The Big Announcement!

Tomorrow!

My students are freaking out wanting to know what musical we're doing this year! They all know that they'll find out at our first drama club meeting... tomorrow! So, when they begged me (for the millionth time) today to just tell them because they promised they could "keep a secret" (yeah, right!), I just couldn't resist...

Getting Up to Date!

I haven't posted in two months... oops!

Here are the general updates:

• April absolutely FLEW by!!
• School ended on May 23rd... best day ever!!
• I'm NOT working another job this summer.
• Instead, I am spending my time at the pool, the gym, and the snow cone shack!
• I have been really good about making and keeping fitness goals so far!
• I will be 24 in two days... and to celebrate, I'm seeing a Cirque de Soleil show in Vegas!
• I fly home on Friday for two weeks, including a Houghtaling reunion at the beach!

And now a few recent pics and event details...

New Headshots!

Cousin time at the State Track Meet!

My cousin, Michael, took 1st in 3 events!

 More cousin time for Michael's graduation!

My favorite 4 year-old!

The Abbott Family + ME

I am excited for the rest of summer, even though it is HOT, HOT, HOT down here!!  Anyone brave enough to withstand the heat is welcome to come visit me any time!  Maybe call first, but seriously... COME!!!

11 Year-Olds Will Believe Anything!

I just have two questions...

What day is today??

And what subject do I teach???

That's what I thought.

No, sweet students.

I am not engaged.

But thanks for thinking this ring is pretty!

HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!!

Good news!

As frustrating as dating can be sometimes, we can all take hope in the fact that there is someone out there for all of us...

Well... maybe MOST of us, anyway!!

A Letter

Dear Upper Respiratory System,

We've been together a long time, and I have always tried to treat you with love and respect.  I've never smoked.  I drink water like it's going out of style.  I take vitamins.  I use a humidifier.  I don't yell.  I sleep a lot.  And I wash my hands like a neat freak.

The past 6 months, however, I have not been feeling your love.  It used to be the two of us against the world, holding strong, and helping the Immune System fight off germs...  but it seems like you've given up.  I've lost track of the number of colds I've had... not to mention a sinus infection, bronchitis, and pnuemonia... all since October.

And now you're doing it again.  I mean... really?!?  You couldn't have picked a better time than when I was on Spring Break?  And I'm flying home tomorrow?  And I am in a wedding this weekend?

Please consider this an official notice to cease and desist.

I'm tired of your attitude, I'm tired of your wimpiness, and I'm tired of your refusal to cooperate.  Why can't you be a team player, even when I'm paying for medicines to help you pull your weight?  You're causing too much pressure, and it hurts... and not just my sinuses... my throat, ears, head, and stomach are sick of you being such a snot.  You need to know that it's not just affecting you.

It has to stop.

Now knock it off and get back to work.  I can't do this without you!

"Keep Moving Forward"

In class this week, we've been watching Disney's "Meet the Robinsons."  It is an ADORABLE movie that just warms your heart and makes you feel good about life right while you're living it...

At the end of the movie, the main character (Louis) is in the future talking to his grown-up self (Cornelius).  They have this little conversation:

Louis: "So, if I go back now, this will be my future?"
Cornelius: "Well, that depends on you.  Nothing is set in stone.  You've got to make the right choices... and keep moving forward."

I love the moments when we remember that there is a bright future in store!  It may take its time getting here, but it is coming one way or another!  All we have to do is make good choices and move on the best way we know how.

Walt Disney is quoted at the very end of the movie:

"Around here, we don't look backwards for very long.  We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

Thank you, Disney, for reminding me of what is on its way!!  I can't wait!

Sisterly Love!

Claire came out 2 weekends ago to visit and we had such a good time!

My friend, Brett, and I picked her up from the Las Vegas Airport!

We thought it would be fun to sneak up on her...

... and it was!

While Claire was here, we relaxed and had some chill time!  She also came to school with me one day.

I taught her how to drive a stick.  It was... fun.

And we met up with our awesome Aunt Liz & Uncle Greg for dinner!

I'm so glad she came!  There's nothing like some sisterly love!

Wonderful Night!!

Tonight was a wonderful performance!  SO PROUD RIGHT NOW!

Have I mentioned I love my job??

(And those kids?!?)

IT'S TODAY!!!

I hope we break a whole bunch of legs!

Tomorrow, tomorrow..

... Seussical's tomorrow!

It's only A DAY AWAY!!!!

2 DAYS!!

And things are crazy around here!!!

Trailer #3

I am getting SO excited!

Seussical Trailer #2

Here's another trailer!

The kids are loving these so far!

Seussical Trailer #1

Here's a sneak peak of "Seussical Jr.!"  ENJOY!

Who's excited?!?

I AM!  I AM!

It's About That Time!!!

... and I'm SO EXCITED!!!

Home Sweet Home...

Wish I was in ATL for many reasons... This is one!

Gimme a Break Pt. 2

The end of my break was ALSO quite spectacular!

