Tyler & Jodi

2012-01-19T16:15:00.001-07:00

Yes I've been MIA for a while but whatever. Really my life's been so normal and constant lately that it doesn't make for good blogging. I really enjoy a low-key life though. I feel like teaching is so intense that I can't handle any other stress in my life.

BUT Tyler and I did have an exciting weekend so here I am. We drove down to Phoenix for two medical school interviews (at Midwestern and U of A). We stayed with some mission friends, one Tyler knew, and the other was my trainer. Then we spent a few days at the Grand Canyon. Awesome. I've always wanted to go and neither of us had been before. We camped and yeah, it was freaking cold at night. I currently have an intensely peeling forehead because I wore a huge wooly nasty hat for three days straight. The first night it was 14 degrees! The second night it snowed. I love camping but I for real was glad to come back to a warm house and nice bed.

So I love this video. Talk about the power of one. Just dance people. It feels good.

2011-10-28T16:28:00.000-06:00

1/4 of the school year is over. yes, that's right, i look forward to summer all school year long. this school year's going well. i have bigger classes than last year, but i think the students are even a little better than last year. (or is it perhaps that i finally know what i'm doing now?) i've heard every year teaching gets better and it is true. the biggest difference was from the first year to the second. that was just a different world altogether. this year i feel like i'm actually starting to like my job. i can see how people who teach for a long time actually like it. it's hard people. it's just hard.

tyler has had six interview offers so far. and he's received one admissions offer! it's a d.o. school in fort lauderdale, florida. so proud of him!

once again i'm a single bachelorette this weekend while he's off doing his thing. but i'm looking forward to Fringe, passing out probably by 8:00, sleeping in, and having nothing on my schedule for tomorrow. hope you have a great weekend too.

2011-10-06T18:05:00.002-06:00

i am seriously obsessed with my cabin. and hebgen lake. and west yellowstone.

2011-09-27T21:42:00.003-06:00

beautiful. demi lovato, eh, but the dancing, beautiful. so thankful i get paid to dance every day. oh yeah, this guy

gets back TOMORROW!

2011-09-19T17:49:00.000-06:00

i love fall. i love the crispy coolness in the air. i love boots and scarves. i love the orange, red, and yellow. even though nothing compares to summer (especially for teachers) the beginning of fall is perhaps my favorite time of year, as far as weather and nature are concerned. i can't wait for it. i will soak up every minute of it before winter. (10 more days til tyler gets home.)

2011-09-10T14:21:00.002-06:00

I love this country. God bless America.

2011-09-04T23:20:00.000-06:00

i'm feeling pretty sorry for myself. yesterday was my second anniversary and i spent it on the couch with a big bag of doritos, watching countless episodes of keeping up with the kardashians. (can i just mention how ridiculous they are? who wears $75,000 earrings in the ocean? it's so entertaining.) anyway, it was pretty crappy.

i feel single again. but not the fun single with exciting escapades with other single girls but just the boring pointless single. blah.

five months. that's how long cumulatively tyler and i have been apart since we've been married. i guess i agreed to all this though, so i really can't complain...much.

although life's been less than pleasurable lately i have had some really cool experiences where some serious prayers have been directly and quickly answered. so thankful for prayer.

today i went to my very good friend, anna's baby blessing. two frightening things happened.

1) i spoke to armenians for the first time in four years.

um...armenian...yeah. i suck. i couldn't understand 25% of what they said and my grammar was horrible! it was not fun. but i accept that i'm not a missionary anymore. i'm a wife and a teacher. it's not my job to know armenian as perfectly as i once did and i'm ok with that. it still kind of hurts though.

2) i held a tiny fragile baby.

so precious and adorable, but let's be honest, babies scare me to death. now i grew up basically a part of the babysitter's club. i was always babysitting and i loved it. but now that i realize i could (and probably should) be a mother by now it freaks me out. the longer i'm married and the longer i teach the less appealing having a child seems. there's nothing attractive about it to me. i could go on and on and list 100+ reasons why i don't want kids, but let's face it, tyler's going to make me do it eventually, so i better just buck up.

thankful for a break from work tomorrow...so i can go to the pool and watch some more kardashians...and perhaps clean the house and be productive.

i can do hard things

2011-08-27T18:05:00.002-06:00

yes, i can completely assemble a king size sleep number bed from six boxes all by myself.

yes, i can fix the broken footrest on our couch using four wire hangers.

i can learn 150 new student names in one week.

i can teach 150 students every day.

i can teach for eight hours every day in a non-air conditioned building.

i can live apart from my husband for six weeks (for the third time since we've been married).

yes, i CAN do hard things! and so can you.

2011-08-17T20:47:00.003-06:00

oh the dreaded middle of august...i knew this was coming all summer and yes, it's as crazy if not crazier than i thought it would be. who moves from texas into a brand new apartment and prepares to teach a new school year all in four days? me.

i'm really overwhelmed right now with everything i have to do in a limited time frame. the list is endless. but i'm actually more overwhelmed with all of the help that i've had. the only time i've cried in the past two days (yes the only time) was when i just couldn't believe how much help i was getting. it seems as though people are more than willing to help me this week. my mom, brother dave, brother jim, sister-in-law kristi, and their two kids helped me move in all day yesterday. and it was not easy, at all. there was a lot of sweating, exhaustion, and of course some cussing from my brothers. then my mom came to my apartment today for six hours and unpacked while i was at work. she's coming back tomorrow to finish.

there were more than enough complications as i went back to work today. my school laptop that i turned in at the end of the year was given to someone else and my keys that i also turned in were lost. yeah it was stressful. but what i was amazed at was all the help. office staff that didn't have to help me, did. and everything worked out.

and no one wants anything in return. there are angels around me.

2011-08-09T15:53:00.004-06:00

tyler's brother jeremy got married in the denver temple. we flew out there and had a blast with tyler's family. his reception was unlike any i'd been to before: jeans, hot dogs, and volleyball. very fun to go to. tyler got rocked by the flight home; he threw up four times! poor guy. i felt so bad for him. throwing up is bad, but throwing up in a small enclosed area with people all around you is even worse.

so yeah, this is us trying to be goofy but instead i look pretty normal and tyler looks like he's gonna puke. (foreshadowing of the flight to come?)

the day we got back we had to move apartments. ugh. so we're living with another couple in a 2 bedroom for a week. roommates! it's actually kind of nice because the guys are gone so much.

tyler got his first medical school interview offer! i'm so proud and excited for him. i have a week left of summer and it's definitely crunch time to get ready for school...

2011-07-26T16:38:00.004-06:00

padre island, tx...white soft sand, green water, perfect waves, warm temperatures. very ideal.

johnny d's by the sea...amazing seafood. tyler LOVED his blackened redfish and this guy is a little hard to impress. it was delicious. crab cakes to die for.

padre island is a well kept secret! i had never heard of it before but it is definitely near the top of my list of favorite places. we drove two and a half hours from san antonio and spent the day on the beach, eating out, and wandering corpus christi. fabulous.

2011-07-23T16:34:00.003-06:00

we finally found an apartment! *sigh* the last month of endless searching, uneasiness, and countless calls is over. we will be living in eastside holladay, just a lovely little 10 minute drive from my work. no more 1.5 hour drives to and from work each day and no more ulcers from driving on the freeway in snow. it's a miracle i never got in an accident the last two years. i'm really happy with what i found. i'm looking forward to this school year as tyler will just be working too (or playing video games all day as he likes to call it). BUT i am still not ready for school to start again. four more weeks people...yuck. til then i will continue to bask in the glory of this thing called summer.

2011-07-22T17:11:00.001-06:00

all i have to say here is that SPOTIFY is amazing! has anyone else tried this? if you are obsessed with music like i am, you can not pass this up. get it. now.

2011-07-20T20:44:00.004-06:00

there are many strange things that happen during the summer. besides my sleeping schedule becoming 2 a.m.-11 a.m. (or 12 p.m.) my eating habits are equally as absurd. i become the queen of snacking. i'm home all day. why not? there are quite a few things i can eat in just two days...an entire box of cheez-its, at least (at least being a key word) one big pack of sour patch watermelons, half a family size bag of cheetos, and an entire pringles can just to name a few. tyler got tired of me finishing off the snacks so soon and put the cheetos where i couldn't reach them.

a recent obsession of mine is bluebell ice cream. i'm obsessed with the strawberry cheesecake and cookie dough. why is this lovely deliciousness reserved only for texas??

2011-07-08T12:59:00.002-06:00

summer is almost half-over. time is flying by.

i finally forced myself to buckle down yesterday and begin preparing for this school year. i've been dreading it since school got out. i'm really anxious about this school year and i don't know why. i know it's like riding a bike though. everything will be fine once i get back into it.

med school applications are RIDICULOUS! tyler applied to 29, yes 29, schools. do you know how much time and money that means? his primary apps are in and now he's working on secondaries, which means another 70-80 bucks and 3-4 essays, multiplied by 29.

i continue to fill my days with workouts and pool time. the wives of the reps down here are really social and do a lot of fun things together. i spend hours at the pool daily chatting about bachelorette and other equally important things.

speaking of bachelorette, we didn't bring our tv down here and it's been interesting. i miss it a lot and then i feel ridiculous for missing something so unimportant. so i've been forced to read. yes, i'm an english teacher and i don't like to read. i struggle to watch some shows on our painfully slow internet. publishing this post will probably take several minutes. and i cook and clean like a good wife.

i think the thing i cherish the most about summer break is sleeping in. oh how i do not miss forcing myself out of bed at 5:30 a.m. every morning.

life's good...

