Ohio--Week 1

As of today, Matt and I have officially lived in Ohio for 1 week. Matt has been working as an intern at Kroger doing data analysis, and I have been working on making a home out of our apartment and trying to keep busy.
Last Monday I got us all moved in and set up our apartment, and we went shopping at Kroger. Tuesday I worked on making a little girl's dress that I'm making progress on. I just started an online class through coursera, and I've been working on that.
This weekend, we tried Skyline chili. It's a huge thing in Ohio, and I was actually kind of disappointed. It really just tasted like a meat sauce, especially because it is served over spaghetti. It wasn't bad, but it had been built up so much.
We also went out to Ikea...I have never seen an IKEA that was so busy. It was really crowded, but still fun to go through. I always enjoy Ikea.
We were going to go to the Cincinnati Zoo, but because of a marathon and the Kentucky Derby over the weekend, we decided to wait until next week.

So far, I enjoy living in Ohio. It's beautiful outside, the workers of the complex have been really nice, and I haven't had any big problems.

Heart on my sleeves

I have always worn my heart on my sleeves. I am very in touch with my emotions, and very emotionally driven. However, lately, that has come up to a new degree.

At the dollar theater just a couple of weeks ago, Matt and I watched Wreck it Ralph. I highly highly recommend it. I think it's my favorite movie ever. Ask me in a month because I have a tendency to change favorite movies fairly quickly.

Anyway...This movie makes me cry like you wouldn't believe. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but every time I've watched it, I've teared up at two different parts. Sometimes a third pops in, but not always. I usually cry the first time I watch movies with tender heart touching moments, but this one has just really gone straight to my heart, and today I even got emotional and started tearing up just discussing it with Matt. I couldn't believe how emotionally invested I am in these characters that even knowing that it all works out in the end (Not a spoiler because, hey, it's Disney. It always works out) I just tear up thinking about it all.

High School Never Ends

Unlike most people out there, I loved high school. I had such a great time. That doesn't mean that I would go back as a student by any means, but I met people who are still some of my very best friends, and learned a lot about myself.

Enjoying my seminary graduation with many of my high school friends

It's really great news that I loved high school because I am going back. I am starting out my fall semester this year at a high school, then half way through the year I'm going even further back to jr high. That's right. I'm doing my student teaching. After which I can only hope that I will continue spending much of the rest of my life in a high school or a junior high. Only this time I will be the teacher. I can't wait to mentor students and spend that time in the school. I will be going to Kearns High School AND Spanish Fork Junior High. I am so excited that I can hardly stand myself. I can't wait to write lesson plans and teach the students. I also can hardly wait to break out my teacher wardrobe.

The most comfortable red dress known to womankind

And my favorite, my purple pencil skirt with a black blouse

My blue knit vest with a black skirt

A purple sweater and my home-made circle skirt

Finally, and possibly most excitingly, it's justification for me to go buy more teacher clothes. After all, one can't work with only 4-5 outfits right?

Also insert here anything from banana republic or shabby apple...or since I'm poor...I'll just make some!

Where would you live?

If you were forced to spend the rest of your life at a zoo, museum, or library, which would you choose and why?

I was torn when I first read this. I love animals...especially giraffes...and living at the zoo near them would be awesome. Then again, I have watched Night at the Museum, and if everything really came to life, the museum would be a pretty rockin' place to live. But the truth is, my deepest entertainment loyalties have always been with books. So I would absolutely pick the books. As a child, I was the one who brought books out to recess. I never really minded being sent to my room, because there were books there. I love to read. I was once challenged to go a whole day without reading...I couldn't do it.

I've had some of my best friends through reading. I will never forget the hours I've spent at Hogwarts, Narnia, Stoneybrook, Sweet Valley, traveling with the Steeds, traveling the universe with Ender, and more. I know that through reading I can go anywhere and be anything. So as much as I would love the experiences in the museum and zoo, they would be limited. In the library, in books, I am truly unlimited in what I can do and be.

2 years ago

Two years ago today I went on my first date with my wonderful husband. In honor of that, I want to share a few reasons that I love him. Just a few though.

1. He makes me laugh. Like whenever I'm sad, he teases me and acts silly until I am straight-up belly laughing.
2. He tickles me. This is a love/hate thing...but he's so cute when he does it
3. He works harder than anyone I know.
4. He makes dinner about half the time...and when I'm making it, he always helps me.
5. When I was dishes, he stands by my side the whole time to dry them.
6. He thinks I'm cute...even when I first wake up in the morning
7. He is so logical. He cannot understand why anyone would enjoy something that isn't logical at all. He definitely balances out my lack of logic.
8. He wants me to be happy. No matter what that means for him.

I am so grateful that he went out with me 2 years ago, held my hand 2 days later, and that he loves me. He is the best thing that ever happened to me.

Ohio here we come!

I am so proud of my husband. Matt got an internship for this summer at Kroger in Ohio. We're really excited to get to go out there and have the adventure. I've never been that far East. Here's just a few reasons we're excited:

The food
I'll have time to work on my teacher work sample and lesson plans for fall.
Work experience
We can go to Kirtland on a long weekend sometime.
Matt's brother will come visit us (he lives about 8 hours from where we'll be in Ohio)
More time together

There will be more to come, but I'm currently charging my camera for the second time since getting married so that I can take plenty of pictures of Provo before we leave, and even more pictures of Cincinnati while we're there.

Speaking of moving...does anyone know of someone looking for married housing for the end of April/beginning of May?

My Culture

Growing up, I was always a huge bookworm. I almost always had my nose buried in a book. Even though I lived in the same town for my whole life, I couldn't find my way around anywhere when I started to drive, because I had always read in the car. Even now, whenever I have free time, I spend it reading. Because of this, I am familiar with many books, and many different genres of books. I also am a stickler for grammar and spelling.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The part of the church that has always been most meaningful to me, is having latter-day prophets to reveal new truths to us.  Because of this, I consider this framed copy of the Proclamation to be a huge part of my culture. I read it frequently, and am so grateful to be a member of the church. It has also affect my culture in many ways, simply in that being LDS is a culture unto itself.

I love to cook. I have always felt more at home in the kitchen than anywhere else. Because I love to cook and bake, I  think that my kitchen aid was the best gift I have ever received. I spend a lot of time using it to try out new recipes, I then take the food to my neighbors.

Nothing really sums up a person's culture the way their family does. I love my family, and have always been so grateful to them. My family is not a typical Mormon family. My extended family has always lived very close to me, so I have grown up appreciating and wanting a large and close family like the one I grew up with. I also included a picture with my in-laws, because I feel that they are a large part of my culture. I learn more from each member of my family each time I speak with them, and they help me consider ideas I wouldn't on my own.