I spent New Year's Eve at one of my great high school friend's house... Mandee has thrown a N.Y.E. party every year since high school, and it is ALWAYS a pleasure to catch up with old friends!

Jillian, Mandee, & I

Kelli & I

Apparently, I'm afraid of sparklers... Hmmm.

On New Year's Day, I flew back to Vegas and Peter picked me up.  We spent a few hours shopping and eating and enjoying the town!

We were super spontaneous and went on the roller coaster at New York, NY.

And then, finally, I got to use my Christmas present and we went to Mandalay Bay to see "The Lion King!"

I was SO tired by the time we drove 2 hours back to St. George!  That made it extra fun to find out that there were more surprises waiting for me!

Now it's time to get back to work and focus on my musical!  6 1/2 weeks and counting!

Gimme a Break Pt. 1

I had a WONDERFUL Christmas Break!  LOTS happened!  So here's the Reader's Digest version!

I took Friday, the last day of school, off and went up to Salt Lake to go to a friend's work Christmas party!  When I got up there, Peter gave me my Christmas present:

Art supplies for my classroom AND

TICKETS TO "THE LION KING!!!"

Then we went to the party... and saw Cali!

Then we left the party a little early and went to see the lights at Temple Square.  SO PRETTY!  While there, we saw one of my other cousins, Emily, or shall I say Sis. Sorenson... she's a missionary serving on Temple Square!

SO good to run into this lady!

The next day, it was back to St. George to finish packing for my big trip and then 2 plane rides to Tampa where I met my family for our cruise!!  It was awesome!  FUN, FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND FOOD!  (And did I mention we're all super tan now!?!)

Feel free to check out my slideshow in the previous post, or for the avid reader, CLICK HERE to read the details on my sister's blog!

The next week was spent at home recovering from the massive amounts of food we ate the previous week!

One highlight was going out to lunch with the Wilcox ladies!  I've known this family since before I can remember, and spending time with them is a rare pleasure!

Me & "Headow"

Erin, Claire, Me, Jennifer, & Heather

Our Darling Mamas!

We also went up to see my Aunt Lisa for a day!  It was great to spend time with her!  She's one amazing lady!

Claire loved Lisa's dog!

Me... not so much.

Us & Aunt Lisa

It was a great vacation!  Stay tuned for more to come!

I Love Cruises! They're So Delicious!!!

If you want a play-by-play of our cruise, CLICK HERE to see my sister, Erin's blog!  She did SUCH a good job, I feel that I have been excused from my duties of blogging about it...

But I will post some pictures here... so sit back, and instead of reading, check out this fun slide show!

Word of Focus - 2011

My cousin, Lindsey, chooses a word to focus on every year, and inspired me last year to do the same.

I picked "hope" as my Word of the Year for 2010.  It was something I felt like I needed some help with, and that would be good for me to work on.  I had no idea just how much that word would shape my year!  Both choices I made and events outside of my control either strengthened my hope or challenged it.

I've always been a fairly optimistic person, and I came to realize that "looking on the bright side" is more than just waking up with a smile or seeing the glass as half full.  Being hopeful requires you to actively choose a better attitude.  It requires that optimism to be deeply rooted inside you.  Like faith, it serves as a foundation for your thoughts, words, and actions.

This year, I've picked a word that is a weakness for me, hoping that by focusing on it throughout the coming year, I can make it a strength.  These past two years have been so wonderful for me in so many ways, but they have also been difficult as I've worked to undo damage done the previous year.  I am proud of myself for many things!  I've come SO FAR, and most of the time, that tough year of my life just seems like a bad dream!

The past month or so, though, I've realized that I still have some work to to really get rid of some baggage (hopefully) once and for all!

I have a hard time with trust.

I think once you've really had your heart broken and your trust violated, that's a natural consequence.  So is being terrified of being hurt (aren't we all, though).  But being afraid is the opposite of having trust.  Hence the need for me to focus on trust.

trust:

1. confident expectation of something; hope

2. to believe, have faith

3. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, or surety of a person or thing

I think trust is tied closely to hope, and this year will give me the opportunity to build on what I learned last year, and I think will be really good for me!!

I hope to improve my ability to trust other people, and especially to increase my trust (and faith) in my Heavenly Father.

To that end, here is a quote from a talk that President Hinckley gave at his wife's funeral:

"Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us.  If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers" (Ensign, Feb 2006, p. 63).

And one from Elder Holland:

"Some of you may wonder: Is there any future for me?  What does a new year or a new semester, a new major or a new romancs, a new job or a new home hold for me?  Will I be safe?  Will like be sound?  Can I trust in the Lord and in the future?  Or would it be better to look back, to go back, to stay in the past?  To all such of every generation, I call out, 'Remember Lot's wife.'  Faith is for the future.  Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there.  Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the high priest of good things to come (Hebrews 9:11).  Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away.  Live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love that will transfrom your life today, tomorrow, and forever.  That is a New Year's resolution I ask you to keep" (Ensign, Jan 2010, p. 22-27).

So here's to 2011!  May it be a year of growth, goodness, and greater trust!!