2011-06-23T17:51:00.006-06:00

Bob's Burgers in Albuquerque. So spicy!! Even Tyler couldn't handle it.

Look closely and you can see my hand print. That's what he gets for not wearing sunscreen and having a hot bod that his wife can't stay away from.

What is that face??

The Riverwalk! Downtown San Antone - a beautiful walk along a river lined with amazing restaurants.

2011-06-16T23:07:00.002-06:00

one drawback of tyler's job: late nights. i'm sitting here alone at 11:30 p.m. stuffing my face with quesadillas and watching countless episodes of extreme makeover: weightloss mostly to entertain myself and distract from all the creepy noises in an empty apartment...

so this is summer

2011-06-13T17:24:00.005-06:00

no alarm clocks in the morning. good, big, real breakfasts. sweaty workouts. big pool and hot, hot heat. the smell of sunscreen and hamburgers. naps in the sunshine. yogurt and blueberries. eating pineapple until my tongue stings. snickers ice cream. bachelorette and sytycd. delicious dinners. late nights with an amazing boy. so THIS is summer.

2011-06-10T14:53:00.003-06:00

so this post was supposed to be about how awesome portland has been the past few days, but instead i can tell you about san antonio, tx!

friday night. i'm all packed. my car is loaded up. 11:00 p.m. i'm thinking about my drive the next day and trying to sleep, but i can't. tyler calls me. he says not to drive up the next day. the office is moving to san antonio, tx in a few days.

i cried. i had been waiting six weeks for school to end and to see my husband again! are you kidding me? i have to wait two more days?! i couldn't handle it.

two days later, tyler drove through salt lake, picked me up, we stayed in albuquerque, and then made it to san antonio. it's pretty amazing here. it's hot and the pool is awesome, so yes, i'm loving my life.

it feels soooo good to be with tyler again. and i love summer, even in san antonio instead of portland.

2011-06-02T20:43:00.002-06:00

i just cut two inches off my hair. i feel like it's sooo short! am i crazy? everybody knows my loooong hair and now i feel like it's just regular long. but long does not equal pretty. and let's be honest, it was not lookin' good.

i have the hardest time with hair. what girl doesn't? lighter or darker? shorter or longer? curly, wavy, or straight? and let's not even get started with bangs!

so i know that last post was supposed to be my last until i left for portland, but ya, i get bored so i blog. anyway, school is done! tomorrow is half-day/yearbook day, and then i'm off...can't wait!!!

goodbye utah

2011-06-01T21:01:00.004-06:00

it's about freakin' time. two more days in this wretched condition and then i'm off to portland.

i'm really happy that the end is near, but time almost seems to drag even more as i wait for the final days to pass. i'm super ornery. i get irritated really easily. people are buggin and my patience is wearing thin. i'm trying to be a nice person and be pleasant to be around, but seriously! i'm dying to be with my husband again. (or is it because i'm on my period?) anyway, i feel like i'm single again, and uh, it's not fun. i miss seeing him every day. i miss his smile and his laugh. i miss his big arms around me. i miss how i feel complete with him.

goodbye utah! i will NOT miss you! hello portland...

2011-05-26T19:46:00.006-06:00

I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of this deep dark tunnel...5 more days of school...8 more days til I'm with Tyler. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end...

Hmmm...kind of wish we were in Tucson again this summer...I mean, I'm excited for the cultural and beautiful Portland and all, but c'mon! Rainy, cloudy, and 60's compared to sunny and 90's? BTW, anybody have good suggestions for things to do in Portland???

2011-05-21T17:50:00.004-06:00

why does knowing i only have two weeks left not even feel much better than when i had six weeks left?

for the love! i'm dying. slowly slowly dying away. i feel mentally like i did physically when i drove three hours in the middle of the day in the middle of summer in the middle of arizona...without air conditioning. suffocation.

i've been trying to keep myself busy to make time pass quickly. i've been volunteering at the ymca, helping kids with homework. i like elementary age kids but they actually seem harder to teach because they're so adhd. they're always moving around and can't focus. they're a little cuter than jh kids though. i also went to an african dance class recently which kicked my butt. it was fun to be the student again though.

i miss tyler so much it's unreal. but then i think about my friend jenna who won't live with her husband again until september, and i don't feel so bad.

seriously i want to poke my eyeballs out. but i won't. i'll carry on and continue my pathetic countdown: 9 more school days and 14 days til i see tyler.

on a brighter note, i'm glad the world didn't begin to end today because i'm very much looking forward to my tv lineup this week: ai finale (i'm definitely team scotty. he's a natural, although i can't handle the way he holds the mic.), bachelorette and sytycd premieres.

in other news, tyler now has two siblings out on a mission. his brother talon entered the mtc on wednesday, getting ready for the netherlands/brussels mission. (his sister is in russia.)

carry on, carry on, carry on!

2011-05-13T20:20:00.003-06:00

sonya tayeh - you're a freak! pure genius and inspiration. can NOT wait for sytycd.

2011-05-11T19:01:00.000-06:00

um hello! one of my favorite singers and one of my favorite choreographers TOGETHER...can it get any better? (oh yeah, don't mind the awkward camera angles.)

ok, FOR THE LOVE! time: i hate you right now. i'm trying not to be a debby downer right now, but seriously i am d.y.i.n.g waiting for school to end and to be with tyler again. will i survive? we will see...

what do you like about being a woman?

2011-05-08T14:23:00.003-06:00

two of my favorite women

since i became a woman i've realized something: we are keeched!

"keech" is the armenian word for jipped, short-changed, screwed, whatever. keech just sounds so much better.

really, i'd rather be a guy! in general (of course there are always exceptions) we get paid less, we're less athletic, we're emotional and generally less stable, we bleed in our underpants accompanied by abdominal pain that's guaranteed once a month for a whole week, we have to take birth control, sex is painful and sometimes frustrating, we have to continually dodge the outside world's attack on our self-image and self-esteem, we have to be pregnant for nine months that's accompanied by permanent damages to our body, we have the pain of a human being come out of us, etc., etc., etc.

and according to my friend, doug rasmussen, men are better than women at everything. (i won't even get started on that maddening conversation.)

keeched i tell ya!

so i try to be positive and think about the things i really love about being a woman. and sometimes i sit and think and think and think...

there are things i like. i feel like we're generally more spiritually inclined. we're more compassionate and loving.

but i'd really like to be more proud of being a woman and learn to love it! i want to be glad i'm a woman and stop wishing i was a man. (this sounds weird, doesn't it?)

so help me out, what is it that you really love about being a woman?

2011-05-05T20:39:00.002-06:00

dance concert #4 is over.

it was kind of a disaster.

the main stage crew member didn't show up. (i won't even get started on the stage crew this year.) the music was low on the stage so the dancers could barely hear it; one dance had to start over in the middle. the black lights fell half way off the stage. students broke performance rules.

i told myself, i'm never doing this again. (yeah, i said that last time too.)

but...the students were happy and excited. the parents loved it.

and i'm just glad it's over.

it's funny how the things you dream of doing when you're younger aren't quite as glamorous as you thought they would be.

ah...four more weeks...

(am i seriously not even half way done with my separation from tyler?? you've got to be kidding me!)

sometimes gossip is a good thing?

2011-05-01T14:38:00.003-06:00

This last week was pretty painful. But I feel like the worst is over. I usually miss Tyler right away and as time passes I forget about him. No! JK. But it gets almost easier for me. He is the opposite. So yeah, he doesn't miss me right now.

So why is gossip a good thing in junior high? Well because you can tell your first period students that your personal ipod and expensive dock that you use for dance every day was stolen from the auditorium and it will take about three hours for them to be returned to you.

I was pretty panicked when I opened my locked closet door in the auditorium and found my ipod and dock missing. I hardly made it through first period, crying in front of my students (embarrassing). So word got around fast and those that were responsible at least had enough guts to return my equipment by lunch time. I still don't know how they got in there or when and why they were in the auditorium but now I've learned my lesson to keep my stuff with me always. And I've learned that gossip can be a tool in a junior high.

2011-04-27T19:36:00.006-06:00

Can not wait for this week! That's right, I've got it on my calendar.

Missing my husband. Ugh, time is crawling...

P.S. Here comes the blogging. Time away from Tyler = a lot more of Jodi on the blog.

2011-04-23T13:59:00.005-06:00

Finally Tyler is a college grad! So proud of him.

Aubrie givin the grads high fives on their way out

BYU! It's been good...

that cap just barely fits. love him!

some of the crew: me; the grad; my brother dave; niece aubrie; the grad's dad jim, brother talon, and uncle bob

oh yeah!

here we go again

2011-04-17T20:46:00.003-06:00

here we go again...it's that time of the year that tyler moves away, i move in with my parents, and we bear the dreaded six week separation. we're moving out of our apartment and away from provo forever this weekend. tyler's going to oregon to be a lead technician for vivint and i'll be living with my parents in salt lake for possibly the six longest weeks all year, waiting out the end of the school year.

i feel good about leaving provo. i've been here for a total of six years and it's been great. from king henry to glenwood to arlington to the house and to branbury. this is where i decided to serve a mission. this is where i saw tyler on campus time after time wondering when for the love he would ask me out. this is where we dated, fell in love, and started out our life together. i have a lot of friends here but also a lot that have already moved away. it's time to go.

i know i shouldn't wish time away. i try to live in the moment and carpe diem. but really, being completely honest with myself, i can't wait for the next seven weeks to be over. school done, summer here, reunited with tyler. i know he hasn't left yet, but i know what's coming. it's worth it in the end though.

