From the Middle to the End

A new year for a new me.

2012-01-04T22:05:00.000-08:00

So here's an update:

We ran 10 miles. 10 miles hurts--especially up and down hills. This week we're running 12. Holy cow, when did I ever think I would be able to run 12 miles?!?

This year I resolve to:

Run a marathon.
Read the entire Bible.
Focus on the positive things that happen each day.
Learn more about financial investing so we don't live as broke artists and teachers for the rest of our lives.

One more thing I resolve to do that I will keep my little secret, but something that I was reading today really gave me the encouragement I need to press on. This is from an article called "Recognizing God's Hand in Our Daily Blessings," by D. Todd Christofferson he is speaking of a financial problem that his family struggled with, but I feel can be applied to many different struggles in life:

"There were times when I had exhausted all my resources, when I had nowhere and no one to turn to for help to meet the exigency before me. With no other recourse, more than once I fell down before my Heavenly Father, begging in tears for His help. And He did help. Sometimes it was nothing more than a sense of peace, a feeling of assurance that things would work out. I might not see how or what the path would be, but He gave me to know that, directly or indirectly, He would open a way...

Though I suffered then, I am grateful now that there was not a quick solution to my problem. The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years taught me how to truly pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a practical way to have faith in God. I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise or that might have taken me much longer."

I know that I will learn a lesson from this and I know that if I continue to pray and trust in God that he will bless me and help me to accomplish ALL my goals.

We did it!

2011-12-31T09:10:00.000-08:00

After a week of celebrating, we made it back home just in time for the REI sale. Noah took off early this morning in search of more things to curb his appetite for camping, hiking, etc.

We had a FANTASTIC Christmas in Chicago where we ate delicious foods, watched copious amounts of movies, and enjoyed time with the fam.

Surprisingly nothing strange happened to us, except perhaps the very drunk individuals on the plane who discussed: relationships, alcohol, and the woes of not being able to get drunk enough on a tight budget in Utah. They progressively talked about these same things in a louder tone of voice throughout the plane ride.

And the only picture from the entire trip is Noah riding Sandy at the grocery store,

2 1/2 Years of Marriage

2011-12-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

...and one beautiful, REAL Christmas tree!

Dear Nicole,

2011-12-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

I would say that Friday was the sixth time someone told me I looked like you. At my weekly Friday meeting the fifth grade teachers at my school decided I am your love child and are unsure whether I'm really born of my goodly parents.

We should hang out and be twinners.

Love,

Becky

P.S. Apparently I have Tom's smile.

Thanks for a Thankful Day

2011-11-29T20:08:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving I was in charge of:

Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Pies

(My pies were dang good.)
Punch
Centerpiece

Overall it was fun to be with friends and to have a low key Thanksgiving. :)

Noah learned how to carve a turkey from YouTube and wore such a cute little apron:

A big thanks to Martha Stewart for the place settings:

After Thanksgiving we...you guessed it--went hiking! Unfortunately for our bodies, it was a complete sheet of ice.

Highlight of the trip:
Sitting in the hot springs

Low point of the trip:
I slid over a rock and it went right up my bum. I lay crying on the trail in the ice for awhile. We realized that on every hiking trip I end up crying halfway through.

Overall, I'm thankful no bones were broken post feasting.

Race You!

2011-11-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

"Noah, let's race to see who can get to bed fastest."

I won because Noah cheated. Cheaters never win Noah.

Dear Drivers of Utah,

2011-11-22T07:34:00.000-08:00

The person in front of you has somewhere important to go too. When they need to merge, for goodness sake, let them in! Driving around school buses on the left hand side while it's stopped for children is illegal. Pull over for ambulances because that could be you one day and you wouldn't want someone else to stop you from getting to the hospital. When someone is basically in your lane of traffic trying to back out of a stall it's very dangerous to speed around them. Most of all, it's not just your life you're messing with when you get into a car. It's mine. Stop driving like you're the only person in the world.

Sincerely,

Becky Coleman

Halloween Thanks?

2011-11-13T22:08:00.001-08:00

Technical difficulties have prevented me from being as hilarious as you are all used to. In the following slideshow please enjoy the following: pictures of Noah in a nightgown (big bag wolf, eh?), pictures of dear Isla's visit, my Thanksgiving banner for the house, the beginning of my quilt, and culinary delicacies we made at Whitney's Halloween party.

Anecdotal Notes

2011-11-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

So I've been talking to some people and trying to recruit them to join me in the marathon we're running in June. So I've decided to share with each of you my running schedule.

Things of note:

-We're not going to grad school next year and I'm teaching a third year of school. Woooooohooooo!
-One of my students is a chronic nose picker. They ate one of their boogers while I was teaching.
-The nose picker also farted in my classroom AND WAS FANNING IT AT THE STUDENT SITTING NEXT TO THEM. Needless to say I felt bad for them and then it wafted up my way. Oh goodness. I had to make a blanket statement asking anyone who needed to "pass gas" to please leave the room. "Pass gas? What's that." Fart, if anyone needs to fart please leave the classroom. The whole time they're sitting back there grinning.

There are no other things of note at this time. For further updates please stay tuned.

Another Hike for Another Day

2011-10-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

So it was fall break this weekend!
Noah and I took advantage of the good weather and we...you guessed it...WENT HIKING!
Oh my goodness it was perfect.

I believe this is about where Noah LIED and told me we could go to Chik-Fil-A after our hike (I was HUNGRY) and he said no because I forgot my coupon.
The following is an actual transcription:
Me: I'm not going any farther until you promise me Chik-Fil-A.
Noah continues walking and turns around: Come on. Does a bear poop in the woods? (Side note: I have always hated this phrase.)
Me: Sometimes they poop in a meadow.
I begin walking.
Me: But this bear is going to poop in your mouth if I don't get Chik-Fil-A.

Tree hugger!
To illustrate this point:
Noah asked me on the hike if we could buy an electric car (WHAT?!?!)
I told him when he learned to put the peanut butter away when he makes a sandwich, then I could trust him to plug in our car every night.
Today, he told me he made TWO sandwiches and put the peanut butter away BOTH times.
I'm still not buying an electric car.

8 miles later we were back in civilization.
I still can't get over how exhilarating it is to hike somewhere.
I'm afraid this is turning in to a "Noah and I went hiking and camping blog."
I'm not sure I'm all that sorry about it.

Here's to conquering the obesity epidemic one person at a time!

This is probably a good time to mention that because I felt justified (I hiked 8 miles, duh!) I ate pupusas, a cupcake, ice cream and two dinners yesterday (and today?)

Sigh.
Tomorrow is a new day. :)

My Friend Rie and A Blog about Color

2011-10-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

I was reading my friend Rie's blog and found this fantastic blog all about color. She's having a giveaway until Friday which is uber thrilling, so check it out!

The Color Issue

Happy Halloween

2011-10-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

In honor of the season and Pinterest
(because of course that's where the inspiration came from):Happy Halloween

Escape from the Train Menace

2011-10-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the tension gets to be too much with the train by our house so Noah and I escape to the mountains even when it's dark.

Noah's idea of escaping is a bit more extreme than mine. I've been wanting to go fall camping for awhile to see the beautiful leaves. Well we saw some beautiful leaves, but we also encountered a lot more than I had bargained for.

It was definitely cold (duh Becky, it was snowing) and Noah took advantage of my incapacitation and snapped this lovely.

I suppose I deserve it for all the embarrassing photos I've put up of him.

Anyway, here's Noah in the morning drinking hot cocoa with pumpkin spice marshmallows (yeah we eat good stuff on our trips. That includes tortellini for dinner and blueberry oatmeal with freshly dehydrated blueberries for the morning.)

And here after I had a very tiring night of listening to the snow fall off the tent and thinking it was bears because we had to eat in the tent (because it was snowing, have I said that enough? By the way, it wasn't bears or any other wild animal, just snow.)

