First Grade Writing

Just thought I'd share a few excerpts from our writing time today....

"If I could give one gift to the world, I would give every person a pet dinosaur bird. It has blue feathers, a blue tail, and a brown neck. It comes with a tree to stand on and a home and a tank. You have to give it meat because it is a carnivore. It will eat any kind of meat you give it. It really loves meat...but do not put your finger inside the tank!"


"If I could give one thing to the world it would be water because some places don't have water. They have to get in a line. 100 people are in the line."


"If I could give one gift to the world it would be recycling! I would not cut down trees to make a house, so I wouldn't have to pay 300,000 dollars. It can be fun recycling!"


"If I could give one gift to the world it would be dogs because they are so cute and fuzzy and they lay on you. I love them because they are dogs."


"If I could give one gift to the world it would be 400 guinea pigs. I think the people would be happy and they would not even have to thank me. Then I would love this place."


Hahaha...some of the kids wrote really thoughtful things...but some were just hysterical. First graders are great.

Laziness

SO here's what's going on right now...

I have a to-do list a mile long, my classroom is a wreck, I have ten phone calls to make and a stack of paper work a mile high, plus I haven't cleaned the upstairs portion of our house in months (literally, probably 6 months)....but for some reason, at the end of the day, I find myself perusing blogs and CNN.com instead of doing what I need to be doing.

All this to say that I honestly struggle with laziness -- I have no will power or drive to do the "musts" in my life. And, as a consequence, my life is what most would consider pretty chaotic.

Sugar sugar

I'm sitting in my classroom waiting for my last parent-teacher conference....I really should be cleaning my classroom right now, but instead I think I'll post a new blog.

I've had far too little time for the blogging world lately.

So here's today's topic: sugar coating. The term is a familiar one to me as I often emplore this technique during conversation. What is it about confrontation that freaks me out so much? I have such a hard time confronting and working through real issues.

I've been thinking about this lately as I've been going through parent-teacher conferences. I am absolutely HORRIBLE at relaying bad news. During my conferences, I tend to end every sentence with "he/she's doing great!" even when it may not be the case. "Well...he throws tantrums for hours at a time and can barely read his own name...but he's doing just great!" What?! He's not doing great!! In fact, he makes my life h-e-double-hockey-sticks most of the time. But I just can't seem to get to the point where I'm comfortable confronting the kid's parents.

This happens in all areas of my life -- it's one of my greatest struggles as a Christian -- being real about my own issues with people. I don't like being real about their issues either. So instead, I try and deal with all my crap (for lack of a better term) internally -- when what I really need is a gosh darn confrontation.

I have been praying that God would help me deal with confrontation -- that he would put someone in my life who is willing to call me out, that I would not take it personally when I am confronted, and that I would be willing to grow from it when it does happen. At the same time, I'm hoping that I can get better at confronting issues with others -- 'cause sometimes it just needs to happen.



So there. (I'm being confrontational...)

Yearbook Photos

Bible in a Minute

This may be borderline inappropriate....but I think it's hysterical.

New Blog

The friends I went to see in Utah and I started this new blog:


http://sarahlacysarai.blogspot.com


It's not exciting yet. But it will be. Maybe.

Bitter??

Just wrote a really bitter blog about my students' parents...but I decided not to post it. :) Don't want to get in trouble.

I really do love my job....the kids are wonderful.

haha.

Maybe I'll post it in June.

Quirks

Today I've been thinking about all the strange habits and quirks I've formed. So here's a list of the habits that control me the most.

1. Music plays in my head all day, and for some reason that music comes out in the form of teeth chattering. I tap my teeth to different beats constantly. If you watch me close you'll notice. It's like I have a drumline living in my gums.

2. I have what Freud would call an "oral fixation." I tend to want to experience the sense of touch through my mouth. Because of this, I cannot resist biting things like play-dough, erasers, memory foam, etc.... Also, I chew on pens and pencils constantly. (This might contirbute to the teeth chattering bit as well.)

3. I touch my hair all the time. I hate this habit, but I can't control it. Sometimes I'll even say to myself, "don't touch your hair!" and I still can't stop. Crazy.