2008

2011-03-28T09:22:00.006-06:00

Today is the first of five glorious days where I get to say to myself "Self, I could be in second period right now dealing with who knows what, but instead I am sitting on my couch, blogging, listening to Matt Nathanson, and eating sour patch watermelons." Oh the joy of spring break!

This weekend was a big celebration for Tyler: his birthday and the end of the MCAT! We celebrated by going to The Homestead. It was refreshing to be in the mountains and a good getaway from our apartment. Tyler is now the big 2-5. I'm really proud of how hard he worked to prepare for the MCAT and hopefully we'll see good results in a month.

A Day In My Life

2011-03-14T17:49:00.002-06:00

2011-03-05T12:54:00.004-07:00

Sometimes my dance students really surprise me. We just completed a unit about composition with theme. I decided to give them the theme this time. They were to create a dance in their group of 5-6 about inclusion (including others/not leaving others behind/being kind/not bullying, etc.). They did this in about two weeks, working every day with their group, everyone contributing equally. Here are two of the best groups, the one on the left being my favorite. (You'll have to excuse the huge table in the way at the bottom and the fact that the dancers dance outside the camera sometimes. I was busy grading while they were performing.)

2011-02-13T19:48:00.002-07:00

this weekend was definitely different than usual. i really am a home-body. a perfect night to me is just being at home with tyler and a movie and probably some sour patch watermelons. can't get much better, right? but occasionally it's fun to go out and do different things.

saturday began with a trip to the provo bakery. quite delicious actually. little hidden secret of provo. we headed up to salt lake to go to sleeping beauty by ballet west with leah, anna, buck, and anna jr. it was amazing! those dancers are so talented.

i love dance. i really do. but i do kind of feel like i'm done with it. i like being a dance teacher but i think one or two more years will do it for me. i used to be so afraid of losing my talent and ah, what would i do if i wasn't dancing? but now, no, not so much. i realized that at the ballet. it was a good thought. just to know that i'm ready to have a family. (easy jeremy, not any time soon.) but i'm just kind of done with the things that i used to be so passionate about. and that's ok. i'm growing up and realizing there are more important and fulfilling things.

after the ballet, tyler and i celebrated valentine's early with dinner at mazza. yum.

we spent the night at my parents' new house in salt lake. yes, they moved back to salt lake from bountiful. my mom never really liked it there. they're right back in our old neighborhood and ward. we had a fun time camping out on the floor last night since none of their furniture is moved in yet.

alas, the sick bug has finally gotten me! i was seriously sick for three months straight last year, my first year teaching. so far this year i had not been sick at all even once. but i guess even a first year teacher's immune system is still not strong enough.

life's good, ya know? i feel content. i have an amazing husband (seriously i don't know how i got so lucky), a good job, a nice apartment, and peace.

2011-01-25T16:20:00.003-07:00

so i'm sitting here, just got home from work, and tyler will be another half hour. i've got time to sit down and rest for a minute before i need to make dinner.

i'm looking at my blog and knowing that i haven't written forever, but i can never imagine anything to write that's read-worthy. what about my life is so cool that you'd actually want to read about it?

all i can think about is how tired i am. all. the. time. except saturdays. and sundays. i guess i am just not cut out to be a working woman. last year i was exhausted every second of my life. and i thought, this is just how the first year of teaching is. which it was. exhausting. but i am surprised at how tired i still become every day this year.

maybe it's just teaching. i tend to be a grass-is-greener kind of person. i always prove these thoughts wrong but still sometimes i wonder if i'd have more energy and enjoy my job more if I ended up doing my #2 or #3 choice of profession: editing or nursing. if i was single and planning on becoming a career woman, i would not stick with teaching. it just tears your entire soul out every day. dramatic, you might think. but true. i will always respect teachers now.

2011-01-10T18:35:00.002-07:00

since when are mondays so exciting at work?

today i had a little scare right in between fourth and fifth periods.

i came out into the hall (as we are to do during passing time) to find one student with another in a headlock. thinking they were horsing around i walked over and shouted at them to knock it off. as soon as i got over there i realized they weren't joking. one kid slammed the other kid against the wall and then hit him hard twice right in the face with yes, me right in the middle trying to pull them apart. while continuing to shout for them to stop and desperately (and unsuccessfully) pulling on them to stop, the other kid getting romped on pulled out pepper spray and it went everywhere. luckily it didn't get in my eyes but did get all over my hands and all over other people in the crowd. if you've ever experienced pepper spray before you'll know that it not only burns your eyes but completely kills your throat. needless to say, since this happened right outside my classroom, fifth period was spent with twenty coughing kids and a teacher that couldn't talk.

i didn't really see the end result of the fight because i booked it once the pepper spray was fired. i called the school cop and got her up there.

there's me again, little old me, getting myself into sticky situations at work. oh the joy of junior high...

2011-01-07T19:19:00.002-07:00

i am so tired right now...this first week back from the break has killed me. i guess a super relaxing break has some drawback: it's ridiculously hard to wake up at 5:40 again and spend all day teaching (um, babysitting) teenagers.

today was pretty out of control. we had an incentive activity at the end of the school day for all the seventh graders who had no "N"s or "U"s this term. so someone came up with the brilliant idea of teaching all the kids the electric slide and virginia reel and me, being the dance teacher, was automatically nominated for the job. well i was happy to do it. but picture this: a gym full of 215 wild monkeys running around like chickens with their heads cut off and little old me frantically trying to teach the steps to the electric slide while standing on a wobbly, little (and let's stress little) table. it was pretty awesome. just one of the daily crazy things that happen at my job.

yahoo for the weekend...

2011-01-01T20:35:00.006-07:00

tomorrow's the last day of winter break. boo. this break's been awesome. i've been lazy enough that i now have energy again to go back to work. that's what i like about a relaxing break.

christmas was a lot of fun. tyler and i went up to my parents' for christmas eve and christmas day. tyler got a new wedding ring (his old one doesn't fit anymore), pinheads and patriots, temple pants, best buy gift cards, tools, etc. i was spoiled with a lot of jewelry. no complaints there. we also got a picture framed that tyler bought in armenia, thanks to tyler's parents.

so this break was spent with a lot of sleeping in (11:45 this morning people), big breakfasts, and lots of tv series and movie watching. we actually made it out into the frigid snowy wonderland a few times. (seriously who wants to go outside in this?) we finally tried the pizza pie cafe which is surprisingly good. we walked there and then walked to despicable me. not as good as i've heard. i just liked the fuzzy unicorn part. we also drove up to farmington and spent a whole day playing games with my brother, his wife, and their two kids. we worked out a few days in the byu weight room and probably should have done that a few more days. last night we welcomed in the new year while watching chopped on our homemade living room bed.

well, now it's back to work and school. tyler starts a new semester on tuesday. he also begins his intense study for the mcat which he takes on march 26th, a day before his birthday. the school year is almost half over for me, which i cannot believe. that also means the dance concert is coming up in two weeks. cross your fingers. there are always a million things that can and sometimes do go wrong.

happy new year! i hope this year is just as fabulous as last year.

welcoming in the new year

2010-12-21T19:57:00.003-07:00

yesterday was one of the longest days i've had in a loooong time. i can't tell you how glad i am that i'm now sitting on my couch watching ncis with tyler. i've been waiting for this moment for a long time: work done until january 3rd and me back in my cozy apartment away from the anxiety-inducing snowy roads. what a joy it was driving an hour this morning in two feet of snow.

anyway, yesterday. so i'm used to coming home after work each day around four or five and wasting away the rest of the day by spending time with tyler, eating and watching our favorite shows. yesterday i had a lot of things going on after school and let's just say i was a little pms-y when i got home at 11:00, which btw is usually when i've been in bed for an hour already. it was already snowing hard and i knew it would be a commuter special the next morning on the way to my last day of work for the next week and a half. anyway, i was happily surprised to see flowers, chocolates, and a note waiting for me when i got home. bless his heart! (well, i was actually in such a bad mood when i got home that i headed straight to the bedroom to change and didn't see the flowers for like ten minutes...)

so needless to say i love being married to tyler. he's the only one that can make me laugh after a day like that.

yahoo for eight paid days off! i heart christmas break.

just me

so yeah, that's my hair in a pile below the vacuum. tyler spent a good while pulling it out of the spinny thing after vacuuming.