Funny story about cooking in the vestibules of the tent. Noah had the stove going and I was enjoying my toasty sleeping bag. I lay my head down and next thing I know there's huge flames coming from the front of the tent. Apparently he had the water almost boiling and the stove ended up falling over. Thankfully, no animals were hurt, including Noah.

And here's the view in the morning from the tent. The trees were beautiful.

The hike down though, was the whole reason I came. We left pretty late so we didn't reach the spring we were going for, but it was better than hiking in total darkness in the snow, following all sorts of animal tracks. So we camped in the above meadow and on the way down in the morning we got a beautiful view of the valley.

Noah isn't so good with downhill.

Sigh.

Overall, it was a good trip. The thing that probably saved us was zipping our bags together that night. We were so toasty warm! Next time, we leave a little earlier and it doesn't snow. Noah loved it so much he wants to book a camping trip every month.

This concerns me just a bit.

The Train Menace

2011-10-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Train Conductors,

5:45 a.m. is not an acceptable hour to blow your horn right next to my home. If I have ear plugs in I should not be awoken from my peaceful slumber by your stupid honking.

Love,

Becky

My Favorite Teaching Moments

2011-09-15T23:22:00.001-07:00

Morning supervision--saving lives one pedestrian at a time.

AND I got to wear a super sweet orange vest.

I also got a few new students (and by a few I mean a gazillion).

One of my students just made me chuckle. When I asked what they did this summer at Seven Peaks they screwed up their face really tight and put their fist to their head and said, "I'm tinking...I'm tinking..."
Oh, I love it! It was so cute!

And best quote so far this year:

"Mrs. Coleman, every time I see you I think that you're going to have a baby."

My reply:
"Thanks ______."

By the way, I'm not pregnant, but maybe they have special psychic powers and I will get pregnant. Then I might just thank said student.

I should have my own T.V. show...

2011-08-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

Because I'm so darn creative and I make lots of things while Noah is off in the wilderness. Take, for example this before:

And after (this does not capture how hideous it was before and not hideous now:
Before:

And after:
I also bought some nice little onesies and decorated them for baby showers:

And while Noah's been away I finished up some paintings I've been tinkering on for awhile:

I took my sewing machine to the watercolor paper so when you hold it up to light you can see through it.

I'm feeling so crafty.

New Goal

2011-08-27T00:40:00.000-07:00

Don't take life so seriously.

Date Night

2011-08-12T22:58:00.000-07:00

For our date this evening Noah took me to the arcade. I became addicted to gambling and Noah beat me twice in air hockey. We also ended the evening with 95 tickets.

So we bought the unicorn for 80 and a large Swedish Fish for 15, but the guy felt bad for us and gave us two. :)

With our last 3 coins we rode around on the merry go round intended for small children. I'd say it was a success.

I love it when...

2011-08-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

I come home from working all day, unpaid, in my classroom at the school and I say, "I really don't want to make dinner."

And Noah says, "Don't worry, I'll make it."

And he does, and he doesn't make me help at all.

Gosh, life is good!

Pictures from Boston

2011-08-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

Noah and I haven't taken pictures of us since we got married and thus, you get a lovely little treat.

Done by the ever wonderful, Krista Wahlquist.

Krista joined in the photo shoot too. :)

The Narrows

2011-08-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

The summer is coming to a close. BOOOO!!!

I'll tell you a secret...
I'm just a little bit looking forward to the new school year.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, here's what we've squeezed in with our few precious moments of nothingness--a trip to The Narrows!

Pictured below is our dear friend the cow:

The Narrows was filled with breath-taking views, but is definitely not for the claustrophobic or the faint of heart. I thought, for example we'd do a day hike in and a day hike out. Boy, was I wrong.

Has anyone else noticed that my husband is melting away?

Pictured below are Noah's dehydrated concoctions. He's gone on this crazy, "Let's dehydrate everything, including our eyeballs!" Not really, but really, he's dehydrating EVERYTHING!

As you can see from these pictures we stayed the night. Noah and I didn't want to carry a tent so we slept under the stars which were absolutely gorgeous.

It was seriously a really long hike. 16 miles in total and I am still feeling it a week later. My foot is making this weird creaky noise that I don't really enjoy, but I hope it goes away.

Anyway, the first day was kind of a disaster where we got a late start and befriended these two boys from Wales who wanted to see "the real America." Because of our late start we ended up staying in someone else's campground because we couldn't see anything in front of us. Mind you, we were hiking in a river. A bit unnerving for sure.

By the end of the second day I had had enough walking and decided to coast down the river on my bum, and while it suffered minor bruises, my legs were very grateful for the respite.

When we finally got back to civilization, er, as close as Cedar City comes to civilization, Miranda took us out for Mexican food--

and Costco. :)

We only took two pictures in Cedar City and this is one of them. Neither of them includes Miranda. :)

Overall experience at the Shirt Lift Motel: A++++++

Dear Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake,

2011-07-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

If only I hadn't made you with bread flour...

Love,

Becky

P.S. Thank you for still tasting delicious.

To the mountain peak--and beyond!

2011-07-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Noah and I went hiking--again.

It was a really beautiful loop and Noah informed me later that it was 8.4 miles instead of 6 (which he told me beforehand it would be). My butt hurt a lot afterwards and I walked really funny because everything hurt.

We got our feet VERY dirty. I still can't get all the dirt off.

My Chaco lines...

And Noah's sweet sock tan...

The undergrowth was SUPER tall. Sometimes it was over my head.

One of the coolest things was a few springs scattered along the trail. It was GORGEOUS and the water tasted like snow!

Luxurious

2011-07-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

"Noah you live in a girlie room." -Miranda

Before:

After:

We couldn't put up a canopy in the old place because I could touch the ceilings and Noah would scrape his knuckles getting undressed. I was super excited to create something for the bed. One trip to IKEA sealed the deal. They were getting rid of fabric in their As-Is section and I jumped on it. I finished right before Miranda came to pick us up for the reunion.

Also before the reunion this weekend Noah went fishing and caught this guy:

He was delicious.

P.S. Jorgensen Family Reunion was a BLAST!!! I'm sure there will be more details on Sara's blog.

Our Arduous Journey

2011-07-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Devoted Followers,

I know how much you've missed me so I've compiled a little show for all of you...

Our journey into the unknown (it was Nebraska, a lot of what goes on there is unknown) began at a rest stop in good old Nebraska. We took a little hike, checked out this sweet archeological site and Noah climbed a rock.

I know, I married a goober.

Our destination for the fourth of July was CHICAGO!!! Noah has lived with this sweet windmill practically in his backyard so we went to see it. Here, Noah is attempting to push Seth off the edge...

We also took a little detour and went shopping at Rachel's favorite consignment store where we found oodles of delicious outfits.

No trip is complete without a repeat of our honeymoon pictures:

We headed out on the fifth to upstate New York's Alfred University, which Noah and I both immediately fell in love with. Sigh.

If you haven't noticed yet, Noah and I decided to take the cheap way out. We camped all along the way. Which was great, except, remember that skunk I told you about that visited us in Utah. I'm pretty sure he hitch hiked.

During dinner I'm happily eating my couscous and Noah again says, "Don't move."

I personally thought there was a bear, so of course I immediately disobey and turn my head around to see Skunky taking a little traipse through our campsite. We didn't see him again, luckily.

Next up, BOSTON! We took a nice little trip to visit Krista and drop off her new BFF. Thanks Jess from Urban Patchwork! This is where we stayed. :) I felt very odd blow drying my hair at a campsite.

Krista showed us some of her favorite spots and took pictures which are sure to follow soon!

