It's Almost Show Time!!!

Lucky in Love

I really can't believe that these two have been married for a year already!  Time sure flies!

But I am oh-so-glad that they are!  Erin & Justin are so wonderful, and I for one am SO grateful to have Justin as a member of our family!  I couldn't ask for a better match for my big sister and best friend!

In honor of Mr. and Mrs. Badger's 1st Anniversary, here is 1 thing that I love about them:

1.  Justin and Erin are both really good listeners who make you feel important when you're talking.

HaPpY AnNiVeRsArY!  I love you both very much!

I'm Dreaming of a Tan Christmas!

...Probably because as of a couple days ago, I will officially spend this Christmas ON A CRUISE!!!

I am SO excited!  The ship is the Carnival Legend, and it departs from Tampa on December 19th for 7 days... We'll visit Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Roatan, and Belize!!

So, while all of you are seeing (and staying) white nine months from now, I'll be on a boat.  Drinking a pina colada.  Wearing a bathing suit.  Eating creme brulee.  And gaining a bunch of weight.

Maybe you should have my parents adopt you so you can come too!?!

Chocolate Melting Cake Recipe

So, apparently there have been a few requests for this lovely recipe.  SO here it is!  Enjoy!!!
Ingredients:

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 7 eggs
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup flour

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter; cool 10 minutes.
2. In separate bowl, mix 4 eggs with sugar. Whisk. Add flour and whisk. Add remaining 3 eggs.  Whisk.
3. Add egg mixture to chocolate mixture. Pour into ramekins.
4. Bake about 15-18 minutes (center will be melting, not set).
5. Make it pretty!  Serve!
6. EAT!!!).

... And a Party!

Long after dinner was over, we were up talking and laughing. As things sometimes do when a group of theatrical people are in large supply and lacking sleep, we got a little crazy. One thing let to another, and we ended up singing and dancing in my living room until quite late.

I believe it started when Mitch and I realized we'd both been in South Pacific our freshman years of high school. We started singing and dancing to our favorite tunes from the show. Sarina grabbed my camera.... and the rest is in the videos that follow!

After we filmed these dances (completely improvised, PS) and singing the correct songs, we watched them back on my camera while muting them and instead playing songs from my iTunes. We felt like these were the best matches.

WARNING: You know how, late at night, everything seems hilarious, when chances are, it's just plain stupid. I am 110% sure this is one of those things!! You have been warned...

"Honey Bun" from South Pacific meets Beyonce's "Single Ladies"

"Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific meets Celin Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"

Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" meets "The Phantom of the Opera"

I really have no explanations other than that when we finally stopped, it was 1:30 in the morning... and that I haven't laughed that hard in a really, really, really long time!

Thanks for such a fun night, guys! I love that we are ridiculous!

Dinner...

Last night, Sarina and I had some friends (Mitch, Brett, and Christian) over for dinner. It was awesome! We made yummy fajitas, with fancy rice and corn. Mmmm!!! And then for dessert, we made Carnival Cruise Line's "Chocolate Melting Cake." Oh my yummy!!

The boys were oh-so-helpful! They hung up our giant mirror for us that's been sitting in our dining room floor for seven months! So now, we're finally moved in!

And they were all great helping in the kitchen too, especially when it came time for dessert!

Mitch

Christian

Brett

Sarina & Christian... SUCH a sweet couple!

I am so lucky to have such an awesome roomate!

These boys look awesome in aprons, don't you think!?!

The end result was DELICIOUS!!!

As much fun as that was though, the party continued after dinner... (So much so that it deserves its own post).

Happy Days!

So... Friday and today, my classes and I watched High School Musical (the sing-along version where the words show on the screen for all the songs), and we are having a blast!  The kids are going crazy!

...Seriously, singing and dancing all over my classroom without being asked... even the "cool" kids!  Way to get them pumped for our show that runs in less than a month!!!  (Is that a scary thought, or what!?!)

Smart Kid

And I quote...

"Miss Houghtaling, can I eat an Airheads Extreme in class if I brought one for you two?"

(extend hand holding peace offering)

"Why yes, Jordan, of course you can!"

(accept peace offering with a smile)

Well played, kid.  Well played.

BrEaKiNG InTo SpRiNG!!!

I am back from a great week off, and am bracing myself for school tomorrow! I love my job and I really love my students, but I wish I had another week off! It was SO good!

I'm too lazy to post a bunch of pictures with a play-by-play, so I made a slideshow instead! Here's a quick run-down of my vay-cays, though, so you'll have a clue what you're seeing...

I went to Boise for the first weekend of the break, and went snowmobiling for the first time with my friend, Brandon. It was SO much fun, and so different from anything I've ever done! A very fun start to my week!