2010-11-21T19:11:00.002-07:00

tyler and i had an interesting weekend a week ago. we headed down to lake powell (my favorite place on the planet earth btw, even in november, but esp. in the summer) for a fishing trip with tyler's parents and sister on a family friend's fishing boat. tyler and i left from provo and were to meet his family/friend near lake powell. there were a few miscommunications and tyler and i thought we were supposed to head toward kanab. well, after five hours of driving, nearly three hours of no cell service, and a couple hours of confusion, we realized we were FOUR hours away from where we were supposed to be. so we decided to spend a lovely evening in page, arizona in a sweet motel and head out the next morning for another 4.5 hour drive that basically took us on a round trip around lake powell.

the route we should have taken

the route we took

so there were some positives from this accident. 1: we saw a cow right after it got hit by a car. i'm no vegan animal lover but this was seriously sad! it was moo-ing out of control and it's leg was basically behind its head. 2: we got pulled over for the second time together and for the second time got out of a ticket. i think the putrid skunk smell in southern utah was mostly responsible for getting the cop away from our car and back into his, dodging another ticket. 3: we got to see way more of lake powell than we bargained for. now you might think all three of these are negatives, but no, we are choosing to see them as positives.

motel 6 (notice the beautiful bed cover)

anyway, the trip was fun. it was surprisingly warm (except for the 70 mph driving in a fishing boat) and lake powell still looked as stunning as ever.

this past weekend was a little more relaxing. we spent friday with friends at happy sumo and a relaxing saturday at home. i finally went to the eye doctor yesterday after five years. i've been having problems with my contacts and basically feel like i put anyone in my car in danger of their lives when i'm driving.

well i'm glad for a break this week. only two days of teaching and then off to denver. hooray for family, fun, food, and thanksgiving of course.

2010-11-04T17:40:00.002-06:00

tyler said, "it's been awhile since you've blogged." yes, he checks our blog. i said, "why don't you write something?" silence. yeah...

sometimes i just feel like i don't have anything to say or my thoughts are worthless anyway. i don't know. my day is the same every day and who really cares? i don't have a baby that i can show adorable pictures of daily. i don't have a crazy job that sends me to fantastical destinations. i don't have drama in my life. i feel pretty good about the constancy but as far as blogging goes, it doesn't go over very well.

but, maybe some of you are like me. maybe some of you check blogs every single day and delight in even the smallest update. so here i go...

everyday i do the same thing:

yes, i wake up at 5:40. it's a beautiful thing - not!

every morning i have to brush out my wild hair. believe it or not i think my hair's getting even longer and perhaps thicker. my mom has a wild lion's mane and perhaps my hair is heading in that direction. anyway, i have this weird habit: i rock and roll in my sleep like a crazy monkey. basically when i was a baby i broke my leg, had a cast, couldn't move, and so i developed this endearing rocking habit. tyler loves it! so now i wake up with knots in my hair. it's awesome.

i teach junior high. the first two periods i teach modern dance to eighth and ninth graders. this has been quite an experience. right now we are rehearsing for our dance concert in january. the way i set it up the girls volunteer to be choreographers and i put them in groups. some of the girls are great leaders and natural choreographers. other girls are so timid with the whole process. i have to really coax them to lead and be the boss. it's interesting to see how much girls that age care what others think about them. don't worry, those classes can be very entertaining too. let's just say "non-coordinated." oh and on monday two of my students got drunk in the girls locker room before class, btw.

the last four periods i teach english to seventh graders. and that's all i'm gonna say about that.

last year my job was about survival. it was so hard! the hardest things i've done in my life are: 1.mission 2.an unnamed event when i got home from my mission and 3.first year teaching. this year i'm over that. i feel like i can actually teach now and not just survive. i love being around the kids because they're so ridiculous and entertaining. i also feel so bad for some of them because of their home lives. why are some people allowed to have kids?

tyler and i are super lucky that we get to spend every afternoon together. we're fans of fox news (bill), dancing with the stars (tyler's favorite), glee, criminal minds, and the office. tyler's also still very in love with his amazing new ipod.

life is a routine. for me anyway. the daily grind, now i know what that means. anyway, i'm happy 98% of the time (especially now that udot has left me alone), because i know i'm blessed and mostly due to my amazing husband who by the way is happy 100% of the time (i don't understand it) and always gives me something to look forward to every day.

2010-10-20T19:17:00.007-06:00

My current love: Tyler! Especially at Timp in the fall...

My current hate: UDOT! For the love! An hour and half drive home after work? Life is so hard...

2010-10-16T08:49:00.003-06:00

what is this, seriously? it's 8:45 a.m. on saturday and i've been awake for an hour! i can't sleep in anymore. i guess waking up at 5:40 a.m. every day during the week will do that. anyway, i'm starting to turn into my parents. i've always made fun of them because they're overjoyed if they can "sleep in" until 8:00. tyler's peacefully passed out in our bedroom, snoring as usual. so precious!

today i didn't know what was going on when i woke up. is it really saturday again?? i asked myself. the last two days were also saturday. it's fall break in utah and it's glorious. last year i valued my breaks by 100 fold. this year they're certainly nice but i don't dread going back to work like i did last year.

last week was my birthday. 2-6 people! what is happening in the world? thank heavens i'm married or i'd be in a deep depression right now! no offense to all my '03 graduates still living the single life. i still don't feel quite like i'm all grown up. yes, i've graduated college. yes, i have a career. yes, i have a huband. but without kids i still feel like a kid, even at 26. and i probably am. i have no idea what it's like to have a child and i'd like to keep my ignorance for many years to come. i see pictures of friends with their adorable babies and yes it looks so appealing but then i think of all the sleepless nights they must be having, puke and poop they're cleaning up, screaming and crying they're dealing with and then i feel pretty good about still being a kid, even at 26.

2010-10-02T22:30:00.003-06:00

all my dreams are coming true! it's been sunny and HOT in october! i do love fall but i can't stand the season that follows it so i'm reveling in this record breaking heat.

yesterday i had the day off of work. we have a compensatory day on the week of parent-teacher conferences. i guess they decide we need a day off when we work two thirteen hour days. i spent my day off by sleeping in, getting a deep conditioning treatment, going to the pool (brought me right back to summer), and attending my (and tyler's) mission reunion. it's getting weird going to the mission reunions. i was the oldest sister there. i think that means we should stop going.

today was also a day to celebrate. conference has been great as always. we also went to kneaders. i could die for their turkey bacon avocado on foccaccia! we decided that we needed a new router so we went to rc willy. we ended up buying a tv, naturally. tyler's been wanting a tv for a long time and his dream finally came true today. it was a great deal and we couldn't pass it up.

2010-09-28T20:46:00.009-06:00

tyler's love affair with his new ipod touch

life's been treating tyler and me well lately. last week we enjoyed one of our anniversary presents at the brad paisley concert. it was packed! i've never seen the usana lawn so full. of course we were sitting next to drunk smokers. yuck. sometimes i forget that there are people in utah that drink, until i go to a concert. sad, i know, but i live in utah county. the week before that we got to go with jamie (tyler's sister) to the timp. temple as she received her endowments. i still can't believe she's going to russia. i know she's probably itching to leave but i just want to tell her to enjoy her time in the good old u.s.of a. i didn't realize how good life is here until i lived in armenia! the very first thing i thought when i walked in my house after a year and a half was how clean it was! seriously. the little wonders of this nation like cleanliness, walmart, people with good hygiene, and smooth running church meetings were sorely missed. earlier this month we also got to spend a weekend with friends at a cabin in the uintas. we went up to one of tyler's friend's cabins with a bunch of couples, played games, ate awesome food, and hiked. currently, teaching is going so much better this year! it's ridiculous how much easier this second year is. well, peace out till next time...

p.s. katie: you inspired me to make this post. just want to give you something to do on your lunch break :)

2010-09-07T17:39:00.006-06:00

this weekend was tyler and my first anniversary! friday the third to be exact. we celebrated with a trip up to my cabin on hebgen lake, montana.

hebgen lake

dead mice. yum.

yellowstone park

playmill! we saw beauty and the beast.

such a joy. i can't believe it's been a year! it's been awesome. i love being married to tyler!

2010-08-30T12:46:00.004-06:00

so tyler and i finally moved back into our apartment in provo. it feels good to have a sturdy life again.

quick story: so i got to provo to move in on friday and went to the office to check-in/get our keys. meanwhile there's a couple next to me in the office signing a contract for married housing. i tell the guy my last name (of course having to spell it out) and he can't find anything. i tell him the apartment we signed our contract for last april and again he can not find our contract! so then he goes in the back for like ten minutes, comes out, and announces to me that they sold our apartment a few weeks ago for the school year! he said they misplaced our contract, thought the apartment was open, and sold it to another couple. then he said quickly after, luckily we do have one last open apartment so we'll give that to you. by the way, doug, he said to the guy working with the couple seated next to me, that apartment is taken so you guys won't be able to sign a contract. the couple, understandably so, freaked out. apparently they had driven down from salt lake and cancelled plans just to sign this contract for the apartment they were forced to give to us. wow. i couldn't believe it.

anyway, tyler and i actually ended up getting a nicer apartment than last year with better carpet and hot water. so i guess we lucked out in the end.

2010-08-26T20:49:00.003-06:00

tomorrow tyler and i are finally moving back into our apartment! we're living in the same place as last school year. it will feel so good to have a little home again! summer was awesome and i never had so much fun being so lazy. but i can't wait to have a home with tyler again.

p.s. our anniversary is in one week! i'm so excited!

school is going really well. i have great students. my classes are much smaller than last year and unlike governor jeb bush says, smaller is better to me! things are going so much better now that i know what works best.

last weekend i drove up to boise to see my mission daughter marry an elder from our mission. like mother, like daughter i guess. i cried a lot. whenever i go to sealings now i can't help but think of my own. then we got down later at the reception with some armenian dancing, all the armenia missionaries raising the roof.

even though i've missed being with tyler these past two weeks, i've had a lot of fun with my family. my mom and i have hung out a lot and i've really enjoyed her company. it's interesting and really nice how mothers become friends the older you get.

