Utah Weather: AKA Snowing on May 24th

Warning, this is a bit of a venting session...

Dear Utahns,
You live in Utah, most of you have lived here for many years, and yet you act shocked, surprised, and startled by the drastic swings in Utah's weather. Yes, today is the latest day that recordable amounts of snow have been recorded at the airport, but come on... we live in UTAH, wait five minutes, it'll change.
As for me, I don't mind the rain and snow up until the last day of school. The cooler weather keeps my students a little less antsy, and more willing to focus on school. If I had it my way it would rain/snow every day until the end of the school year! Hate me for it, but it makes teaching so much better.
Plus, I really enjoy having plenty of drinking water, bathing water, and even water to keep our lawns green in August and September. We have to get our water somewhere, and last I checked this is how Utah gets most of it's water.
Finally, history has proven that the cooler and wetter our Spring is the cooler our Summer is. I personally am not a huge fan of 100+ degree days all Summer long, so I am more than willing to deal with Snow/Rain when I am cooped up at work.
Most of those complaining about the snow and rain now are likely the ones that will complain that it is too hot come summer, anyway!
So, for now, Bring on the Rain!

Spring Break-Better Late than Never!

As a teacher in the district I work in I was very, very, very grateful for the week-long Spring Break this year. It couldn't have come at a better time and with my Grandmother struggling with Alzheimer's it was a good chance to go back East and visit some family. I hadn't been back East since 2002, so it was about time I took a trip.

Monday night of Spring Break I had a college class. When I went in the wind was blowing and it was still somewhat warm, when I came out of class it was a white-out, blizzard-like storm. I was driving home, on the freeway, going 20 miles an hour, IN APRIL! I left the following morning and it was 30 degrees at home, with 8-10 inches of snow on the ground.

I landed in Atlanta and could immediately tell the difference in temperature. It was 90 degrees and I was in jeans and a sweatshirt! I went straight to the bathroom to put on a pair of shorts.

Haley, Emma, and Me at the Braves Game

I decided to spend the first part of my trip in Atlanta visiting my cousin and her family. She has a 4 year old daughter and twin 2 year old boys. It had been a while since I had seen her, at least 2 years because I had never met her boys. We just stayed around the house, ran errands, and did a lot of visiting. The second evening we took a girl's trip to the Braves Game. For those of you that know me you know that I have been an Atlanta Braves fan for 20 years. (For those of you that are lost, the Braves are a professional baseball team.:)) It was fun to get out to the ballpark, eat my once a year hotdog, and just enjoy an evening watching a game.

The next day I left for Tennessee to visit my mom's parents and her siblings. All of her siblings and her parents live within 1 hour of each other, except for us a few thousand miles away. My grandparents live on a 55 acre wooded lot with trails throughout the property. One of the things I wanted to do while I was there was get on the tractor and just drive around their farm. This city girl sure does enjoy trips out to the farm! My grandfather built their house and my grandmother has always loved her flower bed out front!

While there we also took a trip to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. It is always fun to spend time with my grandparents.

My Uncle Ken (we always called him Uncle Buh)

My Grandparents (my mom's parents)

My Uncle John and Aunt Ruth (She is a police officer)

On Saturday my Aunt Ruth asked me if I wanted to go out on patrol with her for the day. I had never been out on patrol, so I of course took her up on the offer. It was a pretty slow day, but it was good to spend the day with her. I always love getting to spend time with Ruth.

Saturday night I drove back to Atlanta to stay at Haley's house and go to Church with her family Sunday morning. It was a wonderful day and I am so grateful for her hospitality. I definitely need to get back to visit sooner rather than later.

Now the countdown is on to the end of the school year!!!

Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Some days I wonder if and when the light will be visible at the end of the tunnel. Life has been crazy for me lately (some of the craziness is my fault and some of it isn't.) Nonetheless, I took a moment to sit down yesterday and go over what classes I will be taking in Graduate school this Summer and Fall (yes, you read that correctly, Summer semester here I come,) and I came to the realization that if the Stars are aligned and everything falls into place I can graduate with my Master's of Business Administration in August 2011. Finally some glimmer of hope is visible! Here's to a busy 18 months or so, wish me luck.

Keep Dreaming

This Post is inspired by a posting one of my dear friends made yesterday. Most of this was my comment in regards to her original posting.

Dreams are just about all I have to hang onto at times. Once upon a time I thought I had my life planned out, then life actually happened.

I was sure that by now I would be married and raising kids, obviously that opportunity hasn't reached me yet. In the meantime I hold fast to my dreams, goals, wishes, and greatest desires.

I have had 3 Big dreams in my life: 1. Serve a full-time mission. 2. Graduate from college. 3. Be sealed in the Temple and raise a family in the Gospel.

None of those happened when I expected them or in the order I thought they would occur. I was always sure that I would serve a mission right around when I turned 21. I received my call 2 months after my 23rd birthday. I was sure I would have 3 years of undergraduate work done, serve a mission, complete school, marry Prince Charming, start my family, etc.

I am still waiting for the 3rd, hoping, praying, and trying to be patient.

So, what are my hopes and dreams? Pretty simple...
1. Be sealed in the temple and raise a family in the Gospel.
2. Continue to enjoy my job as a Teacher.
3. Complete my Master's.
4. Buy a House.
5. Find Joy in the Journey, wherever it takes me.
6. Travel.
7. Endure to the End in Faithfulness.

