Accomplishments

Today I received my cap and gown. I can't believe I will be graduating from college in less than two months. I don't think it will hit me until it actually has happens. I have a interview on Monday for a severe teaching position in the Cache District. I'm anxious to see how it goes and am hoping to hear from more districts.

Things at the preschool are going great! I love the kids and and people I work with. I am learning a lot about how to be a teacher and what teaching style best fits me.

Not many people know, but I have been doing weight watchers since the end of January. I am happy to say that I have lost 9 pounds since starting (hopefully it will be 10 this week). I feel great and it is such a great feeling to actually see results. I also ran 1.5 miles on the treadmill tonight. For me this is huge! I have have never ran that far without stopping. For those of you who know me I am not a runner, I leave that to my sister Stacey. Hopefully I will continue working on my running and learn to enjoy it. :)

Another accomplishment.....Spring break is in a week and a half!!!! After that I only have 3 weeks left of student teaching!

Go Aggies! Go Aggies! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Yes my Aggies are playing tomorrow, and I will be watching. I only wish I could be in Spokane to watch it in person. Go Aggies!

Aggie Basketball

On March 6, the Aggies regular season came to end. I have to admit I was pretty bummed because basketball has been the thing to get me through the last 4 winters in Logan. This game was also my last game I would attend as a student at Utah State University. Luckily Jared still has a couple more years so I will be able to get a spouse pass and still attend the games. :) It was a blow out against New Mexico State, unfortunately we were unable to beat the New Mexico Aggies in the WAC tournament. The Aggies are going dancing in the NCAA tournament and will be playing the Texas Aggies this Friday. Jared and I will be cheering on the Aggies and be hoping for a win.

These are just a couple of pictures from the game. We sat by Travis and Brit at every game so we had to have a picture of them :) I know my eyes are closed but it works. :)

Wild Bill has also kept me entertained at basketball games. He has made it big nationally and is making all of us Aggies fans proud.

Life has been going well for us. Jared has spring break this week and unfortunately I have school. My spring break will be the first week of April. I am really enjoying being at the preschool. The kids are so much fun and keep me on my toes. Yesterday was my first day of fully taking over the classroom and it has been going well. I get along with the aides in the classroom and my cooperating teacher. Jared is enjoying his new job. He is able to do a lot from home which means we are able to see each other more often.

Today was my birthday. I'm the big 22 now. Jared and I went out to dinner and then did a little shopping. It was nice just to spend some time together and not have to be doing anything major.

My new favorite month!

So March is my new favorite month, well at least until the next month comes along. The weather is slowly starting to warm up and the snow is slowly melting away. I am so excited for the warmer weather and green grass. I miss being able to go outside just to relax. Monday was my last day at Logan High. I learned a lot while being at that placement and hopefully it made me a better teacher. I met a lot of neat people and taught amazing students. Next Friday it is the junior prom and they take the students to that so Jared and I will be joining them. I will also be subbing a little for the aides when they are gone on Fridays so I will still be able to spend some time with the students. On Tuesday I attended a placement workshop and was able to be interviewed with Special Ed District Coordinators. I interviewed with Box Elder, Cache, Logan, and Morgan School Districts. I am currently filling out applications so hopefully I will be hearing back from these school districts about jobs. Wednesday I started at the preschool at Canyon Elementary School in Hyrum. So far I am loving it. I just love being around little kids. The teacher is amazing and I hope I can learn a lot from her. The next 7 weeks will keep me busy. I will be in charge of planning large and small group activities. There are 30 kids between 2 classes so the days are always crazy, but I guess that means there is never a dull moment. :) Jared just started a new job. He is a technical writer for a professor in the Geology department. I am not sure all that he will be doing, but I know he will enjoy it. He will continue working at JC Penney's 1 day a week. School is keeping him busy, but I know he is enjoying his classes. I am sad to say that on Saturday it is the last Aggie basketball game before the tournaments start. Luckily Jared will still be going to school next season so I will be able to get a spouse pass, but it still won't be the same. Life is going great. We are so blessed and are grateful for all of our blessings!

SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD!

Do me a favor...

Young people around the country are taking a stand and raising awareness of the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the words “retard” or “retarded” and are helping encourage Americans to think before they speak.

Help eliminate the demeaning use of the R-word(retard) –a common taunt used to make fun of others. Often unwittingly, the word is used to denote behavior that is clumsy and even hopeless...

BUT WHETHER INTENTIONAL OR NOT, THE WORD CONJURES UP A PAINFUL STEREOTYPE OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. IT HURTS. EVEN IF YOU DON'T MEAN IT THAT WAY.

On or before March 3, visit www.r-word.org and make your pledge to not use the R-word.

I never realized how much I used the r-word until I started paying attention to it. It is such a demeaning and disrespectful word, please help and eliminate the use of the r-word and spread the word to end the word.

The Gluten Free Life

So recently I have just found out that I have a gluten intolerance, ok so maybe it has been almost two months, but I have been in denial about it. Since last summer I have been having stomach problems and I get frequent headaches. We thought the stomach problem was an ulcer, but after getting my stomach scoped in October it showed that it wasn't the problem. I just figured the headaches were hereditary considering two of my older siblings get them quite often also. After I had my stomach scoped in October the doctor put me on medicine for IBS, but I still wasn't feeling the greatest. In December my sister-in-law Stacey was watching Dr. Oz and there was a show on celiacs disease. I had a lot of the same symptoms that they described. So after Christmas I cut gluten out of my diet and I started feeling better. I kept telling myself that it was all in my head so after being gluten free for a week I went back to having it in my diet, I could defiantly tell the difference. So after that I decided that for me to feel well and do well student teaching I would go gluten free. If I have gluten in small amounts it doesn't seem to affect me, it is when I eat it in large amounts do I feel it. Yesterday was the super bowl and lets just say I over did it on gluten. This morning when I woke up I did not feel well at all and called in sick to my cooperating teacher. Through out today I realized how much gluten does affect me and how much better I do feel when I cut it out of my diet. Even though eating gluten free isn't any fun it is worth it because of how much better I feel when I don't eat things with gluten in it.

Even after this experience of feeling terrible after eating gluten I am still going to go get tested for a gluten intolerance once we get better insurance :)

Right Decision

I am only in week three of student teaching, but I already know I have made the right decision for a career choice. I look forward to going to school everyday and what the students will do or say. There is one student that has already won me over. I look forward to the time I get to spend with this particular student each day. He is so much fun to be around, while at the same time being one of the most difficult students I have worked with. I love the challenge that he gives me, trying to figure out what to do to give him the best education. I know it is going to be difficult to leave once my time is up at Logan High. I'm sure Jared gets tired of hearing all of my stories, but he better get use to it! :)