4. I pull out my eyebrows and eyelashes. I know this one sounds crazy...I can't explain it, it just happens. Especially when I'm bored.

5. I set all clocks to a number that ends in 8. I loathe the number 5. I dislike odd numbers. And I have a simple dsitaste for zero. Numbers 2 and 6 will do if 8 doesn't work out, but 4 isn't really my cup of tea. Usually I set my alarm clock for 5:28. (I can't get away from the first 5, it's just how it has to be.) When I have to microwave something for a minute and half, I do 1:28. The list goes on.....


This is just the beginning of all my habits. I'm pretty sure I have way more quirks than most people. I don't know.

Time to breathe.

Teaching is absolutely nuts. But I also absolutely love it.

One of the things I love about first graders is that they're all head over heels in love with you...they seriously think I'm a saint. Every five minutes I hear "you're pretty Mrs. King," or "I love you Mrs. King," or "you're my favorite first grade teacher Mrs. King." Today someone told me that I looked fantastic, and another told me that I was the best guitar player in the whole world. It's pretty good for the ol' self-esteem.

Anyway, I'm loving it even though I no longer have time to blog.

The end.

Car Alarm Goes Off While Driving on Freeway

Provo, UT

The "Great" Salt Lake

On Saturday, we took a ritual skinny dip in the Great Salt Lake. I wish you could understand the depths to which this lake is gross. The whole place smells like sewage, and bugs roll across the ground in swarms....literal, visible swarms. The best part of this lake is that it's 12% salt, so you can float like CRAZY! So not only were we skinny dipping in mid-day, but we had a hard time keeping everything under the water because of the buoyancy.

Fact: The only creature that lives in the Great Salt Lake is the brine shrimp.

Here's how our conversation went as we entered the lake:

Sarah T.: "EEEWWWW...this place smells like death and decay."
Sarah K.: "Uhh...what's that black stuff on the bottom?"
Sarah T.: "Death and decay."
Lacy: "You guys, this is really gross...why are we here?"
Sarah T.: "This is a God-forsaken place."
Sarah K.: "This really stings, guys. Why are there dead bird carcuses everywhere?"
Sarah T.: (gagging) "This is GROSS."
Lacy: "This really stings. And itches."
Sarah T.: "I feel like a brine shrimp could take advantage of me at any second."

After that, we took showers in the boat rinsing station, while all the boat-rinsers looked on.


P.S. We were clothed during the showers.

Utah, My Love

Tomorrow at 12:53 pm I fly out to Utah to see my two very best friends in the whole wide world. No coffee or tea for a week. :( But I am still so excited!

I will return to Idaho next Saturday....and then frantically try to put my classroom together.

Utah is the craziest place ever....I really am so excited to go back there!! The church we helped plant down there is now at 81 members...pretty amazing considering where it's located. When I lived there, most non-LDS churches had around 10 members.

Fun Provo Facts:

1. Population: approximately 116,000

2. Number of Starbucks: 1 (first one opened when I was there in 2005.)

3. Number of "De-Cafes": Coulen't find this information....but....a lot.

4. Number of bars: 1

5. Claim to fame: Home of BYU and Robert Redford's Sundance Resort (where the Sundance Film Festival is.)

Surprise!

Last week, Matt surprised me with a video scavenger hunt, which is one of the sweetest and most fun things he's ever done. We had a blast. I'll be posting clips from it soon...if I can figure out how to.

Today, my friend Amber and I surprised Matt and her boyfriend Mike with a golf trip...and we caddied for them all day, served them drinks, and rubbed their backs. ;) So fun!

And this morning I found out what our surprise weekend trip is...matt and I are going backpacking! He's been planning this for a while, so I'm pumped. Matt got a new water purifier and backpacking stove (that runs on ANY type of fuel) for Christmas, and I got a new Lowe Alpine backpack that I haven't used yet, so that makes it extra exciting. I have no idea where we're going....I just know that we're hiking up to an alpine lake.

So many surprises....it's been a good week.

THE most exciting day ever.

