Service.

Wow!  It has been a while since I have updated.  It isn't because I don't want to, or because I don't have anything to say.  Believe me, I always have something to say.  I have just been so busy with school and with getting ready for the school year to start, that I haven't actually taken the time to sit down and write.

Today in my Sunday School class, the lesson was on Service.  The feeling you get from helping someone else with no expectations in return is pretty great.  As I pondered the lesson, I thought of a feeling that is even greater than serving others.  What is it?  Well, I think the most satisfaction I have ever had from the gift of service is when I witness my own children doing it.  Watching them give freely of their time and helping others is a feeling like no other.

A couple of weeks ago my son was driving by a girl who was stranded on the side of the road.  She had her hood up and was standing there looking lost.  He stopped and asked her if she needed help.  At first she said she didn't.  He asked her if she was sure that she didn't need help.  Well, come to find out this girl had just moved here from out of state.  She is getting ready to start college and doesn't know anyone in town.  She had run out of gas and did not have anyone she could call for help.  She also did not have any money to put gas in her tank.  My son took her and used his own money to fill her tank.  As they were standing there filling the tank, the girl started to cry.  She said that the following day was her birthday and that this was the best birthday gift that she could ever hope for.  She was touched by my son's generosity and by the fact that he was willing to help a stranger.

My son has no expectations for repayment of the gas.  He just sincerely wanted to help someone who was in a bind and needed help.  This isn't the first time he has done something like this.  As a mom, when you see your children do unselfish things and give the gift of service whether it be to someone they know and love, or to a complete stranger, it makes you stop and think that maybe, just maybe somewhere along the way you have done something right as their mother.

Will You???

Why does a body like that have to be SO hard to have after the age of 40?  *SIGH*

Okay, so I may never look like that, but at least I can get my body into shape, right?  Diet, exercise, and discipline. 

All I want is to feel good and to be able to run again!  I have been dealing with plantar fasciitis for a while now and so there has been NO running for me :(  I think I am FINALLY ready to start up again though.  As long as I take it slow and don't over train, hopefully I will be able to run my favorite 10K race again this Fall!!!  That is the plan :)  :)  :)

Childhood Memories of 1400 N.

At first I thought I was going to write a poem.  Then I decided that I would just write all the memories I could think of that were tied to this childhood home.  Maybe someday I will take the list and make a poem, or write a story.  For now the random list will do.  They are in no particular order.  I just wrote down what came to mind as it came to mind.

901 W 1400 N

Light Blue Ford

Gold Mustang

The Ericksen's

Jay

Bell

Jennie

Matt

Baby Bryan

Barefeet

The Hones

Picking dandelions

Finding ladybugs by the stream

Searching for four leaf clovers

Sledding down derby hill

Biking down derby hill

Gene Elliot Dance Studio

Lions Park

Miniature Golf Course

Candy from the Golf Shack

Nortons

Hawkins

Grandview Hill

Grandview Elementary

Week Day Primary

Getting my first bike

Learning to ride a bike without training wheels

Riding Bikes

Getting stitches

Bandit

Scruffy

Tiger

Big Blue Station Wagon

Blue Toyota Corolla Wagon

Orange Truck

Running through the sprinklers

Calling on the phone to find out the outside temperature

Playing dress up

The red lace dress

The light blue lace dress

Playhouse

Birthday parties

Clothes hanging on the line to dry

Camping at Deer Creek

Fishing

Heber Creeper

Sandbox

Geneva Park

Geneva Steel

Starting Kindergarten

Mrs. Hawkins

Starting 1st Grade

Miss Webb

Starting 2nd Grade

Shag carpet

Deer Jerky

Big Wheels

Riding inchworm

Hippity Hops

Homemade wood stilts

Dr. Nance

Dr. John

The Christmas House

Nanette’s Beetle

Donny Osmond

Purple socks

GI Joe

Lone Ranger

Tonto

Sunshine Family

Climbing the lattice arch on the patio

The Dunns

The Olsens

The Clarks

Hotel Balderdash

Santa Clause delivering gifts

Perfection

Superfection

White fireplace

Crystal Swag Lamps

Rubber Boots

Polaroids

Turquoise Jumpsuit with Red Zipper

Baby Sister

Dad's Guitar

Pleather Furniture

July 4th Parade at BIC Building

The "Limp"

Grandma moving from Colorado

Downtown JC Penney

New Kitchen Window

Losing my best friend to Orem

New neighbors

St. Bernards

I realize this list means nothing to anyone else but me.  It was pretty fun to see how many things I could think of from SO LONG ago :)  

Summer?

Is it Summer?  Really?  I think I have forgotten what the FUN days of Summer are supposed to be!  Last Summer was spent dealing with Jake's head injury.  Time in Primary Children's.  Back and forth for check ups after he was released from the hospital, and trying to get settled in our new home.  There was no vacation.  No down time.  No fun.

This Summer isn't much different.  I have been so busy getting ready to teach 5th grade next year that I haven't had time to do anything fun.  Nada.  Nothing.  Zero.  Zilch.

To top it off, I only have 12 short days of freedom left before I am back attending another class at the college.  Then I will be trying to get ready for next school year while doing homework and attending class.  What kind of a Summer is that?  Not much of one!

