupidity should be added to the list. I stood over the students and watched them as they passed their papers back and forth and copied answers. Are you FREAKIN kidding me? I was insulted. Do they honestly think I am THAT stupid? If you are going to cheat, at least don't get caught!

Anyways, in discussing radical expressions, students might have well have stayed at home they were so out of it. I get it, Algebra at seven in the morning= crappy. It is not the most facinating topic I grant you but if you have to be there you might as well make the best of it right? So, after getting fed up with talking to myself and the one girl in the front row (bless her heart) I started yelling "GET UP!" They looked at me like is she serious? Of course I was serious. I made all 33 students stand up. When I started singing "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" they knew I had lost it. Yup, I made high schoolers do "Head, shoulders, knees and toes" . The best part was if ANYONE didn't participate the entire class had to do it again. No one is too cool for head, shoulders, knees and toes!

Administrators...

Never mind, I can't say what I was going to say. I am not tenured yet and my blog is public again. DRATS! Let's just say that I have a lot to say on the matter of education- if you ever have a day or two to listen to me rant and rave, just let me know and I would be more than happy to oblige.

Butt out...

Net says I need to blog more so here goes...

 Why do some people feel as if it is their right and responsibility to keep track of what I do? Why must they comment to others about my personal life? At least I am in a relationship... ERG! 

Okay, let me back up. For those of you that don't know (can't imagine who you would be, but, whatever...) I have a missionary. Jordan has been faithfully serving for the last 23 months and 1 week. Yes, the count down is down to 22 days. I guess you could say that I waited. I have always known that I would make the entire two years- no matter how many well- intentioned (and some not so-well- intentioned) people told me that I would never make it. Trust me, even people I hardly know feel inclined to give me their personal opinions. Fine, whatever. I don't care if you have an opinion but unless I specifically ask for it, don't tell me! 

Anyways, even though I was waiting, during my time at BYU I spent plenty of time with members of the opposite sex. I didn't lock myself in a closet or refuse to have fun because "I was waiting". I had a great time but as awesome as all of the people I met were, none of them came even close to Jordan. So that brings me to why I am venting on this particular topic.

Last night, my darling younger sister faithfully attended a singles ward activity. Where she was unfortunately cornered and accosted as to my dating status. She, of course, as any good sister would, reported that I was happily still waiting for my darling elder. Much to her dismay, she was then subjected to their personal views on how I have "wasted" the last 2 years of my life. "Wasted?" she says, "excuse me, but in the time since Jordan left she has graduated from BYU and almost completed her masters." (Keep in mind she is talking to boys that have spent the last 5 years at a 2 year college...) Their argument was that although I have not wasted my time academically, I socially locked myself up. I am sorry, just because I rejected you, does not mean I locked myself up. It just means my time is valuable and I am selective in who I chose to spend it on...

 

Random...

This past week sucked. That is all I can say to sum it up and this new week hasn't really started off that great. I hate being sick. 

 Oh well,  I suppose. Tomorrow after all is a new day and hopefully it will be a better one. Before you think that this past week was a total waste, a few redeeming events occurred. I was officially issued my preliminary single subject credential. Don't believe me? Go check it out yourself here. Isn't that so cool? Yeah, I am pretty stoked. And guess what, you should be too! :)

Now just a few more years of school and I will never have to darken the door of a college class again. That is of course, unless I am the professor. 

this is me...

blogging. Okay, now I am done. I am going to go shower now. Trust me, if you were within smelling distance you would appreciate it. I will come back and write some more later.

Memories...

It is funny how simple things, things like a song on the radio, or a smell, will trigger your consciousness to flitter back to a different time, a different memory. Almost 3 years ago I met Jordan during the weirdest of circumstances. Those who do not believe that God exists and doesn't care about us, ask me sometime to tell you our story. What am I talking about, everyone that reads this knows the story already. Anyways... Nothing like hearing a Sublime song to make you recall being driven through a canyon in Provo, at a million miles an hour, by a crazy man. Hillary (my BFF) , Kristen (my lovely freshman roommate), Jordan (love of my life...I just didn't know it then), a boy named Lance (crazy man driving the vehicle), and myself were on our way to a giant bonfire up in Provo Canyon. As this was my first weekend away at BYU I thought for sure it would be my last and that the newspapers would be splashed with horrid pictures of a car mangled at the bottom of the canyon. As I was hyperventilating (okay not really... I was trying to act cool. This was after all my "first" weekend of college) I remember Jordan putting his arm around me and taking my hand. In that moment I knew I would be okay. I knew I would be safe. Funny huh. I had known Jordan for less than 5 days and I already knew that he would do anything to protect me. I guess it was that moment that I began to fall in love with him. 

So every time I hear Sublime I think of that night and how safe I feel in his arms. Romantic, I know. hahahaha However, I doubt Sublime would be an appropriate choice for a wedding song. :)

Like Calvin says...

The man is a genius....

"The world isn't fair, Calvin." 
"I know Dad, but why isn't it ever unfair in my favour?" (Calvin)

H : "What do you think is the secret to happiness? Is it money, power or fame?" 
C : "I'd choose money. If you have enough money, you can buy fame and power. That way you have it all and be really happy. Happiness is being famous for your financial ability to indulge in every kind of excess." 
H : "I suppose thats *one* way to define it." 
C : "The part I think I'd like best is crushing people who get in my way."

That is why I chose to become a teacher... :)

Gotta love Calvin and Hobbs

Another one bites the dust...

So, it appears another one has bitten the dust (a couple actually). There are now more girls from my freshman ward that are either married or engaged than us non-committed gals. That sucks. Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly happy for them and I hope that they all find eternal happiness and bliss but where the hell is my eternal happiness and bliss? 

I know some of you are saying, "Shut up. You have a missionary." I know and I am very grateful for my missionary. I love him with my whole heart, it would just be a million times easier if he were in the same damn state- shoot I would take in the same country! I am just a little cranky because I just got my hair done and Jordan isn't here to even appreciate it. 

So you know what, rather than wallow in my semi-singleness. I am going to embrace it. I am going to go get the large cartoon of mint chocolate chip icecream (that just happens to be calling my name) and revel in the fact that I don't have to share! Take that all you married folks! HA!