I'm Alive!

First off... I should probably apologize for not blogging for 3 months... I HATE it when people do that and my ability to stalk them is limited... and I apologize for being such a hypocrite! Life has just been crazy!

I moved to St. George at the beginning of August to start teaching school at Fossil Ridge Intermediate School. I teach 6th and 7th graders Theatre and Choir... and I LOVE IT! I seriously feel like I have the best job in the whole world! (On a side note, if you're interested in seeing some of the stuff we are doing in class, I have a separate blog set up for school, so the parents can see... CLICK HERE to see it!)

I spoke at BYU's Fine Arts and Communications Department August Commencement. It went well and was a big honor!

I have a fantastic roomate, Sarina, who graduated with me from BYU's Theatre Ed program. I am loving living with her and we are having a blast!We went to the Grand Canyon a few weeks ago... needless to say... it was INCREDIBLE!

I went home to Peachtree City this past weekend for a visit... MAN, do I have a wonderful family! I'll post separately for that ASAP! For now, I just wanted to dispell the rumors that I had fallen off the face of the earth! Close, but no cigar!

A Bunch of Birthday Bashes!

There are few things in life as wonderful as your birthday... except maybe having the celebrations for said birthday drawn out over the course of an entire week!!! That's what happened to me, my friends! And it was spectacular!

Sunday night- 3D chalk set from my friend, Brent!Monday night- dinner with friends!
Tuesday morning- birthday suprise at work!!
Balloons, streamers, and a tiara!!! Thanks girlies!

AND... the yummiest perfume EVER!

Tuesday night- dinner with Erin & Justin!

(And presents from Mom & Dad! THANKS!!) (This very serious picture is for you, mama!) Friday night- birthday dinner with my cute cousins! And last but not least, tonight is my final celebration... a SUPRISE evening with Justin & Erin... they are really good secret keepers, which means that I have NO CLUE what's in store! But I am EXCITED!!!

I Don't Wanna Work!

... I just wanna bang on me drum all day!?!?!?!

That, or buy a giant foam mini-golf set and create a human put-put course!!! This was probably WAY too much fun that we should have been having!

But I guess it's hard to get in trouble for not working when your boss is the one hitting a ball at you, even if you are being a human windmill!!

...Love...

What do you call someone who has known you for (almost) twenty-two years? Who has celebrated your biggest triumphs, and help your hand for your biggest failures?

Who stays up giggling with you at 2 in the morning, telling eachother secrets about boys that you've never told anyone before, worrying the whole time that you'll wake everybody else up? Who lets you use her toothbrush when you forgot yours on vacation? Who has to have a fan on or she can't fall asleep?

Who does Dance Workout With Barbie with you even when you're both in college?

Who pulls a sleeping bag over both your heads and tells you to run around the room and dive across your beds? Who is more concerned about mom finding out about the sleeping bags than she is about the blood coming from your forehead after you ran into the nightstand?

Who cries with you in the middle of a busy airport so you don't have to cry alone?

Who saves up with you for a year to go in together on the Polly Pocket town you've both been wanting? Who typed up a bunch of poems you wrote in elementary school as a birthday present for you one year?

Who is more fun than any one person deserves to be?

Who gives you private dancing lessons when you're nervous before your first Dance? Who helps you plan, pick out, and write down the outfits you should wear to a week of EFY, including such details as hairstyles and toenail polish?

Who always lets you be the girl even though it means she has to be the boy?

Who only lets you have a half piece of gum because she wants it to last? Who flies to Savannah to suprise you for your last year of All State Chorus?

Who can push you onto the ground with one finger?

Who helps you make iron-on t-shirts for a girls' trip to Disney World? Who belts harmonies with you in the car? Who knows how to make you laugh better than anybody else? Who knows how to make you mad better than anybody too?

Who stand up for you when some girls are mean to you?

Who doesn't return your shirt after she's borrowed it going on three years? Who drives to your house to pick you up because you needed to get out? Who plays the piano for you just so you can sing your favorite songs? Who has you both claim dibs on favorite baby names when you're both still in high school?

Who is moving 2,000 miles away from you in less than three weeks?

And who you're going to miss more than you can possibly say?

Some people call her my big sister.

I call her my best friend.

Firemen's Breakfast

There is nothing quite like waking up early on a Saturday morning to the sound of sirens. Many, many, many sirens... There is also nothing quite like knowing that those sirens can mean only one thing... That it's time for the Annual PGFD Firemen's Breakfast!!

Having never lived in Pleasant Grove before, I've never had the chance to experience this hometown tradition before! But the Haynies go every year, and I got to go with them. Basically, it was amazing! ...Hash browns, eggs, ham, and pancakes served up by well-built firefighters is not a bad way to spend one's morning, let me tell you! I definitely didn't complain!

And since we all know how much I love impromptu photo shoots, let's celebrate the fact that we got plenty of pictures to document the occasion!!

Cailey, me, Courtney, Dillon, and Gabe... enjoying our breakfast!Courtney and her precious little men! We freakin' LOVE firetrucks!!!!!!Aww... how precious!!

Everybody needs a picture clinging to the side of a parked firetruck!

Drive on, Gabe! Drive on! Peek-a-boo!

Thank you, Haynies, for sharing this delightful tradition with me!! I loved it and I LOVE you!