It's true. I can't believe it. I definitely don't feel that old; graduating with a bunch of 22 year olds makes you feel like you are young. Maybe I should go clubbing with them, too, and see what that does.
I won't lie, I wasn't very excited about my birthday this year. I couldn't figure out why, and I wondered if it was because I thought it should be some great event but couldn't think of anything to do; I had just had a grad party, what more could I want? As I thought about it, and was pondering on other things, I think one of the reasons I was feeling down was the idea that I was turning 29 and I didn't have a job. Not just a job, because I know that I could get a "job" if I wanted one. But I don't have a career. I KNOW, I KNOW. Don't start lecturing, I KNOW I just graduated. I KNOW I'm in the process of finding a job. But that dreaded waiting period and my lack of patience and my temporary bouts and panics and worries of not finding a position make me doubt. Sometimes. Like when I realize that every single one of the jobs that I have applied for require a reading endorsement or certificate, which I don't have and didn't realize was so valuable. I also didn't realize that you can only get it through graduate level classes, when enrolled in a masters program. The only other way is through your district, I believe, once you are currently working. Seriously? Times like that make me sad. But then I remember that I felt inspired to go back to school, and I have felt comforted when I have prayed about finding a position, and I am confidant that the Lord will bless me with a job. So stop your whining already.
But that just explains why I wasn't very excited for my birthday. Then, as I went to get the mail on the big day, I opened the box to find NINE (9) cards! I got one the day before and one today, and my mom is really cool. She called a bunch of my friends and old co-workers and my supervising teacher (who had all my students sign cards---soo cute!) and asked them to send me a birthday card and a dollar because I was turning 29 on the 29th of 2009. Really, it's a pretty big deal. It was so sweet of her to go through all the trouble of calling everyone, and she even helped my nieces and nephew make me adorable cards which were also in the mailbox. It really made my day. That night, my sisters and I all went to see "17 Again" and I realized that I had severly underestimated the acting abilities of Zac Efron. Hilarious. We ended up in our kitchen eating cherry cheesecake (oh yum) and talking and laughing. It was really great.
I'm pretty happy with my 29 years. I have done a lot of things and had some really great experiences and met some really incredible people. I am often overcome at how blessed I am, in so many different aspects of my life. I really am a lucky girl and looking forward to rocking this year! Stay tuned for my list of goals to accomplish before I turn 30!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Random
I know it's late. I don't know why I stay up like this. . .I bet waking up at 10:30 every day doesn't help my clock. I'm not going to lie though, I really like waking up late every day.
Anyway, so I was checking up on some blogs and as I scrolled down to my lists I noticed my teeth in my profile picture. My first thought was that I have big front teeth. And then I remembered that I asked my last dentist if he thought that I needed a retainer (I have noticed lately, and my dad pointed it out once that my two front teeth protrude slightly from the rest of the team). He responded that he really liked my teeth because they looked like "fun person teeth". Really, he said that, "you know, like if someone saw you they would know you were a fun person because of your teeth." Interesting. He also laughed out loud when I asked him not to jiggle the needle as he deadened my mouth because although some dentists do it to distract the patient from the shot, it makes me feel like they are going to jiggle it right into my brain. He did a fine job with the Novocaine administration.
Also, last night Tracie fell asleep in my bed (as she often does "I'm just getting your bed warm!") and after I'd turned off the computer and done the nighttime rituals I turned around and she had just sat up and she said, "that's funny". I was like, are you still sleeping? And she laid back down. I told her it was time to go to her own big girl bed and as she was leaving my room, she said, "do you think we could each have our own bowl?" Huh? I said, of what? And she started laughing and said "that doesn't make sense." It's so funny because I hear her talk in her sleep every night through the wall and I wish I knew what she said. It was classic.
Which reminds me. A couple of months after I got home from my mission, my dad was going to a conference in LA for something so I begged to go along and hang out with some friends for a day and a half. I was super depressed and was excited to see Fresno again. On the drive home, it was super late (or early) and I was dozing off. I was dreaming about some Jazz basketball game and one of the players (I don't remember who it was now) had really long hair, but it was filled with little girl barrettes and hair things, like his little girl had made him up for the big game. I remember being so confused and saying out loud, "He has barrettes in his hair!" and my dad was like, what? Then we got pulled over because he was swerving a bit and the gas door was still open from our last refill (only about 5 miles earlier). Good times.
Told you it was random. I'll probably go to bed now. I already set my alarm clock for 8 so I could go to the gym, I think I might change that. Still going to the gym, though.
Anyway, so I was checking up on some blogs and as I scrolled down to my lists I noticed my teeth in my profile picture. My first thought was that I have big front teeth. And then I remembered that I asked my last dentist if he thought that I needed a retainer (I have noticed lately, and my dad pointed it out once that my two front teeth protrude slightly from the rest of the team). He responded that he really liked my teeth because they looked like "fun person teeth". Really, he said that, "you know, like if someone saw you they would know you were a fun person because of your teeth." Interesting. He also laughed out loud when I asked him not to jiggle the needle as he deadened my mouth because although some dentists do it to distract the patient from the shot, it makes me feel like they are going to jiggle it right into my brain. He did a fine job with the Novocaine administration.