2010-08-16T19:14:00.000-06:00

well...it's that time again...seriously i wonder if my students think of me as this anal old woman pictured here. hopefully they do!

yesterday i made the eleven hour drive back from arizona to beautiful bountiful utah. the drive went quick because i had so much on my mind. i found myself talking OUT LOUD to myself several times, going over things i had to do and how i was planning to start the school year. i couldn't even sleep last night because my mind was reeling and reeling.

the first day of school is friday. already i see SUCH a difference from last year. for example, i put my room together today and it took me three hours, compared to the TEN hours it took last year. i have all my lessons ready for the entire year and of equal importance i have a strong and sturdy management plan that will begin on day one. those kids aren't getting away with anything this year! and trust me, they try to get away with everything and more. anyway, i'm excited for a new year. it's good to be productive again.

Forgiveness: My Burden Was Made Light

2010-08-06T22:40:00.000-06:00

As I watched this video I thought about a really profound General Conference talk a few years back. I can't remember who gave it (I think it was Bednar) and I don't have time to look it up (gotta get dinner on the table in ten minutes) but Elder Someone said that when we are offended by others' actions we are actually sinning because we are not forgiving them. When I heard that I was like, whoa, no more getting offended! Through experience, I've learned that when we don't forgive, most of the time we are the ones that hurt. I recently discovered that I had been holding a lot of built up years of resentment toward someone (no, it's not Tyler). I then realized that I was not forgiving that person for being imperfect. I suppose I wanted that person to be perfect and treat me perfectly and when it didn't happen the way I wanted my relationship with that person began to suffer. And no, I'm not talking about a past boyfriend either. It wasn't until I FORGAVE that person for being human and making mistakes that I FELT BETTER and my relationship with them IMPROVED. Thank heavens for the atonement, repentance, and forgiveness.

2010-07-29T14:19:00.005-06:00

this monday aug.2nd it will be THREE years since i got home from my mission in armenia. the experiences, the feelings, the language, the people, it all seems to be slipping away from me as time goes. but i know, or hope, it will never leave me entirely. i was reading my journal the other day from this time...

August 1, 2007:"I am really excited to go home. I have missed my family so much. I also miss the familiarities of home and am excited to be there again. What do I look forward to? Some serious things, some kind of not so serious.

Serious: seeing my parents, playing with Aubrie and Cory, attending an American ward, dancing again, going on dates, going to lunch with the old sisters and MTC sisters, going on trips, the TEMPLE, talking with my brothers, catching up with my friends.

Non-serious: CEREAL, sleeping when I want, listening to love songs, milk, not using a filter for water, a normal shower, driving, staying up past 10:30.

As much as I am excited to go home, I feel a sadness for leaving this calling and this country. There are many many things that I will miss, which are all serious to me: preaching all day every day, speaking Armenian, meeting random people and becoming best friends, seeing people's lives slowly change for good, the tatiks (grandmas) and papiks (grandpas), seeing the power and influence of the elders, P-day gatherings with the sisters, giving out copies of the Book of Mormon, seeing big miracles, hearing Armenian jokes that are never funny, the ice cream, the fruit, the bread, little kids speaking Armenian, mission conference, hearing missionaries' testimonies, getting advice from President, telling the Joseph Smith story in Armenian, feeling the hush and the spirit while telling that story, crazy drivers, laughing with companions, crying with companions, seeing and experiencing the gift of tongues, wearing Christ's name on my chest every day, flying with angels, knowing that I am doing the same work as the Apostles, teaching the Plan of Salvation to those who have lost a loved one, having conversations about Christ on marshutnies (buses), always carrying a Book of Mormon, and being a missionary for Jesus Christ."

August 2, 2007 on the plane home: "I'm not sure how I feel right now. I kind of feel like I'm in a dream and that any second I will wake up in a little apartment in Yerevan. I guess I will say that I feel peaceful. As weird as it is to actually be on the plane heading home, I feel good and know that I am in the hands of the Lord."

what an experience! i was excited to go home. i wasn't one of those missionaries trying to extend their mission or crying for days before they had to leave. it was freakin hard! by far the hardest thing i've ever done in my life. but if i could go back, i would do it all over again. it's an experience you can't get anywhere else. it makes you stronger. and more importantly, it touches people's lives and spreads the gospel over the earth.

my sister-in-law, jamie, just got her mission call today! she will be serving in the russia samara mission. wow. if anyone can handle a russia mission, it's jamie. i know she'll love every minute of it.

2010-07-28T20:32:00.003-06:00

this morning tyler and i went to the mesa arizona temple. my first temple outside of utah. it was such a joy. i remember when going to the temple single i couldn't wait to have a man there with me. a lot of things are better married.

2010-07-27T22:41:00.003-06:00

a fit woman that doesn't have double Ds, an inch size waist, and toothpicks for legs! ok. i kind of really like this. i'm not saying my butt is huge. actually i wish it was bigger. but this just makes me feel better about not having a victoria's secret barbie like body. i would be a liar if i said i was 100% satisfied with my body. i think any woman would be lying if she said that. but i'm trying. sometimes it sure is hard when i'm home all day watching america's next top model and underwear commercials. i see the impact media has on the image of my female students at school. most of them act, dress, and wear make up and hair like they're twenty years old. seventh graders are pulling out mirrors in the halls and constantly applying lipgloss. if there's one thing i hope to accomplish with my future daughters it is to instill in them a healthy self-image and a high self-esteem. my mom was so good at that. she always built me up and of course still does. "Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth." - President Gordon B. Hinckley

2010-07-17T19:12:00.009-06:00

Today was really fun! I went to a local farmer's market and a street faire at the mall. I never buy things at these outdoor splendors but I just think they're fun. I like the individuality and uniqueness. Then Tyler and I went to a bbq fest where they had tons of bbq vendors from all over the state who compete in all their bbq glory. We got to taste test some and it was delicious! I will never be a vegetarian. (Pictures were taken with phone.)

I am really loving life right now. I'm recovering from my first year teaching, having fun every day, I'm madly in love with my best friend, and perfectly content with things how they are. Ah summer.

2010-07-13T21:19:00.003-06:00

here's some pictures from hike #2. this time we headed to tanque verde canyon, a suggestion from tyler's dad, jim. other news: we moved today from tucson to prescott. it's a lot cooler here and there are trees. joy! just a suggestion: never drive three hours in arizona in the middle of summer without air conditioning.

we're pretty intense

isn't that precious

so here's the tanque verde waterfall! wait...where's the water?

this snake decided to get in our way until i threw a rock at it

tyler got stung by...something. he now has one cankle.

yes those are bugs. yum.

2010-07-11T19:18:00.005-06:00

my mom is so talented. she completely decorated and painted this entire room, including the bed frame, dressers, and night stands. i seriously want to hire her to interior decorate my house when i'm older. my parents bought this little home in west bountiful right before i left on my mission. it was all white with plain carpet. when i got home i found painted walls and brazilian hardwood floors that yes, she did all by herself. now my parents are trying to sell this little cute and much improved house. so cute mom. i love it. love you.

2010-07-08T18:33:00.003-06:00

i love being outside and i love hiking so i was thrilled to get the chance to go hiking this morning with tyler. we went up sabino canyon on a short hike to sabino dam. it was hot. and wonderful.

my attempt to be artsy

these lizards are everywhere down here

gross

dead cactus. never knew they looked like trees when dead.

sabino dam. there's no dam water. welcome to arizona.

such a cute pouty face

2010-07-05T16:09:00.008-06:00

July 4, 2010 was so much fun. We had a bbq and went to a park to watch fireworks. Watching fireworks is so much better when you've got a sexy man by your side.

Jeremy, Tyler's (special) brother, delighted us all with a new haircut.

Matching t-shirts! Tyler will do anything to make me happy.

2010-07-02T16:49:00.009-06:00

i don't have anything to say. i don't have anything to do either so here i am. i guess i'll do my best to give updates that don't really exist and ramble on for those who care to read.

fortunately and to my great pleasure, life is just like it was the last time i wrote. i'm actually having a small panic attack that i only have six weeks left of summer vaca. ah! why is doing nothing every day making time go so fast?

this week has been great just like every other. yesterday tyler and i went to eclipse. it was his idea. no jk there. he tried to play it off to the ticket lady saying "oh, this is my favorite movie ever" in a sarcastic tone. but i called his bluff. he's a romcom chick-flick lover at heart. just one of the many reasons i love him! i mean, really, what other boy would love to sit down and watch "how to lose a guy in ten days" with you? i liked eclipse. normally i want to puke at any sign of cheesiness but somehow the twilight saga pulls it off. i can't read the books. too long and way too ridiculous. but i give eclipse one, just one, thumbs up.

i'm becoming quite the little cook. or so i like to think. maybe we should ask tyler about that. i'm trying to be creative and have had some tasty success, some of my favoites being manicotti, chicken parmigiana, lettuce wraps, and chicken cordon bleu. if anyone has some favorite recipes or ideas please let me know!

i'm so freakin excited for july 4th! it's by far my favorite holiday. i know, i'm a horrible person for not loving christmas. sorry. it's all about heat, bbq, fireworks, and american patriotism. for those of you who aren't aware, i'm a summer fanatic! i wish it could be july all year. apparently arizona has a monsoon season in july. what? who woulda thought. not looking forward to cloudy skies, but like it or not, it's on its way.

sytycd is rocking my world. this routine was a-m-a-zing! wow! funky song, ridiculous choreography, and alex - what? a ballerina, or ballerino, doing hip-hop like this? you go boy. i remember doing hip-hop for the first time after ten years of ballet training and seriously you have to throw away everything you learn in ballet. not easy. i gotta give this one to nappytabs too. they're my heroes.