After Boston was Hackettstown, New Jersey. Home to Mars Chocolate factory and Brandon and Katie (plus baby). We have no photos of us there, but I swear we slept there in luxurious conditions.

The journey didn't end there though! We took off for Maryland and Rhea's baptism and my mom's birthday. I volunteered to make an angel food cake. I've never made one before, and all were a little nervous due to past grievous sins in the Whipple kitchen, but look how fantastic it is!

And it was seriously delicious as well!

Finally, we were homeward bound, but not without a little stop off to Assateague Island. We backpacked in along the beach and spent a fabulous night with the wild ponies.

Literally, they surrounded our camp. I woke up in the middle of the night to stomping in the sand. I peaked out and there they were. The camera was in the bags on the table, so we didn't get pictures (because we weren't going out there for the following reasons: those horses bite, so do the flies, and so do the mosquitos). They stuck around until the early morning.

Next stop was VCU and we were off to Kansas. There aren't any pictures from there either, but it was a blast hangin' with the boys.

And finally, Saturday around noon we started our final leg of the journey.

Whew.

To finish off my little recount of our trip I thought I'd share some things we've learned along the way:

-Vampire flies live on Assateague.
-Massachusetts drivers are scary fast, New Yorkers are scarier, but nothing really tops Utah.
-Colorado hires drunk line painters...

(It was seriously crooked.)

-Nebraska is not for the avid camper.
-Columbus, Ohio successfully hides OSU, which we wanted to go see, but couldn't because it's impossible to find.
-Upstate New York is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
-Hacketstown, NJ is surprisingly pleasant considering it's in New Jersey.
-Wegman's is Winco's classy older brother.
-People will do anything to amuse themselves while driving through Kansas. Including driving up next to people as many times as possible and waving.
-You can use a lawnmower and a wheelchair to make a very effective zombie weapon.

The End.

Lazy Days and Gardens

2011-06-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

First up....

WE HARVESTED OUR CARROTS!!!!

The progress of our other vegerbles...

And Isla has nothing to do with our garden, but she came for a visit!

And this is out of order, but I have a very handsome gardener. More pictures to follow with his face in them. :)

Evolution

2011-06-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what all of you who actually read this know, but I've been through quite a battle over the last 5 years.

I'm sure if you've read previous posts you know I'm doing Weight Watchers--for the second time.

For those readers out there who have never fought the battle, let me tell you, it's not easy. Any skinny person that's ever looked at a fat person and thought, "Why doesn't that lazy bum get up and exercise or stop eating all those potato chips?"

That's not what all of us do.

I'm here to say, I'm not a lazy bum and no matter what everyone thought of me when I was younger. I did find someone to love me for all of me and I've changed my life.

So I created a little something for me and for you.

I've evolved.

Disturbing and Entertaining

2011-06-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

Noah Lives Up to His Name

2011-06-13T22:49:00.001-07:00

I didn't know when I married a man named Noah that in the two years we've been married it would have been nice to have that ark handy about 3 times. :)

For the third time in our marriage our apartment flooded and our apartment is being gutted. Needless to say, we are on the move!

Today we looked at so many apartments and spoke with a million different people, but we found a place and it's on the second floor, away from potential flood waters.

Sum...Sum...Summa' Time

2011-06-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

First of all, I tried doing this yesterday and it wouldn't work. After about an hour of troubleshooting a discovered I was running out of room for my pictures! Ugh. So I decide to make it in to a book. After about 2 hours of editing and perfecting it, I did it all in the wrong layout. So I just printed out the first few blogs I've ever written and deleted them (in case you actually care about why my blog entries have gone missing). It was Noah's first suggestion anyway. Hate it when he's right...

Moving on--look what I made!

Only took me a year to finish it! Hah!
And look what we planted!

Lavendar, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, jalepenos! Our herb garden has expanded as well with cilantro, rosemary, lemon thyme, and basil (again, it had better not die this time).
Also, we've gotten in to this Mayan chocolate craze since tasting The Sweet Tooth Fairy's delectable treats. So we made our own:

It was quite the experience. I combined like 4 recipes. It could do to be a little more moist, but the mini cupcakes are only 2 points a piece and it's nice and spicy!

So as you can see I'm making very good use of my time.
Why can't it always be summer???

No Work and More Play

2011-05-31T16:08:00.000-07:00

No more work means all those projects I've been meaning to finish are getting finished:

I've been wanting labels for all those containers we have. Today I finished them!

Next to finish is that dress I've been working on for a year now. It's almost done!

School Days

2011-05-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

NO MORE SCHOOL!

One victory for Lazer Girl!

2 Years Ago

2011-05-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Noah,

Just two years ago I thought I was crazy. Now I'm sure I am.

Thank you for marrying me and like my mom says, "putting up with my antics." You make everyday a joy to be alive.

We've gone through hard times...

but through it all, I've never laughed so much...

and I'm pretty sure I've found heaven on earth.

Marrying you was my BEST. CHOICE. EVER.

Love,
Becky

Once a Ponder

2011-05-19T23:01:00.000-07:00

I've been pondering some thoughts lately that I've felt a desire to share:

1. Exercise is good for the soul as well as the body. We took a little hike up Y mountain the other night for Efaychee (FHE) and it was a blast (as you can tell from our faces of course).
We took the trip with our trusty neighbors who I will miss having next door in July, but alas, all good things come to an end, except eternal life )which never does and is something to look forward to). Now I'm rambling. On to #2!

Can my babies PLEASE look just as cute as her?

2. I love lilacs. I asked Noah to pick me some while I went to the gym. When I got home I found a beautiful vase on the kitchen table.

We sit down at watch a movie and afterwards, I need a bathroom break. I find this beautiful arrangement on the toilet:
And I thought it was the end, but I go to get into bed and find these:

Seriously, he's my favorite. I have no other husband to compare him to, but any other husband I could dream up cannot compare.

3. Finally, I joined a book club, which I seriously love. We read Man's Search for Meaning by Victor E. Frankl. He says the following about suffering:

"...a man's suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will fill the chamber completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber. Thus suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering is great or little. Therefore the "size" of human suffering is absolutely relative."

I had never looked at suffering like this.

When each of us suffers it is, in that moment, the worst suffering imaginable. To the outside viewer it may seem very trivial, but it fills us. So the next time I hear of someone suffering I'm going to try to think of it as my own and really be able to say, "I'm sorry, it is hard."

The most important thing to remember though in this is what he says after:

"...everything can be taken from a man, but one thing: the last of the human freedoms--to choose one's own attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

In the end, I choose life forever with Noah.

Reverse Pyschology

2011-05-14T23:05:00.001-07:00

I've been reading a book called Man's Search for Meaning, by Victor E. Frankl, which I highly recommend to everyone because it's a fabulous book. He talks about in the end about his theory on Logotherapy and a part of that logotherapy is some kind of reverse psychology. I've decided to use Noah as an experiment.

It's called paradoxical intention. Frankl uses an example of a man who is afraid of sweating and because of his fear every time he encounters a situation where he is going to sweat he sweats even more because he's afraid. He tells him to try to sweat a lot and he doesn't sweat. I'm going to apply this theory to my home. We're going to try to be as messy as possible in order to cure our home.

Hey, it worked with Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. It'll work for our house right?

A New Ward, A New Day, and I'm feelin' good...

2011-05-09T11:25:00.001-07:00

Noah and I have begun attending our first family ward since being married (and my first not student ward since I began school.)

It was interesting. That means, it was not really either good or bad, but neutral.

My favorite things from the new ward:

1. One of my favorite students EVER is in my ward.
He used to rub people's bellies.
He will do anything for a piece of candy.
He apparently led the music in opening exercises for priesthood.
I asked Noah what he did,
"Well he started off at the front waving his hand in the air. He walked around a lot and ended up sitting with the deacons in the back before the song was over."
I ADORE HIM.