A break down of my day:

5:30 am - hit the snooze button
5:40 am - hit the snooze button - repeat until 6:15.
6:15 am - jump out of bed and throw on dirty clothes. no time for a shower. race out the door.
7:05 am - arrive to work 5 minutes late. make iced tea and try to stay awake by messing around on the computer and reading the newspaper.
8:30 am - boys wake up. Me: "Good morning!!!" Boys: (silence) Me: "How are you guys?" Boys: (glaring, plus more silence.)
9:00 am - learn that my favorite chicken recently got "thrown into the pot" as Gabe so kindly puts it.
9:05 am - Gabe after beating me at chess: "Stick that in your check book and cash it!" Haha.
10:00 am - fishing
11:00 am - fishing
12:00 pm - fishing Me: "Hey boys, you about done fishing?" Boys: "What??!!!"
1:00- 3:00 pm - you guessed it....still fishing. I spend this time reading Fitness, doing crunches, or texting Matt. Sometimes I hang over the dock looking for large mouth bass. (Like I'd know what they look like anyway.)
3:20 pm - Me: "Ok boys, time to go." Boys: "----"
4:00 pm - FINALLY arrive home. Reading and practicing violin.
5:00 pm - leave. Off to rock climbing for the evening. What a day.

Sister, Sister

Ever watch that show? I used to love it.

I'm an only child, so when I was little my imaginary friends were always make-believe siblings. (And sometimes Jordan from New Kids on the Block was my imaginary boyfriend, but that's a whole 'nother story....) Mostly I played with my imaginary sisters, Tarah and Cara. (I know, clever names, right? What were my imaginary parents thinking....)

When I got married, I inherited some wonderful pseudo-siblings. I was so excited to finally have brothers and sisters (the REAL kind.) But I must say, we couldn't be more different.

I found this on my Facebook from my sister-in-law this morning:

"Hey there! Miss you too. I'm not to sure how to get around on Facebook yet, so sorry it took me so long to say hey back. Going Huckleberry picking tonight. Wish you guys could come w/. I'm also canning up cherry pie filling today. I think that I'll get about 10 quarts put up. It takes forever to pit them all, but... it will be nice this winter when I can't get them. Love and miss you hope all is well for you talk later...."


I h0pe she doesn't mind that I posted that. :) But seriously, I've never baked a pie in my life, let alone CANNED the filling. It amazes me.

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah

Oh man, I normally don't waste my time on stuff like this, but I found this on someone else's blog and thought it was pretty entertaining.

1. Type in “[your name] needs” in the Google search:
"Sarah needs a cold shower..." hmmmm.....

2: Type in “[your name] looks like” in Google search:
"Sarah looks like a horse." What's funny is that I have been told so many times that I have horse teeth. :(

3: Type in “[your name] does” in Google search:
"Sarah does Smile." ??

4: Type in “[your name] hates” in Google search:
"Sarah hates your movie." Probably true.

5: Type in “[your name] goes to” in Google search:
"Sarah goes to Deutschland."

6: Type in “[your name] loves” in Google search:
"Sarah loves dad Infant Bodysuit." Wha????

7: Type in “[your name] eats” in Google search:
"Sarah eats the cake." No...I hate cake.

8: Type in “[your name] has” in Google search:
"Sarah has a mommy and a daddy." awwww.....

9: Type in “[your name] will” in Google search:
"Sarah will call you fat to your face." Not true, not true.

Alicia + Kyle = wedding

I was in a wedding this past weekend that was for sure one of the best weddings I've ever been to. Not only was the wedding great, but the bridesmaids (plus one bridesman) and groomsmen were super fun. I spent about a week with most of them, and I was so sad when they all went back to Bellingham and Seattle on Sunday.

The days before the wedding were spent making tiny little cupcakes and swimming in the pool. We also ate...and ate...and ate some more....which is one of my favorite things to do.

Also, I was delegated to give the speech...so here is the poem I wrote:

I remember meeting you, along with your birds,
At that time we were both sort of nerds.
Since then I've watched you change, I've watched you grow,
Into a spirited young lady and a teaching pro. (She teaches at a French school.)

Most would describe you as vivacious and fun,
But of the words that come to my mind there's especially one,
That describes you exactly, perfectly, to a T...
The word that truly describes you is unique.