2010-06-18T20:59:00.001-06:00

well it turns out my husband is a celebrity. he made the local news by doing what he does best - protecting families the apx way. check out the vid.

Glendale woman has 2 cars stolen from garage, one ends up on photo radar

not only does he protect families, he "guards and protects my heart" every day. ha! oh bachelorette. how i love you! kasey is out of control. i wish he would have showed ali the tattoo cuz pretty sure he'd be out of there by now. unlike ali, i don't think he was being insincere. i think he's just sincerely weird and corny. i think it will get down to roberto, frank, and kirk. already looking forward to monday night...also loving sytycd. my early favorites are alex, kent, lauren, and jose.

life is still good! this week went by regrettably fast. slooooowwww down time! i thought that maybe i would be sick of doing nothing after two weeks but boy was i wrong! i love it. between the pool, elliptical, tv, reading, cleaning, cooking, and tyler i manage to keep myself busy and happy.

2010-06-10T18:22:00.003-06:00

i am looooving life right now! i was driving today, feeling the warmth on my skin and smelling hamburgers in the air, thinking how much i love summer, love having a break from work, and love being with tyler FINALLY. life is good. my days consist of sleeping in, making breakfast with tyler, going to the pool (and having to get in every 5 minutes because it's so freakin hot), cleaning the apartment, planning and making dinner, watching o'reilly/bachelorette/sytycd, and spending the nights with tyler. pure joy.

2010-06-03T13:02:00.002-06:00

i cried today. twice. because i'm so freakin excited that i will see tyler TOMORROW! i'm overwhelmed with how much i love and miss him.

school's out for the summer! i officially made it through my first year of teaching. i didn't kill myself. i didn't strangle anyone that i wanted to. and i really did enjoy my job. teaching is so hard! i did not anticipate the difficulty. i felt like i got ran over by a train at the end of each day and was knocked out for the night by 10 p.m. every day. it's exhausting and draining in every way. but i loved it. i love being involved in the youth's education and hopefully did something to contribute to it.

hillcrest - peace out for 2.5 months! tyler - here i come baby!

2010-05-31T20:29:00.002-06:00

this weekend i went with my parents, brothers-1, and niece and nephew to our cabin on hebgen lake in montana. it was SO nice to get away from the city and live for a bit in god's country. we spent our time talking by the fire, taking walks, playing outside, making food, and taking at least three naps daily. there was no t.v. there were no computers. there was a lot more silence. and it sounded good. 

well i'm about peeing my pants that it's only FOUR days away! ah, i never thought this week would come. here we go! bring on three more days of school, one day of driving, and a brilliant summer with the boy of my dreams.

to bang or not to bang?

2010-05-27T18:46:00.006-06:00

i decided to bang! again. i missed my bangs and was tired of my straight, long, boring hair. tyler calls it my veil. risky decision, but i took it.

of equal importance as getting my hair did today, tyler is taking the mcat right this very second! he started it at one p.m. it's a five hour timed test so he's got about an hour left. for those who aren't familiar, it consists of three sections: biology, physical sciences, and verbal reasoning. it's pretty darn important as his score may determine his admission to medical school next year! maybe we will all get the pleasure of hearing from him sometime soon on how it went. tyler - i love you! thank you for working so hard!

there are four days of school left, two of which i'm not even teaching. on one of those non-teaching days all the seventh graders are going to raging waters as they won the competition (based off grades and crt scores) against the eighth and ninth grades. they made the announcement today who won and i swear i was more excited than the kids! i screamed and pumped my fists in the air like a wild monkey. ah, the joy of a break.

on that note, i'm off to watch the premier of sytycd.

2010-05-24T22:07:00.003-06:00

i thought this was beautiful. i like seeing people take risks and do things that are new, hard, and different for them. and i guess i like watching contemporary dance too. just a little bit.

2010-05-23T18:27:00.002-06:00

Oh, why can't I already be in Tucson??? Sun+heat+pool+Tyler = dream yet to come true. 11 more days...

2010-05-19T20:31:00.001-06:00

i can do anything! maybe we all need to try this once in a while.

2010-05-18T21:22:00.004-06:00

Yes! Thank you!

This story was featured on Fox 13 tonight. The Pointe, an acclaimed dance studio in Lindon, Utah and home of Odyssey Dance Theater, offers a dance class for autistic and disabled kids and teens. Through this class, the kids learn social and behavior skills, coordination, muscle-brain function, and artistic expression despite their apparent limitations. Parents of the students commented on how much it has improved their kids' social skills, helped them feel accepted, and increased their ability to creatively express themselves.

So tell me, why are so many schools cutting the arts? Oh, because kids don't sit on their butts enough all day. Or maybe because kids need to just use their head more and leave the rest of their body out of it all. Oh, I know: all kids learn the same way and no kid needs kinesthetic learning. None of that makes sense. Most crucially, without the arts creativity is becoming stifled in education.

Please be an advocate for the arts in schools. It's not an elective or optional part of education. It's a necessity.

2010-05-18T20:15:00.006-06:00

i heart lee dewyze. he's going to win american idol. hallelujah! i like glee. it makes me laugh out loud, which so far only the office and the suite life of zac and cody have accomplished. i, unlike my usual self, am loving the heavy rain all day today. i like how it smells. it smells particularly good at my parents' house because there are so many plants and trees to soak it in. i love that it's almost ice cream time: my daily ice cream dose every night that involves vanilla, chocolate, and caramel.

2010-05-12T16:47:00.003-06:00

there are some joys of living with my parents at 25 and married! like...my mom coming home with DQ dipped cones. yum.

2010-05-10T21:06:00.006-06:00

the countdown continues...17 more days of school and 24 more days until i see tyler! i hate waiting for things...especially to see my own husband!!!

randomness

2010-05-08T00:13:00.004-06:00

what am i still doing up? my bedtime is 10:00 sharp. i'm just thinking about life. listening to evanescence "you" and crying a little. thinking about when tyler proposed to me. i don't ever want to forget the details of that night. beach. full moon. lightning in the distance. sand. surprise. absolute love. thinking about people i know that i really don't know. appearances deceive me. i put on my own facade sometimes. does anyone at work know i'm just trying to survive? does tyler really know how much i miss him? why do i feel like i have to play hard to get sometimes still? i've got him! i feel like texting him all the time. all the time. but i stop myself. ah. i miss everything about him. well, maybe not his clothes strewn about all over the apartment. maybe just that. before i got married i loved being single. loved it. loved independence. loved focusing on me. i was not a crazy-for-marriage provo-ite. now i can't stand being alone. i crave his presence. thinking about the mission. thinking about what a beast of a trainer i was. i'm sorry anna. i've never felt so guilty in my whole life as i did on the mission. so many rules. they're necessary though. then there were those few days when i was filled with absolute happiness. thinking about how i can not wait to wake up to tyler again. stare at his baby face while he's still sleeping. then 10 minutes later hear him grunt, turn over, and say "why are you awake?" thinking about how i feel more purpose in life being married. and how i feel like i'll have even more as a mother. thinking about who my kids will be and what they'll be like. sometimes i wish i was already 80 and done with the challenges of life. but i'm loving the fact that i have the greatest person by my side to tough it out with me. random. i know. a lot of times blogging is more for me than anyone who reads this. great if you benefit or find some good here too but it just feels good to get thoughts out on the screen and let someone else know what's going on behind the appearances.

2010-05-06T21:12:00.003-06:00

everyone showed up. tech crew was brilliant. cd didn't skip. red spotlight worked. everyone followed the rules. no one fell/tore their costume/threw up/had a meltdown/yelled at me. success.

2010-05-05T19:46:00.002-06:00

i would have to agree with what's going on here

2010-05-04T19:53:00.003-06:00

This is not good. I am in love with little kids lately. My precious nephew Cory turned five today. What a birthday party! There were bubbles and basketballs and pinatas and pop and a million little kids running around screaming and being a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e. My favorite were these little blond, high pitched and even higher energy, spastic twins. Drama Kings! I just wanted to take all of them home in my pocket! On Saturday my family and I went to Cory's soccer game. Ha! Six little boys trying their best to figure out what in the world's going on. Priceless. It's amazing how fast a crazy little kid can make you laugh. Am I baby hungry? No. Getting there? Maybe.

2010-05-03T20:18:00.005-06:00

Sprinting. Tonight when I went running I sprinted. When's the last time I did that? Never. Oh wait, in the MTC every Wednesday on ice cream night. Anyway, I had some much needed to release tension. Today was one of those never-ending stressful days. Stress after stress after stress. Tonight when I was sprinting/crying/wanting to scream my lungs out I remembered something I learned my freshman year of college. That year was a dramatically transforming year for me. I remember realizing that all negative feelings come from the adversary. I really really strongly dislike (hate) him. If I give in to the negative feelings, however, I'm letting him win. It's been really easy to feel crappy lately, but such is life. My goal now is to not give in to those negative feelings so that miserable creature can't find any joy in my pain.