2. One of the students at my current school is in my ward.
I however, do not teach him.

I climbed it!

2011-04-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

I just want the world to know that I climbed a rock wall.

I thought I couldn't do it, but I DID (more than once)!

I am the mightiest!

A Long Stretch

2011-04-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Noah and I took a trip down to New Mexico directly after graduating. It was an amazing trip filled with fun and food. We arrived in New Mexico late Friday and spent all day with the family who I don't see very often, but have a blast with every time I'm there. Saturday night Walt got married, which was of course the purpose of the visit and Noah and I packed up early to head to back to Utah for Easter dinner.

On the way back, right outside Monticello it started hailing pretty bad. What follows is a true account:

Becky: "Slow down Noah."

Noah lets off the gas, the car fishtails and Noah over-corrects. We begin to spin out of control.

Becky: "Turn the wheel in the direction of the tires."

Noah has no idea what direction we're headed but turns it all the way one way and hopes for the best. We spin around in a circle. The entire time Becky is saying, "It's ok, it's ok, it's ok, it's ok." When the car finally comes to a stop on the right side of the road we get out and look behind us:

Come to find out there was a girl several feet ahead who also ran into a ditch on the road. We're not sure when she ran off, but she had crossed traffic. I think that spin may have saved our lives. We were able to help the girl out of the ditch with the help of another couple and were on our way again.

I like to think of the whole experience as a tender mercy for both parties. She had two little kids in the back.

We arrived in Castle Dale ahead of schedule despite our mishap and feasted. Overall, I'd say it was a happy Easter Sunday.

Ode to Noah

2011-04-21T06:57:00.001-07:00

Dear Noah,

Thank you for graduating. You're such a stud and I'm glad everyday that I married you.

Love,
Becky

Oh Spring Break

2011-04-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

Spring break is over. This is a very sad day.

In honor of one of the most wonderful weeks of my life here's a list of what I did:

-Slept when I wanted.
-Ate when and what I wanted (which of course included Tucanos, cookies, and lots of ice cream.)
-Cleaned my house when I wanted.
-Watched movies on YouTube when I wanted (which included almost all the new videos on the Mormon Channel and Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration (Yes, it's on YouTube!).)
-Bought what I wanted (A new sweater, $6 pants, a sequined tank, and Tangled.)
-Went to visit Esther when I wanted.
-Went to the gym when I didn't always want, but needed to go anyway because I was doing a whole lot of the second thing on my list.

One thing I did that I didn't want to do was get my cavities filled.

I wish that every week could be a week of whatever I wanted. Oh wait, that's this summer!
Only 5 more Mondays left!!!

I will most certainly miss these guys.

Yay for the first successful camping trip of the year.

Because I do everything Laura demands...

2011-04-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Drag 2011

This is for Laura (and everyone else). She demanded wedding pictures and now she demands a picture of Noah's piece. :) There's s picture here, but since that doesn't quite do it justice I've also uploaded a video.

And to answer Hannah and Sara, we had Cafe Rio, no pork and no pudding, but it was still delicious. :)

Best of Show

2011-04-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

This is just to say that last night Noah and I attended an awards ceremony for the student art show on campus. Noah won...

BEST OF SHOW!!!

(and a nice prize)

We celebrated by eating dinner in bed.
We live a luxurious life.

It's catching...

2011-03-26T15:22:00.001-07:00

It's official...I have Bieber Fever.

Another day...

2011-03-26T00:14:00.001-07:00

Today Noah and I went to go see The Eagle, (with the Hargiss'). It was pretty good, but after the movie I couldn't help but think, "This is just one big game of capture the flag."

I also went to get my nails done with Jessica, which was fabulous. I went for mint green with pink sparkles in the Gelac.

Word.

P.S. We went to the mall before the movie because we had intended to go at 7:25 but of course every single show was sold out, so the husbands bought tickets to go to the 10:10 show (Seriously? I'm too old to go to movies that late now.) Anyway, while in the mall Noah was holding Isla who had passed out by that point (by passed out, I mean she was sleeping). Apparently women kept pointing at him and smiling. He said he wasn't used to the attention and I told Isla she'd better not get women to be checkin' out my man because if that was the case I'd make her pay later in life. Empty threats.

P.P.S. The entire reason we went into the mall was so I could buy these:

They had one pair left in my size. I walked away. They cost $130 and I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much on a pair of shoes even if I'm using all of my birthday money to do it. I have wanted them since winter of 2009. Sigh.

Thoughts

2011-03-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

"You are a beloved daughter of Heavenly Father, prepared to come to the earth at this particular time for a sacred and glorious purpose. You have a noble responsibility to use your strength and influence for good. Your loving Heavenly Father has blessed you with talents and abilities that will help you fulfill your divine mission."

When you think about life like that, does anything else matter?
I wish I could always have more perspective.
I want to be less angry and more kind.

A big old day...

2011-03-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

Today I:

-Wrote one IEP for a meeting at 8 a.m. that never happened.
-Went to the dentist for the first time in 5 years. Poor teeth.
-Had one reception for a very handsome budding artist. :)
-Ate one very delicious hot dog.

Today wasn't so bad. ;)

(P.S. Check out how skinny he is!)

Do it Yerself

2011-02-26T15:30:00.000-08:00

So last weekend Jessica and I took a trip to the thrift store and I found this fabulous little piece of goodness. It doesn't look like much now, but you just wait...

I took a short trip to Home Depot where I got:

-sand paper 100 grit

-ebony colored stain

Then I taped it off.

After I hung it up, I also painted on just a touch of gold acrylic on the little decorative pieces.

Voila! Now it sits above my sofa and it only cost me $10.

Funny Things

2011-02-26T15:06:00.000-08:00

Noah: "Becky, Isla says she's in a baking mood. Can I borrow your basket so that Isla can sit in it while she bakes?"

Sometimes, the best part about babysitting is watching and listening to Noah interact. I'm pretty sure Isla is now "holding the cookbook."

Bieber Feaver

2011-02-22T19:38:00.000-08:00

Because of Jessica I'm obsessed with Justin Bieber. My students will now adore me. Sigh.

...Noah also put the cookie dough from yesterday in convenient bite size pieces for baking. Coincidentally, they also conveniently find their way into my mouth. Dang handiness.

Basement Dwellers

2011-02-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

Here are the culprits that made me cry:

That very same weekend we also went snowshoeing, which was awesome! It was so warm and good times were had by all.

Here we all are afterward. Happy Birthday Brandon!

I'm really going to miss these guys...

(except Noah of course. He'll be around for eternity.)

Valentine's Mush

2011-02-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

So I know you are all out there posting what you did on Valentine's and I wasn't going to, but well, here I am!

I spent a very hectic Monday trying to do things for the kids, which was of course futile. I send them packing, thinking great, an extra hour of time for me to get things done! No! I helped the kids deliver the Valentine's they didn't have time to give each other.

I get home, finally, late because I spent so much time working and Noah is there making dinner. He gives me a kiss and helps me with my bag and I go in to the bedroom to find a dozen pink roses in zebra print wrapping sitting on my bed. It was so beautiful and nice that I sat down on the bed and cried because the day just wasn't the best. Noah comes in somewhat confused, but all was well. About a half hour later we realize the roast won't be done for a long time. We then decide to go to Burger King with our gift card we won at the stake dance. Weeell, Noah forgot to use it so we still have a Burger King card.

When we got home Noah was in a grumpy mood and we fought. Noah dropped the roast on the floor and we yelled at each other. About 5 minutes later we decided to start our evening over, which is what we always do when we feel like we're stuck in gloomy moods. Often, I like to just start my day over and crawl into bed and pretend to wake-up again.

The rest of the evening we lay in bed doing whatever we felt like. So it wasn't as perfect as Noah had planned, but forgiveness is what love is all about right?

