The next installment...

Day 6: I went to see Where the Wild Things Are with Jennifer. Most of the movie was good, although I would not take a child under 10 to see the movie. They just wouldn’t get all of the grown-up messages hidden in the plot. Also, what’s with the giant dog? Or climbing in the monster’s mouth?? Or ripping off the bird’s arm??? Seriously????
That night I went to one of my new favorite places – aerobics with the ladies in my Oma’s ward. Body Blast was killer, but I felt great when it was over!

Day 7: Up was the movie of the day! Oma and I went to see a movie at the dollar theater. It was so much fun to spend some time with her. We both laughed through the whole movie. When it was over, Oma said, “I’m going to be laughing for the rest of the day. That was delightful!” I knew she would love it.
The night was filled with free Margaritas from my fave girls’ night out place, La Cocina. Jenny, Shannon, and I ate lots of Mexican food, and talked for hours.

Day 8: I tried a new lunch place with Shontol, a friend from Peer Advisor years. It’s called Rico’s and it serves homemade Mexican food. YUM! I was sad Carla couldn’t come - Get better soon, Carla! – but it was fun to catch up on all the many ways Shontol is conquering the world (and by ‘world,’ I mean ‘graduate school’).
Jenny’s bridal shower was that night. I couldn’t believe how wonderful it was to see so many friends I haven’t talked to in a while. We stood in the kitchen and chatted. They made me feel much better. And then my wonderful friends’ wonderful husbands rescued me and my overheated car. (More on the hidden blessings – aka ‘silver linings’ - of this night later.)

Day 9: Yeah FOOTBALL!!! Utah beat Air Force in overtime! My little Muss crowd had a fantastic time, despite the bit of rain. Thanks, Eagle for the kettle corn!
In a day filled with sports, I went to my first ReAL soccer game ever, and they WON! Hooray!

Day 10: I was so excited to see so many member s of my ward come to choir practice!!! It was so fun to direct them!

"All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time."

~ Mitch Albom The Five People You Meet in Heaven

I Simply Cannot Wait...

... to see this movie! It looks amazing.

It comes out on November 20. I'm totally excited!

My Vacation - Week 1

Day 1: Went to a wedding reception of a good friend from high school. It was so great to see so many friends that I haven’t talked to in years. The reception was beautiful! Congratulations Kelly and Maren!

Day 2: Saw Ingrid Michaelson at In The Venue. I spent the night with some of the greatest girls in the world. Cristina and Catie drove down from Smithfield with their cousin Mallorie to meet Jenny and me for a night on the town! We had a delicious dinner at Stone Ground and then headed to the show. I loved hearing Ingrid sing “The Hat” (with the hearts and the jazz hands), “The Way I Am” (with a little rapping to boot!), and a little ditty about how much she loves Mexican food. What a fabulous show!

Day 3: Attended Regional Conference and heard some inspiring and comforting messages.

Day 4: Tracy and I visited Diva’s for a big mug of hot chocolate and delicious girl talk. Diva’s is an excellent ho cho spot with oodles of charm. We sat in the greenhouse section surrounded by trees and trickling fountains.

Day 5: Went out for sushi with two wonderful friends at Tsunami. I highly recommend the Jenny Roll and the Don Juan. As Amanda says, “Oh, the Don Juan.” It makes bad days so much better.
That evening I went to Evening Choir where I met a new friend and made a pact in the parking lot. “We are usually optimistic, lovely, glass-is-half-full people! You just caught us on a bad day!”

Thank yous

Thank you for friends who send their love to me in a vase of flowers from another state.

Thank you for friends who take a day off of work to sit with me in their apartment to watch Oprah, listen to me talk, and force me to eat chocolate cake.

Thank you for friends who send me funny texts that make me smile.

Thank you for friends who realize the medicinal power of sushi.

Thank you for friends who make pacts with me in the middle of parking lots.

Thank you for family who drive right over to give me a hug and say “how about a bite of potatoes?”

Thank you to my family and friends for being so great to me.

We'll See...

This week kicked off my first off-track vacation! No work for two whole weeks? Whatever will I do with myself?

My plan is to do at least one fun, noteworthy, and blog-able :) thing each day. Today's fun event just happens to be going to see Where the Wild Things Are with one of my dearest friends. Now, usually I am completely against going to see movies adapted from picture books because I feel like the movie-makers change the story in a disappointing way. Plus, it makes me sad when I present my students with a marvelous picture book for them to read, only to hear them say, "OH! I've seen this movie!" UGH!

But, because many of my friends say that WTWTA is not disappointing and is very well done, I've decided to give it a chance. I'll let you know how it goes....

Just Can't Let It Go

I’m hanging on to something.

Something that is draining my energy like crazy, but I keep hanging onto it because it’s like a weird kind of security blanket. Knowing that it’s still there makes me feel like I have some control over the situation. If I let this thing go, who knows what kind of consequences will result? Who knows what will happen when I hand the control over to another person? So, I keep hanging on, and revisiting this burden, just to make sure it’s still there.

Maybe someday I'll be able to let it go.

Here's hoping that someday comes soon.

Making Progress

Tonight I made a breakthrough. I went running. It’s been a rough week for me where I was barely able to walk around the block, let alone run a few miles. Tonight, for the first time in a week, I felt like running. I can’t even describe how great it felt to feel my body moving again. I didn’t run quite as far as I usually do, but I was proud of myself for making the effort. I ran down 700 East and found a few wonderful surprises -
* Banbury Cross was baking doughnuts and the air around the bakery smelled heavenly
* The weather was just right
* I ran past two friendly Elders who smiled and waved
* I could smell someone doing laundry. I love how laundry makes the air smell clean.

Here are some other things I can do now:
1. Think like a teacher
2. Wake up in the morning and breathe in and out
3. Laugh with my family about silly things like Broadway musicals
4. Joke with my students
And here are some things I hope to be able to do again “eventually” (which is the word of the month)
1. Eat lime chips
2. Sit on the blue couch
3. Wear my black dress
4. Listen to “Two is Better Than One”

Have you ever noticed...

That sometimes it's hard to find the silver linings?

That sometimes you can't see the sun shining?

That sometimes you really need a shoulder to cry on?

That sometimes you decide you're strong enough to deal with some rain only to find that an unrelenting deluge is headed straight for you?

And that in these darkest moments, sometimes you're lucky enough to realize how many people care?

Check that one off the list!

I did it! I ran a 5K! Last week I finished my first 5K ever, and I'm already looking for another race. It was such a great experience! I ran the University of Utah Young Alumni Scholarship 5K. I ran around the campus of the University, got drenched by a broken sprinkler, drank two swallows of water handed to me by the best water hander-outers ever (aka my family), listened to some great running music, was chased across the finish line by my cute family who tried to catch a picture of me crossing the finish line, and was cheered for by the University of Utah cheerleaders. I felt on top of the world after I ran across the finish line! I did it! After four months of working for this goal, I accomplished it! Bring on the next race!

Across the finish line in 35 minutes!

I love my life!