Then I went to Cali with some friends (Amber, Jeremy, and Jeremy's brother, Josh). We spent Thursday in San Diego (went to the temple, Cheesecake Factory, and shopping), and then spent Friday and Saturday in Disneyland!  I think this goes without saying... but that part of the week was MAGICAL!! I love everything related to Mickey! (Especially Mickey Bars, which I ate WAY too many of!)

I flew standby back to Utah on Sunday since I had to get back for school meetings today and my friends were staying a few more days. I got stuck in Salt Lake with no chance of making flights to SG. My friend, Brett, came to the rescue, and picked me up on his way home from Logan. Right before we got home, we passed a little park with fun statues and couldn't resist taking pictures!

This morning I had some meetings at the school.  They were over by 11am, and I got to spend 4 1/2 hours at the pool laying out... in 70 degree weather!  And now I have tan lines!!!!  The perfect end to a great week!  It was WONDERFUL!!!

I'm considering extending the vacation by calling in sick the rest of the week. What do you think? Is that gonna be too obvious?

Try Not to Be Too Jealous!

In ONE HOUR, I will be leaving for the 2nd happiest place on earth!  After spending tomorrow in San Diego, I'll be in Disneyland on Friday and Saturday, where the weather is predicted for a High of 72 and a low of 58.  I come back on Sunday.

It's okay.  If I weren't going, I would probably hate me too!

Focusing Forward

Sometimes I feel like I get stuck.  You know, like you are walking along and step in a big, wet, muddy puddle... and you wade through it, wipe your shoes off, set off walking again, and get a half mile down the path, when all of a sudden you feel that squishy feeling in between your toes that tells you your shoe is wet.  You look down to see what appears to be the same puddle getting you gross all over again...  And so the pattern continues.  You trek forward.  Your feet feel wet.  Your shoes get ruined.  You end up with some nasty blisters.

It gets frustrating; trying to move on, especially when forgetting is not a viable option.  And I don't think we're always meant to forget.  (Forgive, YES.  Forget, I don't think so.)

I generally think of myself as a very hopeful and optomistic person.  But it's hard when life gets complicated, not to look backwards and wish things were different.  And as soon as you start doing that, it's almost impossible to be happy with the here-and-now.

My mama shared an awesome quote with me today that I felt like was especially applicable.  (Don't you love how moms are always in tune with the Spirit and are prompted to offer help you didn't even realize you needed?!?)

This is from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's address at BYU's Devotional in January 2009:

"As a new year begins and we try to benefit from a proper view of what has gone before, I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives."

I like that.  "Faith is always pointed toward the future."  I guess it's not really the past that I worry about, or even the present... it's the future.  And I'm not sure why.  The Lord has molded my life in more ways than I can count.  And I know His work with me and His plan for me are not done yet.  So why feel afraid?  Why get upset?

Instead of worrying, I need to have faith in my future; have faith in Him.  I need to trust that He knows what I need and that His love will never let me down.  He hasn't let me down at any point in the past.  He is guiding my present.  And He will guide my future.

Remembering that during hard times is like wearing galoshes when you're walking through those puddles!

Anyone else have a quotable raincoat or umbrella I can borrow too?

Presents from Pupils!

So... I have some amazing students!  And this week has been full of thoughtful and unexpected surprises from them!

Monday, the kid who plays Zeke in HSM Jr. brought me creme brulee he had made me (with some help from his mama).  Those of you who are familiar with the musical will recognize that this is especially cute since the character Zeke is a jock who secretly loves baking and "dreams of making the perfect creme brulee!"  I have to say, bud, you're getting awfully close!!!

Then this morning, one of my students brought me a super cute metal sign that is now stuck to the front of my desk!  How perfect!  I guess she and her mom found it in Michael's and thought I had to have it!  I agree... if I'd seen it myself, I probably would have bought it too!!

How fun to have such wonderful kids!  And to be loved enough to get random presents!  I LOVE MY JOB!!!

The Wait is Over!!

The NINE boxes of Girl Scout cookies I ordered have arrived!!  And I am VERY happy about that!

Gold's Gym, here I come!

Confession.

I really can't believe I'm saying this, but I think that I, too, have a little bit of a crush on Justin Bieber!  UGH!  SO embarrasing!!

He's this 16 year-old singer that all my students are obsessed with.  I made fun of him for so long.  But last week, my kids burned me a few of his songs and made me listen to them.

Well, one thing led to another, and last night, I found this music video of his... and I watched it and giggled out loud... and now I'm hooked!



I'm thinking this is a sign that I need to spend less time with 12-year-olds!