Blueberries and Exercise

2011-02-09T20:29:00.001-08:00

I did a little modern dance in the living room...it's been a long time and I smiled every minute I was dancing. Afterward, I ate these:

P.S. This is my favorite cup. I wash it just so I can eat and/or drink out of it for just about everything.

Why I Love Noe

2011-02-09T07:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a little note I found on my computer:

Dear Becky-

I love you very much. I think you are a wonderful wife and a very dedicated teacher. Even though I miss you sometimes, I know that you are putting in lots of hard work for the kids. They may not show it now or even in this lifetime, but these kids will thank you for the help and love you have given them. You are amazing!! I love you!!

Love,
Noah

He makes my day better. I'm pretty sure I married someone not too far from perfection. I've got a lot of catching up to do.

Comical Life

2011-02-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

I thought this might make you guys chuckle. Yes, I made it. Enjoy.

Miscellaneous Happiness

2011-02-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

This, was my Christmas present:

Added to this:
A short before:
Annnnnnd, after (I did a lot while Noah was out of town):
As another note, I've lost 13 lbs. and I really liked my outfit today so now, you get a picture of it!

Weekend Highlights

2011-01-31T10:56:00.000-08:00

This weekend was wonderful. First of all, at Weight Watchers I've come to a total of 12 lbs! Afterward, I was talking to a friend and told her she should quit her job because she is so stressed. She replied to me, "But then I can't buy myself a new car every month!" Believe me, she does actually do this. She trades in her old car for another car every other week.

I stopped by to get supplies for the Thai food party on Saturday and received a life lesson lecture from the man at the register. He could tell I was younger and perhaps he felt I needed his wisdom. I was amused to say the least.

Sunday I read this:

All day. It was blissful. There were no meetings and no appointments. Just Noah and I snuggled up on the couch reading books with the sun streaming in. Sigh.

List of Quotes

2011-01-27T11:23:00.001-08:00

Recently I've been compiling a list of favorite quotes from general authorities and I thought I'd share them with all of you (partially because I can archive them here and not have them on my sticky note on my desktop):

"So if various trials are allotted to you, partake of life’s bitter cups, but without becoming bitter."-Neal A. Maxwell "Remember How Merciful the Lord Hath Been"

"I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us.
My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith."-Thomas S. Monson "Be of Good Cheer"

"Pride is a deadly cancer. It is a gateway sin that leads to a host of other human weaknesses. In fact, it could be said that every other sin is, in essence, a manifestation of pride.
This sin has many faces. It leads some to revel in their own perceived self-worth, accomplishments, talents, wealth, or position. They count these blessings as evidence of being “chosen,” “superior,” or “more righteous” than others. This is the sin of “Thank God I am more special than you.” At its core is the desire to be admired or envied. It is the sin of self-glorification.
For others, pride turns to envy: they look bitterly at those who have better positions, more talents, or greater possessions than they do. They seek to hurt, diminish, and tear down others in a misguided and unworthy attempt at self-elevation. When those they envy stumble or suffer, they secretly cheer."-Dieter F. Utchdorf

Consumed

2011-01-25T21:45:00.000-08:00

Oh special education, how you consume my every waking moment.

Tender

2011-01-16T18:54:00.001-08:00

Today in church we had talks on "tender mercies of the Lord." I realized that I haven't really been looking for them in my life. So I started thinking and I realized how much God has blessed our family.

Noah and I were married in May 2009. First of all, I thought I'd never get married. I'd never dated anyone before and didn't really have anyone interested in me. It could have been me and how awkwardly I acted around boys when I went on dates with them. I never really felt comfortable. Noah was a different story all together. I liked the way he treated and respected me when we talked. I look at our relationship as a tender mercy. Noah was just what I needed in my life just when I needed it and he will always be just what I need.

After our marriage, life was good. We weren't rich, but we had enough to keep us going. When I started having monthly painful attacks I was really scared. When the doctor told me I had to have my gallbladder removed I was even more scared. When the woman at the hospital told me it was going to cost me $10,000 I about had a heart attack on top of the gallbladder. I know that many people were praying for us. I know that there was no other way Noah and I would have received so much financial aid. My family sent money for my birthday, we found $100 on our doorstep from someone in the ward, and the hospital gave us a lot of financial aid. I know that that was a tender mercy of the Lord.

I thought as well after all of that, that I was doomed to never get a job to support us sufficiently. When I interviewed for a teaching position I hoped, but didn't spend a lot of time on it. When my principal called and offered me the teaching position I couldn't believe this was happening. I know that the Lord answered my prayers. (The above picture is of my para and I on Halloween.)

And this weekend, I was feeling a bit down on myself and Noah was out of town. I was doing dishes and getting angrier and angrier with my thoughts. Not at Noah, but at others unkindness and selfishness. I felt so angry at one point and still mixed with remorse for my feelings I started to sing hymns. Peace came into my heart and I felt for once in a long time happy and whole. The Lord gave me yet another tender mercy.

See, they're everywhere! Those tender moments when you know God is there. And in hopes of helping you feel a tender mercy I'll leave you with this quote:

"The history of the Church in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, is replete with the experiences of those who have struggled and yet who have remained steadfast and of good cheer as they have made the gospel of Jesus Christ the center of their lives. This attitude is what will pull us through whatever comes our way. It will not remove our troubles from us but rather will enable us to face our challenges, to meet them head on, and to emerge victorious"-Thomas S. Monson "Be of Good Cheer"

Enlisted

2011-01-12T22:18:00.000-08:00

While we're on the topic of lists I've come up with some creative ones, in fact, I made a list of them. Today is themed "A Day in the Life of Me."

Things now on my to do list(s):

Test
Math Planning and Assessment
Plan writing about past/present/future tense and adj
Read Math Program Material

Run Discrepancies
Test Student
Test New Referral

Read gas meter
Dishes
Vacuum
Fold Clothes
Follow the breadcrumb trail Noah left or, in other words, pick up Noah's trail of crap he left from point A to point B/Better yet remind Noah to do it himself.

To Buy/Pay for:

INK!
Brakes
Appointments

A typical list in the life of Becky. Oh dear. This actually compromises 3 of my lists that I look at on a daily basis.

Want to know what's funny? I feel like I just pasted my diary out there on the internet by giving you this list. I had to alter it to make myself feel better.

Yes, this is the third time I've added to this post. I have had an epiphany. I HAVE CATEGORIZED MY LIFE IN TO LISTS. I am a list maker. Look at my blog posts from the last month if not more. I have given you my life's narrative in the form of lists.

Also, (yes this is my fourth time editing, I'm LISTING again) I am not alone in this list mania. There are other people out there! All you have to do is Google obsession with lists. Is anyone else completely terrified by this epiphany?

Queen of Lists

2011-01-11T21:03:00.001-08:00

So when I went home I found lists. Apparently my list making began early on. Now I make lists of things I need to do, and then I made lists of other things like: qualities I want in a husband, 1,000 things that make me happy, etc. Today I would like to begin my new year with a list of things I want to accomplish this summer when I'm no longer swamped with work. Here it goes:

1. Hike & camp in Moab.
2. Take Noah's overly priced road trip.
3. Begin couponing.
4. Read as many books as humanly possible.
5. Make my quilt!
6. Finish certification.
7. Take a picnic, several if possible.
8. GO CAMPING!!!!!!!!!!! Everywhere and anywhere.
9. Build something.
10. Paint, paint, and more paint.
11. Run a long distance.
12. Finally make Noah hike the Y.
13. Eat cupcakes & ice cream and still lose weight. :)
14. Sleep.
15. Run barefoot in the rain.
16. DANCE PAR-TAY EVERY FRIDAY.
17. Read the Old Testament.
18. Volunteer.
19. Trip to Florida.
20. Put my feet in the Pacific Ocean.