Unique sense of humor,
Unique laugh and HUGE smile, (seriously, it's big...)
Unique love of French things,
And a unique husband...named Kyle.

Together you two are such a unique pair,
Him with his wolf shirts and a rat tail for hair,
You were destined for each other,
You were "meant be...."
So here's to you, Alicia and Kyle,
Forever married happily.

The end.

(They ordered personalized M&M's that were supposed to say "Alicia and Kyle, Meant to Be"....instead they said "Alicia and Kyle, Meant Be." Hahaha. I thought it was hysterical.)
So here are a few pictures that I gathered from the event. Hopefully I can find more and post them...we had so much fun.

We took the Bellingham-ians to "the biggest sundaes in the WORLD!" That's what Alicia said at least. Bridesman and bridesmaid.



Me, Stephanie, Caitrin, Bubbles.

D. Stone and Caitrin

P.S. Matt hitchhiked to the wedding. I was so proud.

Scooter-O-Rama

Yesterday, Matt and I opted out of going to a swing dance because we were both tired and wanted to spend some time alone. So, we decided to take our scooter into Spokane. This is the story of the adventure that ensued while on our beautiful mint green scooter.

First of all, you have to know that when we're on the scooter, we definitely draw attention to ourselves. I'm not sure if it's the fact that there are two of us on a tiny scooter, or the fact that the scooter is a retro green color...but we have people honking at us constantly.

So, as we're driving down Hwy 53 yesterday evening, waving at the people who are honking at us, our scooter starts to sputter....and we quickly realize that we have run out of gas. We decide to walk our little scooter back about a mile to the nearest gas station...holding our heads down the whole way there as the people passing very obviously laugh and point at us.

On to adventure number 2. We took Pines from 53 down to Sprague. If you've never driven all the way down Sprague, you are truly missing out. Sprague is like the Oakland of Spokane. I can't be positive, but I think I counted 3 prostitutes during our journey over....and that was at 6:00 in the evening. We followed Sprague all the way to downtown, and then parked next to Sushi.com for some dinner.

After dinner, we drove the scooter down to Manito Park and the Browne's Addition area. The houses up there are incredible!

Around 8:30, we decide to head home. And here's where the real excitement begins.

When we're on the scooter, I always sit on the back, and I usually grab the sides of Matt's shirt for stability. So as I'm sitting there with Matt's shirt clutched between my fingers, I get this great idea....I decide to try to flash the people sitting at the upcoming bus stop by pulling Matt's shirt up as we pass them. Now, I knew that if I tried to pull Matt's shirt up he would probably try to block my attempt, exposing only his hairy stomach. I wanted to make sure that I could get his shirt all the way up to his arm pits, exposing all his glory. So I begin to roll up the edges of his shirt, grabbing as much of the fabric as I can fit into my hands. As we approach the four men at the bus stop I throw Matt's shirt up and and yell "woo-hoo!" at the top of my lungs.

My husband is definitely not embarassed easily, but I thought this might just be the thing to embarass him...at least a little bit. Well I was wrong. Instead of trying to block my arms, or trying to pull his shirt back down, Matt sticks his chest out proudly, shakes his man-boobs, and yells "yee-haw!" as we pass the bus stop, receiving some very confused looks from the onlookers waiting for the bus.

And that is why I love my husband.

The end.

FYI

I just re-read my last blog and found the word "lot's." It's driving me nuts, so I just wanted to let everyone know that i can spell lots...without the apostrophe.

Thank you.

Safe?

Yesterday was a tough day...God has been taking me through some things lately that have really opened my eyes to who I am. And right now, I'm not liking what I'm finding out. I know that I'm growing, but geeze, it's tough.

For a long time I've prided myself on being a driven and independent woman. I've always sort of done my own thing. I don't rely on other people to take care of me, or to make my decisions, or to tell me what to think or how to act. I figure those things out myself. I've always been proud of the fact that I am not afraid to take chances, and that if I put my mind to something I often achieve it. I set goals and I reach them.

