New Adventures

I have a goal...to blog! Not just every 6 months, but a whole lot more. I am not prepared to give a number of times a week or month, but it will be more than every 6 months. I have made this executive decision because I feel as though I am starting on a new adventure.

Things that are new...
1. I quit my job teaching kindergarten.
2. I got a new job teaching 1st grade in Mandarin Chinese!
3. I am moving to Salt Lake.

Although I will miss my students from my previous school, I am so excited to embark on this adventure and I want to share it with every one! I realize that with this job I have made my life a whole lot more challenging than I can even imagine right now, but I think it will be worth it. I love Chinese...the language, the people, the culture. I feel at home when Chinese is a part of my life! I also realize I have a lot of work to do. To start with I have conferences to attend in June, a trip to Taiwan for the month of July (hopefully to make my mandarin incredible!) and summer school to teach when I return! This is going to be a busy and challenging summer and I am ready to go.

Very quickly I want to share how all these changes came about...

For the last 2 years I have been trying to figure out what to do with my life. I would try my hand at many different interests, but nothing felt just right. Around January of this year I decided that I didn't care if things didn't feel perfect, I needed a change and I was going to make it happen. I applied for a bunch of different jobs and looked into going back to school getting a variety of degrees. To name a few, I took the LSAT, I looked into culinary arts school, I talked to professors about a two different PhD's I could start. I applied for jobs in Hong Kong, with the government, with Teach for America, and so on. I was on the hunt and I knew I could make it happen. I canceled my score for the LSAT because I missed numbered a whole sections and didn't realize it until I was done...LAME. Culinary Arts school was too expensive for a hobby. I couldn't decide on which PhD program I wanted to apply for. I got the job in Hong Kong, I got the job with Teach For America, my boss didn't complete the references thing for the job with the government, so I didn't finish that application, and then one day I got an email. This email asked me if I was interested in teaching a dual immersion Chinese class in the Granite School District in Salt Lake. To be honest I wasn't very interested. Then a few days later I got a phone call, a lady asked me if I would be interested in the job. I said my Chinese is not good enough. She asked me to come in and talk with her....I did. She asked me to see the classroom...I did. She asked me to apply for the job...I did. She asked me to come for an interview...I did. She asked to come observe my teaching...she did. She asked me to have an interview in Chinese...I had two. She told me I would find out the next day if I got the job...it took 3. I got the job!

This job was placed in my lap without any work done on my part. It was given to me and I didn't want it at first. Then in the middle of this whole process I realized I did want it and waiting those 3 days was torture. I know God had a hand in this. I know this is the job I need right now. I know this job is going to challenge me every single day. I also know that this job is worth it and there is NOT a better job for me any where in the world.

So there you have it in my longest blog ever...the start to my new adventure and how it all began! Hopefully later this week I can tell you about my trip to Powell...you won't want to miss it!

The Ending to Another Summer

I decided that after a year of silence I can write again.

I can't believe that another summer is just about finished. I feel like it just began, but I got an email from my school secretary yesterday and apparently I need to be back in less than two weeks. It seems so unfair. But at the same time, I'm ready to play with kids all day again. I had some of my old students and their parents come and visit me this week and that did help to get me excited!

This summer hasbeen some what eventful. I finished a Masters of Education, moved to Bear Lake, ran my businesses, trained for a marathon, played on the boat, Alli (my younger sister) got married, my brother Matt and his family moved to Utah, and a trip to California which I am taking this week. It has been fun, but I'm not sure I'm ready for it all to be over. I feel like I haven't played quite enough!

Yellow Snow Hawaiian Shaved Ice

COME VISIT ME! COME TO BEAR LAKE AND VISIT ME AT YELLOW SNOW HAWAIIAN SHAVED ICE!! THERE IS SOME GREAT SHAVED ICE AND SMOOTHIES TO ENJOY!!

It's Been A While

So, I talk to people from my family and they seem to enjoy giving me a hard time about never blogging. I know it has been a really long time, and my only lame excuse is that I am busy. School has now finished and sadly I said good bye to 42 amazing kids. They made my life absolutely wonderful for 9 months. I will miss them, but lets be honest I haven't had much time to think about it. The day after school got out I started a new business. Combined with with starting a new summer business on a very cold day, I am also in the process of getting my masters in education and training for the Wasatch Back (a relay race that I run 3 legs of with 12 other people - we run from Logan to Park City). It feels like life keeps racing by and I continue to surprise myself by doing crazy things. My life is an adventure with both failures and successes.

The Challenge

My friend and I decided on a challenge last night. I am pretty excited about it. And the reward is even better!!

So here it is, your have to work out 6 days every week for the next 5 months. A little extreme I know. But it's worth it. Each day that you work out you give yourself $10. Not much right, but at the end of 5 months that equals $1200. Now you can use that money any way your want, but I am going to Costa Rica for Spring Break!!!

Is that not perfect?

It is definitely difficult for me to keep up on my blog. I don't know how Jenny does it. She is a full time mom and still does it so well.

As for me lately, I am doing pretty well. I had some trials at the start of this school year that were unexpected, but they are all working themselves out. I am lucky to have the perspective that life is supposed to be happy, but it is our choice to make it that way. So, although I had those unexpected trials, I am still kicking and really quite happy.

I do have a question though, what do you do with a person in your life that makes life more difficult. Do you take them out of your life or deal with it. I naturally would run! I would run as fast as I could, but then...where is the growth? Is it a good enough reason to keep someone in your life for the pure reason of growth, or is that cruel and unusual punishment? What do you think? I realize I am rambling, but I am quite curious of what you would do.

TREADMILLS

So, I have a question. I have been thinking about buying a treadmill. It has been a battle within myself because I don't know if it is worth it. I can always run outside, but sometimes I just don't want to run another hill. And then I was looking them up the other day and they range in price so drastically I couldn't make a decision. What do you think? Are they worth it? What maker would you suggest and at what price range? Do you think the more expensive ones are really that much better? Let me know what you think.