I think 18 is a good number to start with. Every time I try to end I come up with something new, see now there are 20. Oh I'm so excited.

What are you going to do? Any suggestions my dear, 8 loyal followers?

I resolve to...

2011-01-01T13:18:00.000-08:00

I know you've read a million blogs by now filled with resolutions, and here's another one. This year I'm going to:

1. Keep all of my organs.
2. Become certified as a legit teacher.
3. Serve Noah more and care less about what he doesn't pick up off the floor.
4. Lose 30 lbs. and reach my goal weight!

A Very Merry Maryland Christmas

2010-12-29T21:14:00.001-08:00

I'm leaving tomorrow for Utah. :(

While here, I spent a good amount of time going through the attic trying to re-organize and get rid of things. Some things I believed were valuable as a teenager no longer are so we had quite a bit to get rid of. A few treasures included:

My "Online Guy File"-Oh yes folks, before Noah and I were married I had somewhat of any online relationship with a boy and well I kept everything he sent me. Noah was thoroughly amused by the whole thing, but insisted that mailing everything back would not be appropriate.

Stinks Bugs-Ew, ew, and ew. I hate you stink bugs, you have ruined the smell of my childhood memories.

Glowy and Blankie-They have weathered a lot through the years, but I finally have them back with me.

Books-Oh my gosh my books. I can't take them all home with me and this made me very sad. They will have to continue to sit in the stink bug infested attic. Sad day.

Lists-I made a list of 1,000 things that made me happy. It brought a really big smile to my face.

Also, we did a little shopping while here and because I enjoy lists so much here's what I bought:

2 long sleeve shirts
1 cardigan
1 sweatshirt
1 pair of very warm running pants
A stretchy running shirt for Noah and a new pair of cheap running shoes to break in the Vibrams (see below)

And another list of all the fabulous gifts we got:

Noah:
1 pair of drunken reindeer pj's
1 pair of snowman pj's
2 shirts
1 massage
1 pr. Vibrams
2 Threadless tees
1 Old Navy gift card
1 nifty socket wrench
1 crate full of Obi's

Becky:
1 beautiful turquoise necklace and matching earrings that I've waited for since July
1 set of Tahitian pearls (Black)
Lots of soap (I wonder if my family thinks I'm dirty)
1 rotary cutter
1 self healing mat
1 iPod shuffle
1 Black Ann Taylor Dress

And we've both got a few extra pounds around the middle with inspiration from Eat, Pray, Love.

I love vacation.

Flying High

2010-12-21T22:27:00.000-08:00

By this time tomorrow I will be in the air homeward bound. I feel good about that.

I was in somewhat of a cranky mood for the last 30 minutes so I decided to make a list of things I'm grateful for:

1. Noah. He has to be on the top of the list right? Really though, he puts up with a lot and I cannot imagine life with a better person. I don't regret marrying him.

2. Friends. There have been a lot of people in my life who travel in and out, but I've had some constants. I appreciate that they put up with my craziness and sometimes even come over and do Pilates with me.

3. Being Mormon. I don't know what it's like to be anything else, but I will tell you that from my point of view nothing beats it.

4. My body. It hasn't been my best friend these last five years, but it's mine and I'm grateful that I have one that on most occasions works.

5. My Job. It's tough and I spend, oh I'd say 12 hours a day or more doing it, but I'm doing something useful and I like it.

6. My calling. I spent the first couple of months of being in my new married ward having a really tough time adjusting and feeling needed. Getting a calling that made me feel useful and needed helped a lot, plus I got to know a lot of really amazing people.

7. Our down comforter. Our apartment is really cold. Enough said.

8. The temple. It's the most peaceful place on this earth. I always feel like I can go there to rest.

9. Weight Watchers. It's my support system (plus Noah) and it's turned my husband into the sexiest man alive. He held this title before his weight loss and I didn't think it was possible, but he's even sexier.

10. Wishes coming true. Sunday night I told Noah I wanted a blizzard. I got one and it's beautiful!

Oh Dear Martha

2010-12-17T23:44:00.000-08:00

So I've mentioned I don't have a whole lot of time to do artsy fartsy things like I'd like to do, but here are a few snippets of things I've done recently (as in the last 5 months):

This one was originally done for the Farmer's Market. We stretched IKEA remnants over cork board.
These fabrics combined with...
this drawing, may equal one quilt (someday).

I've been exploring and experimenting with watercolors. A lot of what I'm doing involves pockets and sewing on watercolor paper.

The idea really came from my gallbladder and my recent love for sewing. I have some plans for this and when I finally have time this summer I might just go about working out the ideas.

This beauty was a recent acquisition that turned into this:

Just another thing for Noah to hang I guess. :)

I know, I'm Blogging Twice

2010-12-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

Ok I couldn't resist. I wanted to share two things (or more) of good news:

1. I rearranged my classroom AND I LOVE IT!

2. I lost another pound even after being -20 points this week I have OFFICIALLY lost 5% of my body weight! YES!

3. Noah invented a chocolate pumpkin smoothie:

1/2 c. nonfat Greek yogurt
1 c. fat-free milk
1/2 can (15 oz.) of pumpkin
1 package of Weight Watchers Creamy Chocolate smoothie Mix
2 tbsp brown sugar
Pumpkin Spice as desired
Ice

Blend it all and split it with your spouse. It's only 3 points and it's FILLING! I personally enjoy drinking it out of a straw. Makes me feel exotic.

4. 5 days until I'm in MARYLAND!

5. My in-laws bought me a beautiful new dress and when I opened it I didn't take it off for a good 30 min. until we had to go somewhere. I LOVE IT!

The Christmas Break Race

2010-12-16T07:33:00.000-08:00

We're on the home stretch! I just need to make it until Tuesday!

By the way, I have recently discovered a love for Yoga. Noah and I were both very happy people after doing my Yoga video (purchased from Ross for like $2.) I'm going to incorporate this more in to my life. Also, if you do 30 min of Yoga you get 2 activity points. That's more than what you get for walking for 30 min. I find this absolutely worth it.

Day Treinta

2010-12-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

What is your favorite song?

I thought this was a lame ending to the 30 day challenge, but I thought about it for a moment and decided on a pretty good song and way to end. My favorite song is How Firm a Foundation. When Noah and I were really struggling financially and emotionally back in April we were on our way to the temple and I heard this song on the radio (yay for living in Utah). I was singing along until they got to the third verse:

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

I felt the spirit so strongly right at that moment, telling me that everything would be OK and that no matter what trials may come my way that I am supported by a loving Heavenly Father. That song goes on and is so comforting and inspiring:

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

...

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

What a powerful ending. I repeat that very last line with my own testimony, "I'll never, no never, no never forsake." The gospel of Jesus Christ is true and I have a testimony that the Book of Mormon is another testament that Christ lives.

Day Veintinueve

2010-12-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

In the past month, what have you learned?

1. Writing in this blog has taken way too much of the time I should have used to plan lessons.
2. I need to be more organized. I thought I was, but more organization is required for this job.
3. I can lose 6 lbs. :) That's right, I did lose 6 lbs. I'm hoping with the new Weight Watcher's program I'll lose even more. I stepped on the scale this morning and I've already lost 3 lbs. Let's hope I can hold on for dear life this week.
4. Christmas Vacation + School= CHAOS!
5. I'm stronger than I think I am.

Day Veintiocho

2010-12-06T16:32:00.001-08:00

A picture of you a year ago and a picture now. How have you changed?

A year ago:
Now:
Well, I gained 30 lbs. Thank you first year of marriage and sucky gallbladder. I also cut my bangs. Something I've wanted to do for a long time, but never had the guts to do it. Also, I love my husband more. I wasn't even married in the first picture. I live in a new place and I'm a TEACHER! My life has changed a lot. Some I would say for the better and others for the worse, but overall I think the change has been good.