A Snickers-Worthy Day

2010-04-28T16:15:00.002-06:00

Today was a snickers-worthy day. Whew. Is it summer yet? My dance classes are stressing me out because we have a concert NEXT week. That sure came up fast. My English classes are preparing for the CRTs which also takes place NEXT week. I'm finding that I have a lot less patience and seem to yell a lot more in my classes, but seriously what's with the attitude? When I was in junior high I would have NEVER even dared talking back to a teacher or given sass. Why do kids think that's okay now??? Ugh. Anyway, nothing a snickers at the end of the day can't solve. I'm happy now.

Day One

2010-04-25T21:33:00.004-06:00

Today is day one of 1.living at home again and 2.being away from Tyler. Only 40 more days until 1.I move away from home hopefully for good 2.I see Tyler! and 3.my first year of teaching is over. You could say I'm counting down, a little.

This weekend was really busy. Usually Tyler and I wake up around 10 a.m., make breakfast, lounge around, and study/lesson plan a bit. Yesterday we spent pretty much the entire day moving. I couldn't sleep after I initially woke up at 8 a.m. We were packing/cleaning/and moving until 6 p.m. It always takes longer than I think it will. For fun last night we went to La Caille! We got a hefty gift certificate when I bought my ring at Jared so we decided to take advantage of it. I got a forty-eight dollar plate of chicken and Tyler got a sixty-three dollar plate of the best rib-eye steak I've ever tasted. Yum!

Tyler left at 7 a.m. this morning, beginning his twelve hour drive to Tucson. I went inside after seeing him off and surprised myself as a few tears rolled down my face. The tears continued during sacrament meeting later. I cried a lot. I haven't been to church without Tyler for the past seven months and it just wasn't the same. I didn't think I'd be so emotional. I guess when you're with someone you love so much everyday for seven months (almost eight) you get a little attached. He is my best friend, the one person I always want to be around, and I am going to miss him. Whenever we are apart, like when we were engaged, we always joke that I miss him first but he misses me more. So he may not miss me now but he will!

On a positive note, I am loooooooooving the weather!!! Bring on the sunshine.

Changes

2010-04-19T21:13:00.006-06:00

April always seems to be full of changes. This year is no exception. At the end of this week Tyler and I are moving out of our first home together. He's moving down to Tucson, AZ working as a technician for APX all summer. I will be down to join him, but not until June. So I'm entering the nest once again for six weeks. Wish us luck. Peace.

2010-03-27T18:16:00.001-06:00

Happy 24th Birthday Tyler! I Love You So Much!

2010-03-26T13:41:00.003-06:00

spring break officially starts NOW!

I can take a hint

2010-03-20T13:57:00.003-06:00

I just noticed the title of the blog, 'thoughts by tyler and jodi.' Some women think guys are oblivious to subtle hints like that...and for the most part women are right. So...what to write for my first ever post on OUR blog.(jodi likes to stress the our especially when I call it her blog:) So my life is more busy than I would like it to be at the moment. My time is spent with the love of my life...chemistry(you would think chemistry is the love of my life judging from the time I invest in it but alas this couldn't be further from the truth. I cant wait for 106, 352, and 353 to satkel), volunteering with Hospice, 'working' at the RB/SFH, working in a research lab, preparing for the MCAT with Kaplan, teaching...no...managing nursery, and spending time with the person who makes all of this stress worth it. Jodi, that is you! Ok, I already have a itchy clicker finger that is wanting to hit the PUBLISH POST button on the bottom of the screen.
I LOVE the MADNESS! Could anyone ask for a better opening round? I hope the rest of the tourni will be as exciting as opening day. BYU fans are lovin' it. I'm not a dire hard BYU fan but I'm looking forward to the game today.
I have a story to share and then I'll call it a post. This happened about 2 months ago. It was 9 pm and I had just got home from taking a 3 hour ochem test when I got a call from a Provo police officer. He asked me to come down to the street by my car. I was still in the fog of ocem and had Sn2 and Sn1 reactions running trough my head. I go down to the street and the officer asks me if I hit the car in front of me when I was parking. I didn't know what to say. I told if I there was any contact it wasn't more than a nudge. I told him my wife was out of the car guiding me in as a parallel parked into the semi tight squeeze. I took a look at the 'damage' and there might have been a scratch on the bumper of the car in front of me. There wasn't any damage to my car. At this point I just wanted to go back inside and get this ridiculous thing over with. I asked the officer what happens now. I gave him all my information and he said that was it. Before I went into the apartment I walked up to the car and tried to talk to the 17 year blond old teeny bopper.I tried to talk to her and all she said was, 'we will let the insurance companies figure this out,' as she rolled up her window. I couldn't believe the whole situation so I just went in and called it a night. Oh ya, you would think that she drove a benz or something by how she was acting....no, she was driving an '04 Dodge Stratus!!! Why wouldn't you call the cops when your fancy Stratus gets a scratch on the bumper?
I wasn't too worried about all of this because I didn't think anything would happen. There were not witnesses, Jodi had guided me in, and there was a scratch on a bumper. I was worry free until I talked to my mom the next day. She got me worried, thinking that I was going to get sued. This is America where people file lawsuits against fast food chains for making them fat, or when they spill hot coffee on themselves. AMERICA!!! Why cant we be better than this. Lets stop trying to get something for nothing. Dumb lawsuits and a culture of entitlement are ruining this great country. In Chicago or Detroit it is now illegal to wear cologne or scented deodorant because a lady sued the city because she was bothered by the lady's perfume who sat next to her at work. Anyway, I don't want to start sounding like Glenn Beck so I'll move on.
To wrap things up. I worried and had a sick feeling in my gut for two weeks. The claims people came out and looked at my car. They couldn't see any damage and said it was likely that nothing was going to happen. I was finally comforted. I called that teeny bopper's insurance company and they confirmed what the claims people said. So THE END.
That was longer than I wanted it to be. My apologies. Thanks for reading if you made it this far. I'd like to ask a small favor. If you read this, leave a comment. I want to see how many I can get. I might want to brag to Jodi:) This is a one time request. PEACE

2010-03-11T18:36:00.004-07:00

A week ago I had an awesome time hanging out with mission friends. Ever since I got home these have been my favorite people to spend time with because we just seem to be on the same page.

Some of my favorite people in the world I met on my mission: Nuge, my trainer, the one who laughs about everything and stresses about nothing; Maggi, my third companion, the one who says things I want to say but don't have the guts to; Speez, my desired but never realized companion, the one who makes any old boring event a hysterical and fabulous time; Anna, my trainee, the one who never ceases to entertain; Leah, my granddaughter (Anna's trainee), the one who makes me laugh more than any other. And that's just a few of the many. Of course there are a few yeretsner (elders) that are fun people too. I even married one who is now my best best best friend. What would I do without Tyler? I don't really believe that everything happens for a reason but I'm thankful a lot of things happen, like me deciding to serve a mission. I had a serious boyfriend when I left. I never even thought of staying home, though, because I had received such a strong impression that God approved of my decision to go. Thank heavens I went because I met the best people in the world while there including the love of my heart.

Last summer a group of us went to Lake Powell. Best time of my life in the past couple years (besides my wedding day obviously!). Here's a video of some of the chaotic and ridiculous fun we had every day. Love you Leah and Anna!

a dream is a wish your heart makes

2010-03-08T18:03:00.006-07:00

lately i've been having weird dreams. when i say lately, i mean my whole life. i've always had the ability to remember about three or four dreams i have every night. trust me, it's not always an ability you'd like to have.

dreams are interesting because science has still not found a clear purpose for them. in armenia, people take dreams literally. they see joseph smith come to them and tell them the church is true and there's their answer. i believe god speaks to armenians through their dreams because they will accept it. i don't believe he will speak to me through my dreams because i don't ever take mine seriously. so for me, the purpose of dreams is just a good laugh here and there.

here are a few of my latest:

last night i had an actual conversation with tyler in my sleep while he was awake.
jodi: tyler, you did such a good job.
tyler: on what?
jodi: on the quiz we did in class!
tyler: (laughing at my ridiculousness)
jodi: (realizing she's dreaming and talking in her sleep) wait, what? oh, never mind.

i dream about school and my students a lot! i won't mention specifics but i can say it's mostly awkward for me the next day when i see them.

two nights ago i dreamed i was pregnant. what a nightmare! i remember sitting in a seat, feeling my belly seriously sagging to the ground. i got up, walked outside and plop, the baby fell out. i looked down and discovered i had just given birth to a pig. gross and weird. foreshadowing? i hope not.

if a dream is really a wish your heart makes, i pray most of my wishes never come true.

2010-03-01T20:54:00.003-07:00

Really Jake? Really? Bad decision.

2010-02-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

2010-02-11T16:45:00.003-07:00

so i teach junior high. i'm surrounded by this generation every day. by the way, what catchy phrase (or letter) has been designated to them? anyone know? today we were instructed to read a poem to our second period class. i think it's pretty cool. so, first read the poem like normal, from top to bottom.

the lost generation

i am part of a lost generation
and i refuse to believe that
i can change the world
i realize this may be a shock but
"happiness comes from within"
is a lie, and
"money will make me happy"
so in thirty years i will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life
my employer will know that
i have my priorities straight because
work
is more important than
family
i tell you this
once upon a time
families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
this is a quick fix society
experts tell me
30 years from now i will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce
i do not concede that
i will live in a country of my own making
in the future
environmental destruction will be the norm
no longer can it be said that
my peers and i care about this earth
it will be evident that
my generation is apathetic and lethargic
it is foolish to presume that
there is hope
and all this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.

now, reverse the poem and read it from the bottom to the top.
pretty cool, huh?

