Been a while---my bad

Hey there! It has been way to long since I graced you all with my presence. Just kidding. :) Just to catch you up--I recently graduated from Brigham Young University in Elementary Education. It was a busy busy year in student teaching. There are many mixed feelings about student teaching. It's fun but the kids don't respect you as much as when you are their actual teacher. Go figure. haha. So glad to be done with that. I thought that I would be starting a teaching job in the fall but as destiny would have it...I AM GOING ON A MISSION. Most of you already knew this but oh well. :) I got my call a few weeks ago to Costa Rica. I know--me...a white skinned, freckle faced, red headed girl going to exotic Costa Rica populated by tan people (at least darker than myself which isn't actually that difficult). I've been asking over and over again how I was blessed with this call. I can't even wait! But I'm kind of nervous about the cockroaches and other visitors I will share my apartment with. Yikes!

So anywho--this is turning into my missionary blog July 11 (after I leave). Hope you all will enjoy hearing of my crazy adventures in Costa Rica. I am beyond excited to serve the people in this area. Right now, I am studying up on the gospel trying to prepare myself for the things that I will face. So much to do in such little time. Better get started!

Public Display of Affection

Not going to lie but it's pretty annoying yet entertaining watching new couples come into the library all lovey dovey kissy face. They walk in, strutting their stuff as if saying: ya that's right! We're together. We're so lucky to have found one another and would love to rub it in your face and show you how happy we are. Then they lift their hands over the 3M machines because heaven forbid we let go of each other's sweaty hands for more 2 seconds. I don't think some couples could ever live without each other. How do some go to the bathroom without holding the other's hand. It must be such an inside struggle figuring out which is more important. Maybe there are some that actually do have to hold the other person's hand. hmmm....I guess we'll never know.
My favorite is after they've entered into the Library atrium, they love to stand right by the stairs blocking the entrance for everyone else. It's like they're thinking: let's stand perfectly in the middle so the sun can shine down on our love and let it radiate to everyone else so they can see what they don't have. And if that's not enough, let's hold on to each other's backpacks never wanting to let go afraid that once broken there's no way of reaching each other again. Like the library breaks in half and there's a huge gap. ugh gag me!
They hold each other terrified to let go but finally, they see that no one is around nor cares about their affection so they lose the interest in dragging out the good-bye. If no one is going to watch the show, then why perform? So they say their good-byes and slobber all over each other. I've seen more tongue in the library than at a restaurant. The boy goes downstairs and the girl goes to the fifth floor. She calls out-"do you have your cell phone." the boy responds, "yes but I don't get service!" The girl: "oh no! what are we going to do?" Boy: "We can't study together because I'll stare at you the whole time complimenting your perfection." Girl: "But we can't study apart where I can't reach you by text message every 5 seconds." Here is their dilemma. What to do.... they finally decide that things will be ok while they're apart because they've got facebook messaging. thank heavens for technology!

Spring!

So I woke up this morning thinking it was going to be sunny and springy outside but NO! stupid snow just had to keep coming down. I thought it was an april fools joke but it wasn't. Oh well...I guess it's just a way to keep me focused on school for a few more weeks instead of dreading it more than ever wanting to be outside. The main thing I'm looking forward to is baseball! They've already been showing games on ESPN! Even baseball tonight has started! Yes Webgems! It's going to be an awesome summer! the absolute best! I can't wait to sit and keep book at the games! perfectly wonderful! ok...I can't continue because I'll just get more depressed to be in school! blah. I hope I can handle two more weeks!
I also finished teaching p.e. The kids were so perfect! They actually listened to me. Ok...so they were a bit more chatty than usual but when I told them that it hurt my feelings when they didn't listen, they changed! I did have to give a time out to a little girl because she wasn't listening but things worked out! I absolutely love teaching and I am so excited to have my own class! I can't even imagine. It feels so weird to be scheduling next fall semester because I'll actually be a Senior! bizarre! I don't feel old enough! I'll be teaching in a year and a half! so crazy! So many great things are happening and I'm anticipating the future! especially this summer but that's a topic for another time. It's time to go to bed so I can finish yet another project tomorrow! wish me luck!

Love, Baseball babe!
P.S. favorite thing about baseball is the nicely groomed lines in the outfield! so beautiful! :)

Good Morning Miss Jones!

Tonight, I went and saw the movie, "Good Morning Miss Dove" played at the library. It is an old film made around 1945. I was extremely inspired by the teacher Miss Dove who was played by the famous actress Jennifer Jones. At the beginning, I was shocked with how Miss Dove treated her students. She was so strict and had punishments for everything. Yet through all of this, her students respected her and treated her with such high regard. It starts with her teaching in a small town called Liberty Hill. When her father dies with a large debt to pay, his daughter, Miss Dove begins teaching. She has had no experience but is hired right away. Over time, she becomes the most favored teacher. Miss Dove has taught for so many years that by the end of the movie, she is teaching the next generation-children of her past students. She has watched her previous students grow and overcome all odds. When she becomes sick, the whole town is worried. Those that have only lived in Liberty Hill for two years don't understand what's so great about Miss Dove. She's not married and she has no kids. One of her past students corrects them and says that she has thousands of kids who love her.
I hope to be this kind of teacher. I want to inspire my students to do something better with their lives and to have faith in themselves. They can do anything they put their minds to! She taught them to be proper human beings. I hope I can do all of this and more. Miss Dove has set the bar but I hope to pass it....or at least come close. Even if I don't get married or have kids, I'll have thousands of them! It was a perfect ending to the worst week. I've been so stressed with lesson plans and projects but I realized that my teacher's now are just preparing me to be the best teacher that I can be. I have a huge duty to fulfill. Children are counting on me to teach them everything they'll need to know to succeed in life. No pressure or anything. haha. I have to be like the little toy engine: I think I can....I think I can..... I know I can!

Time Flies!

What happened to the good ole movies like "Roman Holiday," "Houseboat," or "An Affair to Remember" with actors like Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Debora Kerr, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Gregory Peck, and Gene Kelly. I must have grown up in the wrong time period because I miss those musicals and simple movies where the good guy wins and the plot is basic. They were all so classy and sophisticated. I think we should travel back to the past and spend a night with the people who laid the foundation for Hollywood today. Maybe even get an autograph or two.

Wishing for Summer

Dear Summer,
I am really overwhelmed with all this school business. It's stressful and just too much. I know that you're busy doing other things but I would really appreciate a little speed in the time. I am desperate for running! I miss it! It was my best friend during the summer but with school and all, I can't seem to keep it up! We don't talk as much as we used to and I would really like to get in touch again. Try to persuade spring to shorten it's days so you can start! School is laying the workload pretty heavy these days! It is close to impossible to become anything but studious. I want to be outside with the grass, the trees, mountains, and anything else of the nature sort. So, if you're listening, PLEASE HURRY UP!

Sincerely,

Road Runner