Day Veintisiete

2010-12-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

Why am I do this 30 day challenge?

Mostly because it looked fun. It's a lot of work, but it's still fun. I saw it on Alisha and Gillian's blogs and decided to go for it.

Day Veintiseis

2010-12-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

What do you think about your friends?

What an odd question. I think they're fabulous. That's why I'm friends with them. I have lots of friends in all different places. I like that. I like being familiar with people everywhere I go.

Day Veinticinco

2010-12-02T23:23:00.001-08:00

What you would find in my bag:

Chapstick
Several Pens
Sticky Notes
Weight Watchers Book and coupons
Gum wrappers
Bobby Pins
Waterbottle
Sanitary Items
Cellphone
Wallet
Keys
Gloves
Sunglasses
Ibuprofen (or as Esther calls it "Vitamin I")
Loose Coins

My purse is pretty boring and normal. I wish I could say my secret spy identity card, which I will not reveal on this blog because then it would give away my cover. Perhaps even diamond earrings, my spare just in case. Or like in Mary Poppins or Harry Potter you might just find the entire contents of my bedroom or house.

Day Veinticuatro

2010-12-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Mom and Dad,

I am the successful person I am today because you helped me believe I could succeed. I know that I wasn't the most wonderful child to raise. I still remember my attempts to run away or my pigheadedness, but I love and appreciate you.

You're so far away right now, but I want you to know that even with the distance I don't doubt your love for me. I have a testimony of the gospel today because of your choice to be sealed together in the temple. I think about that and how special it is that I've been sealed twice now in the D.C. temple. I appreciate your faith and your dedication to do hard things.

I know that right now things aren't going so well, but they'll get better. It's not the end of the world, you always told me that when I was being overly dramatic, and it's true. Things do get better. You have no idea how much I wish I could be there to make things better. It's hard for me to be so far away and hear about all your struggles and know I can't take care of you like you took care of me.

Mostly, I just want to say I love you. It almost isn't enough just saying that sometimes, but I mean it. I can't wait to see you at Christmas. I feel like my students, I'm just counting down the days until I can get home.

Love,

Me

Day Veintitres

2010-12-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

Something you crave a lot...

What don't I crave? However, the thing I crave the most is ice cream and cookies. Not necessarily together, but I crave them constantly. I freaking love both of them. It's not just sugar because I don't really crave candy. I like sweet things (a lot) as you can see by my beautiful curves and voluptuous figure, but if the world were to end and there were no cookies and ice cream I'd have some issues.

Day Veintidos

2010-11-30T17:49:00.000-08:00

What makes you different than everyone else?

The real questions here for me is what doesn't make me different. It's a much shorter list. However, I will attempt to name a few:

Every night, before I can sleep I have to pull the covers up over my ears. I cannot sleep unless the covers are over my ears.

Also, I can spread my toes out like fingers. I can also intertwine my toes. Don't believe me, here is proof.

I love the taste of raw hot dogs.

I think that's enough personal information to hold you off for awhile.

Day Veintiuno

2010-11-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

A picture of something that makes you happy:

Wikki Stix are amazing. I have the kids spelling words with them and THEY LOVE THEM! The program Headsprout and Wikki Stix have saved my life. When they finish their spelling words they can make pictures with them. It brings so much joy.

Day Veinte

2010-11-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

Today is kind of a lame 30 day challenge. It's who you see yourself marrying or being with in the future and since I married Noah for eternity I think this one goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. I'm going to be with Noah for the rest of my life here on earth and the rest of my existence because of this place. I love that thought. I know that because we both made covenants to remain faithful to one another that I will never be without Noah even we get cranky at each other. You might think I'm crazy because who wants to be with a cranky person, but it's less Noah and more me who is cranky so it's reassuring that he'll stick around.

Day Diecinueve

2010-11-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

Nicknames you have and why you have them...

They're very simple and similar to my name in every way:

Becky-Had it since birth.

Beck-The "y" on the end gets difficult for people to say. :)

Beckster-Very endearing.

Becca-Only my sister and a select few people are authorized to call me this. I hate being called Becca.

B-Whip-My dear roommate M-Dub and I were gangsta' one summer.

Becky Shmecky-Esther always wanted me to marry someone with that last name. Almost had Noah convinced he should change his last name (not really). She felt it would make me more Jewish.

Day Dieciocho

2010-11-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

Plans, dreams, or goals you have...

1. Buy a house in the next 10 years.
2. Get a masters in education and public administration. Then consider a doctorate.
3. Have 5 absolutely astonishingly beautiful children.
4. Lose 40 lbs.

Day Diecisiete

2010-11-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

Someone you would want to change lives with for a day and why...

I'd switch lives with Noah because I'm his sugar mama. It must be nice. :P

Day Dieciseis

2010-11-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

Another picture of yourself is today's post. I hope you really enjoy this one. :)

Day Quince

2010-11-23T07:13:00.000-08:00

Yay! We're at the halfway mark!

Put your iPod on shuffle and write the first 10 songs that play:

1. Imogen Heap-The Walk
2. Jack Johnson-Talk of the Town
3. Joey McNeely-The Score-Uptown Girls
4. Lonestar-My Front Porch Looking In
5. Enya-If I Could Be Where You Are
6. Brother Iz-Track 04
7. India Arie-Video
8. Bare Naked Ladies-Off the Hook
9. Small Sins-Stay(A random song I got from an iTunes sampler)
10. Enya-It's in the Rain

Day Catorce

2010-11-22T20:26:00.000-08:00

A picture of you and your family...

Well here we all are at the weddin'. This is both sides.

And no picture of my family is complete without a picture of all of us girls...

And of course, my new family. Gosh, I freaking love him.

Day Trece

2010-11-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

Write a letter to someone who has offended you recently:

Dear Body,

Why oh why do you burn when I squat, when I sit, when I walk? Muscles are meant to help me move and now they torture me. Body, you had better not hurt me again or I'm going to kick some trash. I promise I'll punish you by running harder.

Love, Becky

Noah also suggested I write to the asphalt...

Dear Asphalt,

You suck. Literally, you suck my knees down to greet you and it hurts. Thanks to you my knees are bruised and scarred. I hate you.

Love, Becky

Day Doce

2010-11-20T18:02:00.000-08:00

How you found out about Blogger and why you have one...

My cousin Naomi told me about blogger and said, "get one so that everyone could keep up with what you're doing." I wrote once and then didn't write again for awhile. Now, Noah's entire family blogs. Shout out to the family! So I blog to keep up with them. Also, I'm hilarious, what better reason is there to blog than to keep you smiling?

Day Once

2010-11-19T07:20:00.000-08:00

Another picture of you and your friends:

I attempted a picture at Harry Potter, but because of technical difficulties you'll have to settle for VERY old. Here we all are at the sand dunes in Idaho. I have other friends, these people just happen to be the people I spend the most time with. Also, I tried to find one of Katie, Brandon, Wally, and A. Such a picture does not exist. This should be remedied.

Day Diez

2010-11-18T14:43:00.001-08:00

Songs I listen to:

Sad: Snow(Hey oh)-Red Hot Chili Peppers

Happy: Meet me Halfway-Black-Eyed Peas or I'm Alive-Celine Dion

Bored: Bach Cello Suites

Mad: Anything Regatton

Hyped: Isn't this the same as happy really? I put down two answers there.

Day Nueve

2010-11-17T11:08:00.001-08:00

Something you're proud of in the last few days...

I took the plunge and finally cut my bangs straight across. They haven't been this way since 2nd grade when I rebelled against my mother and agreed to wear headbands until my bangs had grown out.