Happy Anniversary to Us

2010-02-03T18:05:00.005-07:00

Today is Tyler and my five month wedding anniversary! Woohoo! What rookies, you're probably thinking. And it's true. We're still very new to this marriage thing. But let me tell you something, new or not I'm loving life! What are those nutheads saying when they mention how hard the first year of marriage is??? First year of teaching...yes hard! Everyone is RIGHT when they say the first year of teaching is difficult. But these past five months of marriage have been marked with bliss. Now I can definitely not take any credit. Well, maybe some. The reason I've had such an easy marriage is because I married an easy guy! Well, that doesn't sound right. But you know what I mean. Tyler is the easiest person to get along with. I can't imagine having a hard day living with him. Because it's our (seemingly insignificant) anniversary and with it being love month, I am dedicating this post to Tyler. Here are a few things I've learned about him the past five months or so that you may or may not know...

He loves milkshakes.
Even more, he loves my milkshake dance.
He is more of a night owl than I.
He twitches A LOT when he's falling asleep.
He snores.
He purses his lips when he has a big snore.
He loves watching Criminal Minds.
He hates wearing his wedding ring.
He's never slow to emphasize how much older I am than he.
The first thing that attracted me to him was his arms.
He always finds the good in others.
He likes to read.
He loves learning about the founding fathers.
He's reading a biography on Benjamin Franklin.
He is money-wise.
He did not like me when we first met.
He loves breakfast food, especially french toast.
His favorite band is Mo-Tab (according to the survey done at my bridal shower).
His radio station is usually set to talk radio.
He's a great game-player and frustrates me because he (almost) always wins.
He's a beach-lover.
His intramural volleyball team won championships this year.
He'll put almost any dessert in milk.
He's got great hands for massaging (which I can't appreciate because I'm too ticklish).
He's polite.
He mumbles. (That doesn't go well with my lack of hearing.)
He loves movies.
He likes chick flicks.
He's a dedicated student.
He has this way of getting me to laugh my way out of bad moods.
He can read me far quicker and better than anyone I have ever known.
Lately he's been tearing giant holes in the crotch of his pants.
Maybe it's because he has a ghetto booty.
He proposed to me on a beach in South Carolina.
He proposed to me without discussing marriage first. At all. Ever.
His nickname on the mission was "babyface."
He has a hard time keeping his eyes closed during prayers.
His skin is unbelievably soft.
He's not afraid of PDA (within reasonable measure of course).
He would do anything to make me happy.
He is the love of my heart.

I love you Tyler.

Dr. Laura

2010-01-23T23:28:00.004-07:00

Something happens when you get married. You get old. By old I mean you watch the news, go to bed at 10 PM, cook real meals, and listen to talk radio. I've recently discovered Dr. Laura. The other day I about died when this man called in...

He explained that he's been dating this girl for three years, thinks he wants to get married, but has a few concerns. Dr. L asked him what his number one concern was. He said...

Well, she's moody and emotional and I can't handle it.

Bah!

I laughed hysterically. Dr. L said exactly what was on my mind...

If you can't handle moody and emotional, then you better marry a man.

2010-01-23T20:40:00.006-07:00

I heart this boy

2010-01-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

Last night I directed my first ever dance concert. After much trepidation that at least one of the many things that could go wrong would, the concert actually ended up being a success. As the last dancers exited the stage and the curtains closed, I was surprised to find tears in my eyes. It was pretty emotional seeing the end result of many months of hard hard work. I'm so proud of my students! Especially the choreographers. The concert consisted of two beginning dance classes, filling the program with 15 dances and 80 dancers. All of the dances, with the exception of one, were choreographed by the students. I was surprised and excited to see complicated themes and difficult and technical movement come out of these dancers' minds and onto the stage.

Schools need art. Unfortunately, most schools are not moving toward expanding their art programs. Fortunately, I was hired into a school that is. Unfortunately, most schools are cutting their art programs because of budget cuts. The little money that is left is flowing into the English and Math departments, not the arts. Why? NCLB. Now I'm not saying anything is wrong with promoting the progress of English and Math. I'm mostly an English teacher after all. But how in the world are people justifying the cut of the arts? The definition of art involves creativity. The use of creativity spurs self-esteem. And self-esteem and confidence are a leading factor to success in core subjects such as English and Math. Art not only helps children in their core subjects, but just in life. It teaches confidence and team work, real life skills that transfer into everyday life and the relationships these children have in and out of school.

Last night I witnessed up close and personal the self-esteem rising in these kids. To see the smiles and the sense of accomplishment expressed on their faces as they exited the stage was absolutely priceless.

2010-01-02T21:21:00.002-07:00

here are some pictures from christmas break, the kind of break i could get used to. tyler and i traveled to sunny california where we spent christmas and new years by the beach with family and some time in between on a cruise to mexico.

a view from inside the ship

it was not that warm. at all.

each time we came back to our room we discovered a new animal, usually decked out in my sunglasses. 

mexico

what's mexico without chips and salsa?

awesome tile staircase

yes, the restaurant was named la fonda

love 

A walk down mission lane...

2009-12-16T20:53:00.008-07:00

who is that boy in the back?

water day

lake sevan

my trainer

baby

sisters' favorite food

making lavash (giant tortilla)

burrrrrrrrrr!!!

this girl reminded me of jack black. you know you see it.

hot armenian men. look out ernie - these unibrows are out of control

gathering potatoes

lice

baby #2

the hills are alive?

you can't see it, but i could definitely see my breath. every day. in this kitchen. for a month.

cackling grandma

one of the oddest families i've ever met. loved visiting them but it kind of felt like entering the twilight zone.

big big spider. big. big. big spider. those were everywhere in ararat. especially our bedroom.

mall

one of my favorite companions - native sister hakobyan

2009-12-14T20:52:00.004-07:00

cute

very cute

There's something about winter that makes me pay attention to clothes more. Maybe it's because I actually have to wear them, rather than parading around in my bathing suit all summer long at Seven Peaks. Or maybe these dresses just caught my eye from the sunny backgrounds that surround them. Oh summer...I miss you terribly.

Victory!

2009-12-10T22:15:00.015-07:00

Congrats Swamp Donkeys! Tonight they have swept the court, won "the most coveted shirt on campus," and become the volleyball intramural champions. We never doubted them.

Tyler doin his thing.

The team doin its thing.

The win!
Check out the kid that rushes the court, by himself.

We heart Swamp Donkeys!

2009-12-09T06:44:00.007-07:00

Tyler's BYU intramural volleyball team, affectionately known as the Swamp Donkeys, has successfully made its way to the finals!

Yesterday the team kicked some butt in the semi-finals. There was some stress near the end with the final score of 22-25, but I knew they'd come out on top.

Congrats Swamp Donkeys! Good luck on Thursday!

2009-12-09T06:36:00.006-07:00

yes it's 6:30 a.m. and yes i'm at work already. why? because it took me two hours to get here yesterday due to the snow storm. So leaving myself plenty of time this morning, i was delighted to find out the roads were clear and so was traffic....and that i have an hour before anyone even starts showing up.

so here i am.

on a fun note: what about sytycd??? i've never been an avid tv watcher til i got married and got a real job. now instead of working or chasing around boys at night, i get to actually watch some cool shows like sytycd.

my vote for best guy and girl: jakob and eleanore! they rock. amazing. can't wait to find out who's left in the finale!

p.s. mary murphey (the woman judge) should never be allowed to laugh or speak loudly ever again.

2009-12-01T18:44:00.005-07:00

am i behind the times? am i the only one that just found out about the new family search website? well, behind or not, i'm already obsessed. move over mariah carey.

the new site is soooo easy to use! and it gives you so much information.

so the past few days i have been overly occupied with looking up my ancestors and who has or has not had their temple ordinances completed. i was especially excited on sunday when i found a whole list of names from making one connection with the help of my mom. she doesn't know much about her father and pretty much nothing about his parents. but now the connection has been made.

so this weekend tyler and i will do the baptisms and confirmations for my grandpa's grandparents and many other people on my mom's side of the family.

to find out more visit www.new.familysearch.org or www.lds.org.

2009-11-15T20:20:00.003-07:00

so i suck at writing every day. it's just not gonna happen. but i'll do my best to get some more thankamonies out there before november ends...

today i'm thankful for weekends!!! having a full-time fairly stressful job has really created this extremity in my life. weekdays are really hard while weekends are really not hard. they're wonderful and oh so needed.

this weekend was what i call perfect. tyler and i didn't really do much at all. we spent friday with his dad and sister, jamie at gloria's little italy and byu basketball. saturday we saw "love happens" and had wendy's. today we had family dinner at my parents' for my brother's birthday. what you'd call an average weekend, but what i call perfect. as they said in "love happens", life is not so much about what you do, but with whom you're doing it.

and don't forget sleeping in! i only write this because of this strange phenomenon. i can not sleep in! well, i feel like i am. i wake up between eight and nine and that feels like sleeping in. but i know it's still early. especially because tyler is still sleeping like a baby. but i'm wide awake! this morning i woke up at eight a.m. and just laid in bed thinking for an hour! then i finally stared at tyler long enough for him to wake up, shake his head at me, and turn over. ha.

I HEART WEEKENDS