I find life a bit funny right now.  You see, my FAVORITE thing to do is travel.  I love leaving town and exploring other places. . .wanna know something sad?  I haven't been on any kind of vacation (short or otherwise) since January 2009.  What is up with that?  HECK, I haven't even left the city I live in for an overnight trip of any kind since I went to the scrapbook expo in March!  What the?  Man, my life is BORING!

I think I am feeling a bit antsy.  I wish I had the time and the resources to take off and do something fun. We used to try and take a family vacation of some sort every year.  We haven't done that in so long that I think my kids have forgotten what a family vacation is!!!

Oh well, enough of the pity party.  I must remember to be thankful for what I have and not worry about what I don't have.  Right?  Right!

I think I must be getting a little stir crazy.  Too much time working and not enough time playing.  It will all be worth it after I graduate in December.  Right???

One Step Closer. . .

One step closer to being done with my journey to my bachelors degree.  It is exciting and strange all at the same time.  It has been a long process with a lot of starts and stops along the way.  At times I wondered if I would ever be done, now there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.

I officially have 2 classes and student teaching until I am finished with my degree.  My degree will be a Bachelors in K-6 Elementary Education with an ESL (English as a Second Language) Endorsement.  It almost doesn't seem real that I am so close to being done.

The crazy part about all of this?  Well, I won't ever student teach.  How?  The school district had 3 internship positions open up for next school year.  I decided to go ahead and apply (even though I felt the odds were against me getting a position).  I applied, and I was awarded one of the 3 positions.  I will officially be teaching a 5th grade class next school year.  I was in shock for about a week.  Even though I am extremely nervous, I think it will be a great opportunity to learn and grow in the teaching profession.

Because of my internship, I have to take one of my two remaining classes this summer.  Between that and getting ready for next school year, I won't have much of a summer break, but it should all be worth it in the end.

It is hard to believe that I am so close to actually having a real diploma in my hands. . .

YES, Indeed!

Sometimes I just see a quote or something that catches my eye and have an "Ahhh, ha, moment".  They just seem to fit so well for that time in my life.  When they do, I just have to share them :)

Sometimes something as simple as this is easier said than done! It is so easy to get caught up in all the "wants" in life.  Taking a step back sometimes helps put things back into perspective.

So, I was going through my blog, and I realized that I haven't even blogged about all the changes going on for me this Fall!  What?  Well, watch for a post about my exciting news coming up soon :)

This Girl. Take Two.

Quite some time ago I did a post called, "This Girl" that was inspired by another post I had read on another blog.  For my LA class, we had to write a personal narrative, my mind immediately thought of that blog post.  I decided to give the original post an overhaul and turn it in for my assignment.  Here is what I came up with. . .

This girl.

She is as complicated as an algebraic equation, as faceted as a diamond, and as colorful as a rainbow peeking through the clouds after a summer rainstorm.

A Wonderer.  A Silent Musician. A Creator of what she considers art. Her eyes see things others do not. Books fuel her.  Her husband and children complete her. She is who she is without apologies.

She has hopes, dreams, and ambitions. . .never told to others, because of the fear that if they are spoken, they may never come true.

She learns. She grows.  She makes mistakes, and then she tries again.  But, oh how she hates making mistakes! Perfection is unattainable; yet, still something she strives for. Perfection frustrates her, complicates her life, and makes her wish that sometimes she could just be free from its bonds. She knows that no one is perfect and is harder on herself than anyone else would ever be. Perfection is her greatest fault, yet one of her driving forces, and one of her greatest assets. Perfection is her double-edged sword.

She is a friend. A confidant. A great listener. People come to her with problems, and she sincerely cares and wants to help. A loyal friend is one she will cherish for a lifetime. A friend she can laugh with, or cry with, will capture her heart forever.

Alone time rejuvenates her, and gives her time to sort out life’s complications; lets her remember who she is and what she believes. Reflections on the past, ambitions for the future, being happy with the here and now; they all make up who she is when she stands in front of the mirror and looks at herself staring back at her.

She loves to photograph, but despises being photographed. She finds comfort behind the camera and apprehension in front of it. She has constant dreams of traveling the world, meeting people from all cultures, learning from them, learning about them, and calling them her friends.

Wrinkles, age spots, and an occasional gray hair, remind her that 40 came far too quickly, and she cannot run or hide from it. She still feels 20 something, no matter what her driver’s license says.

She never wants to feel old. She has seen what time can do. . .forgotten memories lost to Alzheimer’s.  The confusion and frustration in the eyes of her grandmother, as her only son became a stranger.  Time can be brutal.  She knows age can erase a lifetime of celebrations, and leave you wondering who you are.

She smiles often, sometimes even when she doesn’t want to, and sometimes to mask the pain she feels inside. Cherished moments fill her thoughts: the miracle of birth, unconditional love, and hope for the future. Seeing the glass half-full, even when it isn’t always easy.

She is a person who genuinely loves life; laughs as often as possible; tries to find the good when there only seems to be bad. She knows that when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade.

She is layered. Layers that are hidden.  Layers that are shared. Some simple, some serene.  Some deep, some complex.  Some that she understands, some that she wishes she could peel away.  Layers she has yet to uncover, even to herself.

This girl?  This girl is me: hoping, laughing, dreaming, living. A voyage of self-discovering; an awakening as to who I am, and who I want to be.