Day Ocho

2010-11-10T11:08:00.000-08:00

Short Term Goals for this Month:

1. Lose 5% of my body weight. That's 9 lbs.
How: Follow weight watchers and exercise everyday. On Sundays I enjoy leisurely walks.

2. Read my scriptures every day for at least 10 min.
How: Pure will power.

3. Plan lessons for the entire month of December.
How: Make better use of my planning time.

Day Siete

2010-11-09T22:18:00.000-08:00

A picture of someone or something that has had the biggest impact on you...

This is really a loaded question. However, I find that the best answer to this is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I would have never been married to my husband for eternity, which is the second thing that has had the most impact on me. The teachings of the church center on Jesus Christ and his atonement. I know you'll probably read a bajillion blogs about him, but it only goes to show his impact. My testimony is simple. I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I know that God lives. I know that he atoned for our sins. I know that God has watched over me every step of my life and that he will never abandon me. I know that I will see God again. I know the Book of Mormon is a true record and that it is another testament of Jesus Christ.

Day Seis

2010-11-09T21:59:00.000-08:00

My Favorite Superhero

My favorite superhero, hands down, is Batman. My interest peaked when my roommate Esther had a somewhat unhealthy obsession with all things Batman. At one point, Batman guarded our door. I however, like Batman because he's a real human being.

Batman doesn't have any fancy super powers that he got because he's an alien. I think this fact alone makes him a more believable hero. I give credit to the other guys with the fancy super powers, they're cool to see and I like to imagine what it would be like to have powers like that. However, I personally connect with the guy who dresses up in the thing he fears most and saves ordinary people's lives through the use of plausible technology.

Another reason I think makes him awesome is Batman teaches us bravery. He learns to conquer the things he fears most and turn them in to strengths. I know that I could be a bit braver and be more like Batman when it comes to spiders. Also, I could be a good person and capture bad guys.

Really, we could all be a bit more like Batman and make the world a more livable place. Batman is just like you and me, one day at a time he makes his city safer. Thanks to Batman Gotham is a better city. Thanks to his example we all strive to be better people.

Day Cinco

2010-11-09T21:51:00.001-08:00

A place I've been:
Last year we went to Washington for our friends' wedding. That's about as exciting as it's been for awhile. I will tell you where I want to go though...

Sigh.

Day Cuatro

2010-11-09T21:43:00.001-08:00

Credits for the image go to http://www.onlyinphiladelphia.com/2010/04/road-rage-reality/

Wellllll, I don't really want to admit this, but I get really cranky at other drivers. For example, the other day at the gas station I was waiting in line and someone drove up and butted. I hate people who cut in line, especially at gas stations. So I start being really angry, but while I don't act out at them I still think cranky thoughts about them and say unkind things about them behind the glass of my car. I have a very difficult time with discourteous drivers. I sometimes feel that I'm like a little kid shouting, "That's not fair!" Something to really work on, eh?

Day Tres

2010-11-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

There is no way on this earth that I could post pictures of all my friends. That would be a ridiculous task and you would get bored. However, I will show you pictures of some of my closest friends that I've kept in contact with.

So these are the girls I grew up with (Can you tell that I took this picture with Photo Booth instead of scanning it in?).I'm not sure how much they're going to hurt me for this, but here is just an example of the fun times we had...

And now here we are all grown up last year on my birthday!

The other people I love and adore are my old roommates. Noah is included in this because he is my husband and was going to be bored without me. However, technically he is now my roommate.

Day Dos

2010-11-09T15:20:00.000-08:00

"From the Middle to the End"

I was trying to figure out what to name my blog and I figured, well, this isn't the beginning of my life. So, it's from the middle to the end. Very creative, I know. I thought it sounded artsy, especially when I added "Inquire Within." It's a little invitation for you to read!

Yes, I drew that picture on a post it and then took a picture of it.

Day Uno

2010-11-09T14:45:00.000-08:00

15 interesting facts about me...

1. I teach Special Ed.
2. My favorite meal is homemade Macaroni & Cheese.
3. I graduated from college at 21.
4. I've never really traveled outside of the U.S. (Although Noah has now promised to take me to Italy or on a Mediterranean cruise, he didn't promise the last one, but I'd rather have that--or both).
5. My husband believes I have gravity wells in my knees. If you want, I'll show you my sweet scars.
6. I want to write a book. A good book.
7. I'm obsessed with Anthropologie and don't own a single item from their store.
8. One of my biggest pet peeves is being talked down to or using my age as an excuse for something. i.e. "But you're so young, you can't understand." Yeah, hate that.
9. I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE to read, but I hate non-fiction.
10. As a child I used to play by myself and imagine all the other characters, pretending they were actually there. One of my favorite characters to play was a shepherdess. I used to tie a pink sheet around my neck and frolic around my backyard.
11. I played with Barbies well into middle school, maybe even high school. My memory is fuzzy.
12. I love to bake. I feel like I'm inventing something new every time.
13. I'm going to run a 5k in March. I told myself I never would and now I am. Day 1 of training was yesterday and I wanted to die!
14. I feel tough when I fix something and am proud to own a staple gun. Noah did not buy it, I did.
15. I had to convince my husband to go out with me the first time.

30 Day Challenge

2010-11-09T13:22:00.000-08:00

I'm jumping on the bandwagon. I've been reading Gillian and Alisha's blogs and can't help myself...

Day 1-Recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

Day 2-The meaning behind your Blog name

Day 3-A picture of you and your friends

Day 4-A habit that you wish you didn't have

Day 5-A picture of somewhere you've been to

Day 6-Favorite super hero and why

Day 7-A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

Day 8-Short term goals for this month and when you'll accomplish them

Day 9-Something you're proud of in the past few days

Day 10-Songs you listen to when you're bored, happy, sad, mad, hyped

Day 11-Another picture of you and your friends

Day 12-How you found out about blogger and why you have one

Day 13-A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

Day 14-A picture of you and your family

Day 15-Put your iPod or shuffle on-first 10 songs that play

Day 16-Another picture of yourself

Day 17-Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

Day 18-Plans/dreams/goals you have

Day 19-Nicknames you have and why you have them

Day 20-Someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future

Day 21-A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 22-What makes you different from everyone else

Day 23-Something you crave for a lot

Day 24-A letter to your parents

Day 25-What I would find in your bag

Day 26-What do you think about your friends

Day 27-Why you are doing this 30 day challenge

Day 28-A picture of you from last year and now-how have you changed?

Day 29-In this past month, what have you learned?

Day 30-Your favorite song

Party City

2010-11-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday I finished 26 progress reports for work and still held everything together to have a housewarming (It was truly a miracle, but I will say on Friday I couldn't hold everything together and finally broke down. We all have weak days (haha weekdays...get it?) right?).

Overall, the housewarming was a success. We're sad some people couldn't make it, but we hope they know they are appreciated. We could have never have survived the flood without them.

(P.S. Almost everything that night was WW friendly AND delicious!)

Saturday proved to be another busy day this week. I got up early to go to my WW meeting (which I lost 2.4 lbs. at!) and start working on the following delectable treats with the help of Crystal and Krista:

We had quite the spread...

I can't take credit for the following, because Crystal made this BEAUTIFUL diaper cake and the sweet decorations that are not sitting on my coffee table still. I would hate for them to go to waste...

Eventually it was time to open gifts and Jessica was thrilled. I love her happy grin in this one.

It was a lovely afternoon to celebrate Jessica and her baby(Yay Jess!). After those festivities I headed off to my third party of the day up in Pleasant Grove. No babies at that shower...at least not yet! Congratulations to Katie who is getting married in 20 days!

It was a long week, but I'm happy to begin this next week with a nice relaxing Sunday with the following:
I couldn't resist posting it again.

Parent Teacher Conferences

2010-11-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

6 hours of parent teacher conferences the night before makes one teacher unable to function the following day...

P.S. That teacher is me.