Also, last night Tracie fell asleep in my bed (as she often does "I'm just getting your bed warm!") and after I'd turned off the computer and done the nighttime rituals I turned around and she had just sat up and she said, "that's funny". I was like, are you still sleeping? And she laid back down. I told her it was time to go to her own big girl bed and as she was leaving my room, she said, "do you think we could each have our own bowl?" Huh? I said, of what? And she started laughing and said "that doesn't make sense." It's so funny because I hear her talk in her sleep every night through the wall and I wish I knew what she said. It was classic.
Which reminds me. A couple of months after I got home from my mission, my dad was going to a conference in LA for something so I begged to go along and hang out with some friends for a day and a half. I was super depressed and was excited to see Fresno again. On the drive home, it was super late (or early) and I was dozing off. I was dreaming about some Jazz basketball game and one of the players (I don't remember who it was now) had really long hair, but it was filled with little girl barrettes and hair things, like his little girl had made him up for the big game. I remember being so confused and saying out loud, "He has barrettes in his hair!" and my dad was like, what? Then we got pulled over because he was swerving a bit and the gas door was still open from our last refill (only about 5 miles earlier). Good times.
Told you it was random. I'll probably go to bed now. I already set my alarm clock for 8 so I could go to the gym, I think I might change that. Still going to the gym, though.
Friday, May 22, 2009
I got another one!
Ellie Kate Paul was born on May 21 to Alan and April Paul. She was 7 lbs, 5 oz and 19 inches long. She has a lot of light brown/blond hair and A & A say she is a really good baby, not really fussy, and she has a very healthy appetite! The doctors found what they thought was a possible respiratory infection after she was born, so she was on oxygen and antibiotics in the NICU yesterday so we didn't get to hold her. The kids loved looking in the window of the nursery, and both Toria and Brayden said, "I just love my baby sister." Audrey would point and say, "baby!" with the inflection on the second syllable, (thank you linguistics 1200). Mom has been so great to stay with the kids and they love having her around. Tonight Tracie and I went to the hospital and even though they still haven't allowed Ellie out of the nursery, we both got to go in one at a time and hold her. I held her right before April fed her, so she was wide awake and ready to eat. She looked all over and is so precious! She was asleep when Tracie held her. What a sweet, sweet baby! I'm so happy she is finally here! Love, love, love her!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Grad pictures
L-R: Jane (my new friend), Sara, Mandy and Me. Sars and Mands were in my Cohort.
Tracie is so excited to graduate! One more year!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Happy Graduation to ME!
It's true, the day finally came. I woke up and got ready all-leisurely-like and that is always really great. Tracie straightened my hair while we watched a couple episodes of the first season of Full House, and really, the day couldn't have started out any better.
We headed to the Huntsman Center around 12:30 and I met up with some friends from my teaching cohort (group). I'm so glad I had friends to walk with, and sit with, because not only would it have been excruciatingly boring, but really? Do you need another excuse? The convocation was not as long as high school (thank heavens!) but it was still too long. My friends and I made comments to ourselves the whole time until a girl in front of us turned around and gave Mandy the stink eye. We think we're funny, isn't that all that matters?
It was finally our turn to accept our diploma covers, so we lined up and I gave the nice lady my name card, and it was time. My name was read and that was it! The whole reason I have spent three years and a lot of money. . . that little piece of paper (that will come in 8-12 weeks in the mail) will give me great opportunities!
I truly feel so grateful that I have had the opportunity to get an education. After finishing at Snow College almost ten years ago, I thought I was done with school (at least I was done with math) and I would make photography my living. As I was driving to work one day in late November, 2005, I had a strong feeling that I was supposed to go back to school and become a teacher; which, ironically, had been my first major at Snow. I applied to the U that day and ever since then, I have never doubted that inspiration, and although I have sometimes hated that personal revelation (is that blasphemous?) because it seemed like I would never be done, I am thankful to a loving Heavenly Father who gently steers us in the ways that will bring us happiness and success.
Education is such a blessing, and I feel very lucky to live in a free country that encourages the quest for knowledge. I am thankful to the state and national governments for giving me "some" free money, and to those lenders who let me use the rest so I can pay them back for the next 15 years. Unless I can find somebody to forgive them for me. Cross your fingers!
I am especially thankful to my family:
Thanks Mom and Dad for letting me live at your house for free, even though I'm not always nice.
Thanks Mom for reading all of my papers and saying they were all good, even the really boring ones, the ones that I pulled out of the air hours before deadline, and the ones that I was actually proud of.
Thanks Tracie for listening to all of my vent sessions and for not hitting me whenever I counter your complaints about the education system. You are right, sometimes. You are the best slave ever.
Thanks Laura for coming and supporting me today, and for always being so uplifting and encouraging. (Thanks Mike for always being thoughtful and generous.)