I know that some of them are a lot more specific than others, but these goals are what continue to motivate me to continue moving forward and to become a better person. I know that the Lord has a hand in all things and that in His timing and as He sees fit. On my end I need to continue in faith and patience and allow Him to direct my path.

"Dream Big"

When you cry be sure to dry your eyes
'Cause better days are sure to come
And when you smile be sure to smile wide
Don't let them know that they have won
And when you walk, walk with pride
Don't show the hurt inside
Because the pain will soon be gone

And when you dream, dream big
As big as the ocean blue
'Cause when you dream it might come true
When you dream, dream big

When you laugh be sure to laugh out loud
'Cause it will carry all your cares away
And when you see, see the beauty all around and in yourself
And it'll help you feel okay
And when you pray, pray for strength
To help you carry on
When the troubles come your way

And when you dream, dream big
As big as the ocean blue
'Cause when you dream it might come true
When you dream, dream big

When you laugh be sure to laugh out loud
'Cause it will carry all your cares away
And when you see, see the beauty all around and in yourself
And it'll help you feel okay
And when you pray, pray for strength
To help you carry on
When the troubles come your way

And when you dream, dream big
As big as the ocean blue
'Cause when you dream it might come true
When you dream, dream big

"Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible."
 

Sleep, How I miss Thee! (I guess this could be renamed "Confessions of a Sports Fan: Part 1")

If you are reading this you are most likely fully aware of my love of sports of all kinds. From Basketball to Golf to Tennis to Olympic Figure Skating (don't you dare confuse this with Ice Dancing, that is about where I draw the line!) I will watch just about any sport on TV, especially if it is a good game or match.
For those of you that aren't as aware of the sporting world, last week and this week the Australian Open (Tennis for those of you who were just about to ask.) The hardest part about it being the Australian Open, for me, is that they are 18 hours ahead of us, so live matches begin at 7:00 p.m., MST and go through the entire night. There have been days that I watch right before I go to bed and live matches are still going on when I wake up at 5:00 a.m. the next morning. This tends to be a problem because I enjoy watching and more than once I've found myself on the couch realizing that it is 11:00 p.m. or later and I am awake watching tennis.
Tuesday night Serena Williams was playing her match (very poorly, I might add) and was down 1 set to 0 and was down 4 games to 0 in the second set. For anyone who knows anything about tennis they understand that the match was all but over. Then Serena refocused and all of the sudden started playing like the #1 ranked women's tennis player that she is. She ended up winning the second set and easily won the third set to win the match. I can only imagin the physical and emotional drain this was to her.
Fast Forward to Wednesday night. Serena Williams finds herself playing in the semifinals (yes, this is the next night. What bright person scheduled her to plays singles matches on back to back nights when she is still playing in the doubles bracket with her sister?) She looked 100% drained and seemed to be struggling throughout the match. I couldn't pull myself away from the TV because no matter how tired she was she was playing like a champion. She was still hitting amazing shots and tracking down returns that I most people would never get to with fresh legs. Serena Williams put on a display of the heart of a champion last night and that is what drew me in. Then, to top it off, a few hours after defeating Li Na (China) she had to get back out on the court and play in the doubles semifinal with her sister.
I could go on, because the second women's semifinal has a really good story behind it, as well. Justine Henin, former #1 ranked woman is coming back from retirement and is unranked. She has beaten many of the top women in the world and looks like she will be a worthy opponent for Serena Williams in the final.
I sure do enjoy sports!

The Climb

Preface: I am one of those odd people that listen to the words of a song, not just the beat. I was having a rough spell in life when I had the following experience. It isn't much, but it made a difference in my attitude and perception of the situation.
Rachel's warning: I am admittedly NOT a fan of Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana (come on, you are the same person, make up your mind already.) Her voice just grates on my nerves and I do not enjoy most of her music At All.
That being said... I was driving alone in the car and station surfing on the radio. A song came on and I started listening to the words, not really paying attention to who was singing those words. (Imagine that, someone actually listening to the words of a song.) The words were uplifting and inspiring (songs like that don't come along very often) so I made sure to pay attention to who was singing The Climb. When they said The Climb, Miley Cyrus, I couldn't believe my ears. I have not let the fact that it is Miley Cyrus change my opinion of the message of the song and I will leave the radio on to listen to The Climb whenever I hear it come on. No, I am not a Miley Cyrus fan in the least bit; I am a fan of a motivating, inspirational piece of music that inspired me on a day when I was down.

"The Climb"

I can almost see it

That dream I am dreaming

But there's a voice inside my head saying

"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking

Every move I make feels

Lost with no direction

My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying

Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing

The chances I'm taking

Sometimes might knock me down

But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it

But these are the moments that

I'm gonna remember most, yeah

Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong

Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing

Keep the faith, baby

It's all about, it's all about the climb

Keep the faith, keep your faith

A Brand New Year!

I wish that I could remember enough to do a recap of 2009, but I am lucky if I can remember last week so that isn't going to be happening. I do know that 2009 was better than 2008, but that was a pretty sure bet. I am looking forward to 2010 with excitement and anticipation of what will be happening in my life and the lives of my family and friends. I don't have any idea what is in store, but I am optimistic about what lies ahead.
I was sitting at the New Year's Eve party we attend every year just thinking and reflecting and as I was doing this I got the feeling that 2010 is going to be a good year and I choose to believe that impression (and believe me, I am due for a good year.) 2010 is going to be a GREAT YEAR!
Happy New Year!