Thanks Erik for sending me random texts that brighten my day. "I'll build you a rainbow. . ." that is saved forever on my sim card. Someday you'll be done with school, too! Keep it up! (Thanks Kami for marrying Erik because you're tops.)
Thanks Alan for being a good example and graduating from college even though you had two almost three kids and a wife and a studio and, like, five jobs. Not all at once, you like to shuffle. (April, Alan scored the lottery with you. Not only do you guys have really great and beautiful kids that I can't get enough of, but I don't think anyone else could put up with him. And you're super-duper-up-to-heaven nice.)
Thanks Lucy for only licking my arms sometimes, because I hate that, and for snuggling with me at night. I love it. I'm so happy that I'm your favorite (next to mom) and that your little eyes just light up when you see me. I know deep down in my heart that it's not just because I'm the only one that feeds you and gets you treats and lets you have free reign of my bed. Please don't get too attached to that, it's probably going to change because you are a bed hog. Don't be mad.
Wow, I didn't plan on this being so long, but I feel very blessed right now. I really do have a really terrific family, and even though we aren't perfect, they are perfect for me and I'm glad they don't hate me because I have mood swings and I'm sometimes Debbie Downer and. . .and. . .and. . . But they do let me watch the kids for free and mow the lawn. Even the front hill. I know, I'm impressed with me, too.
Here are some pictures from part one of my happy graduation day. (I don't have pics from my party, so I'll post them separately. Because isn't this already long enough?!)
Ok, blogger is taking too long to do the pics, I'll post them tomorrow.
We headed to the Huntsman Center around 12:30 and I met up with some friends from my teaching cohort (group). I'm so glad I had friends to walk with, and sit with, because not only would it have been excruciatingly boring, but really? Do you need another excuse? The convocation was not as long as high school (thank heavens!) but it was still too long. My friends and I made comments to ourselves the whole time until a girl in front of us turned around and gave Mandy the stink eye. We think we're funny, isn't that all that matters?
It was finally our turn to accept our diploma covers, so we lined up and I gave the nice lady my name card, and it was time. My name was read and that was it! The whole reason I have spent three years and a lot of money. . . that little piece of paper (that will come in 8-12 weeks in the mail) will give me great opportunities!
I truly feel so grateful that I have had the opportunity to get an education. After finishing at Snow College almost ten years ago, I thought I was done with school (at least I was done with math) and I would make photography my living. As I was driving to work one day in late November, 2005, I had a strong feeling that I was supposed to go back to school and become a teacher; which, ironically, had been my first major at Snow. I applied to the U that day and ever since then, I have never doubted that inspiration, and although I have sometimes hated that personal revelation (is that blasphemous?) because it seemed like I would never be done, I am thankful to a loving Heavenly Father who gently steers us in the ways that will bring us happiness and success.
Education is such a blessing, and I feel very lucky to live in a free country that encourages the quest for knowledge. I am thankful to the state and national governments for giving me "some" free money, and to those lenders who let me use the rest so I can pay them back for the next 15 years. Unless I can find somebody to forgive them for me. Cross your fingers!
I am especially thankful to my family:
Thanks Mom and Dad for letting me live at your house for free, even though I'm not always nice.
Thanks Mom for reading all of my papers and saying they were all good, even the really boring ones, the ones that I pulled out of the air hours before deadline, and the ones that I was actually proud of.
Thanks Tracie for listening to all of my vent sessions and for not hitting me whenever I counter your complaints about the education system. You are right, sometimes. You are the best slave ever.
Thanks Laura for coming and supporting me today, and for always being so uplifting and encouraging. (Thanks Mike for always being thoughtful and generous.)
Thanks Erik for sending me random texts that brighten my day. "I'll build you a rainbow. . ." that is saved forever on my sim card. Someday you'll be done with school, too! Keep it up! (Thanks Kami for marrying Erik because you're tops.)
Thanks Alan for being a good example and graduating from college even though you had two almost three kids and a wife and a studio and, like, five jobs. Not all at once, you like to shuffle. (April, Alan scored the lottery with you. Not only do you guys have really great and beautiful kids that I can't get enough of, but I don't think anyone else could put up with him. And you're super-duper-up-to-heaven nice.)
Thanks Lucy for only licking my arms sometimes, because I hate that, and for snuggling with me at night. I love it. I'm so happy that I'm your favorite (next to mom) and that your little eyes just light up when you see me. I know deep down in my heart that it's not just because I'm the only one that feeds you and gets you treats and lets you have free reign of my bed. Please don't get too attached to that, it's probably going to change because you are a bed hog. Don't be mad.
Wow, I didn't plan on this being so long, but I feel very blessed right now. I really do have a really terrific family, and even though we aren't perfect, they are perfect for me and I'm glad they don't hate me because I have mood swings and I'm sometimes Debbie Downer and. . .and. . .and. . . But they do let me watch the kids for free and mow the lawn. Even the front hill. I know, I'm impressed with me, too.
Here are some pictures from part one of my happy graduation day. (I don't have pics from my party, so I'll post them separately. Because isn't this already long enough?!)
Ok, blogger is taking too long to do the pics, I'll post them tomorrow.
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