Anyone notice how many I's were in the above paragraph? And that's exactly where the problem lies. I've realized that I am no different in my relationship with God. God can be my "friend," but as far as letting him make the decisions, or helping me achieve my goals, (which, once again, are MY goals, not His,) or shaping the way I think and act, or relying on him for help....well, I've sort of said "thanks but no thanks."

Now don't get me wrong, I know God has made me to be an independent thinker, and to be driven, etc...those things can certainly be used for His glory. But right now, my pride isn't allowing for that.

Last week, I prayed that God would break me...truly break me, and rebuild my heart. I knew he'd answer this, but I didn't know how, and honestly, I've been pretty nervous. Lot's has been going on since then, and I've had such a hard time trusting that God is going to work it all out.

Then yesterday, I had someone ask me to pray for them....and my first thought was, "Well, Ok, but you just need to do it...be driven and figure it out." And I think that's how I've viewed my relationship with God for a while. Sort of a "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" mentality.

So, right now, I'm re-learning how to truly depend on Jesus. I know in my head that he is trustworthy, that he is good. But now I need that knowledge to transform my heart.

This quote from C.S. Lewis has totally taken on new meaning for me lately:

"Safe?... Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. but he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

Isaiah 61

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [a] 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Matt asked me why I wanted to get a tattoo of the words "Beauty for Ashes" in Hebrew. First of all, I think Hebrew just looks really cool, and I worked at a Jewish Preschool, so I think it's appropriate, right?

But as for the meaning of the words....I love the imagery -- being transformed into something beautiful and worthy from something completely worthless -- beauty for ashes -- not because of anything that I've done, or anything that I deserve, but through what He did. It reminds me of how much Jesus has changed my life, and of the incredible gift of being seen as perfect, pure, and righteous through His death.

Just call me P.I. Sarah

I did some investigation work, and I think I found the Hebrew translation that I was looking for. AND I think it's legit. I found a few different interlinear Bibles that helped me figure it out.

SO here it is:

פְּאֵר תַּחַת אֵפֶר -- "Beauty for Ashes"

Literally means trading worthlessness for beauty or honor.

Now I just have to figure out where to put it!


P.S. Did you know that Hebrew is read right to left, and that when you type in Hebrew you start at the right side of the page? Everything's backwards...crazy!

Rat-a-tat-oo

Soooo.....I'm thinking about getting another tattoo, but here's my dillemma:

1. I want the words "Beauty from Ashes" in Hebrew, but where the heck am I supposed to find a Hebrew dictionary? And even if I find the words, how do I know that the verbs are correct, etc? And how do I know the dictionary is legit? I don't want to end up with a tattoo that says "silverware for grandpa" or something. (I dunno, that's the first thing I thought of...haha.)

2. I can't decide where to get my next tattoo. I need it to be in a conspicuous place, because I teach kids. I thought about my foot, but that can be tricky to cover up as well, especially when I'm constantly wearing heels to work. Any ideas? Where should I put this new thing??

Thoughts??

Zzzzzzz

I am NOT a morning person. Not at all. And lately, I've been getting up at 5 for my nannying job. It's killing me! I am so tired...I've reverted back to my daily coffee stops, and I can only sit down for about 10 minutes at a time without starting to drift off....not good.

Yesterday, I had all four of the boys read for half an hour in the middle of the day. I decided to set a good example, so I picked up the newpaper and sat down on the couch to join them. It wasn't even five minutes into our quiet time and I started to nod off. I need to go to bed earlier I guess.

Tomorrow I have the day off, so I am going to stay up late and wake up at noon. I can't wait!

'Tis the Season....

...for babies and marriage. We have six -- yes SIX -- weddings to go to this summer, and I've already been to three baby showers and two bridal showers in the last couple months. Does that seem crazy to anyone else?

I like weddings, really. Free wine, buffet lines...what's there to complain about? But seriously, too much of a good thing is, well, too much.

I AM excited about Sophie's bachelorette party that's coming up, however! Woohoo!

Wow

From C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters

"Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys."

That's exactly what I want for my life.


(For those that don't know, The Screwtape Letters is a book written from the perspective of a pair of demons. So, when they refer to the Enemy, they are actually speaking of God.)

Namaste

Last summer, I was completely addicted to yoga. I was going to a class at least five days a week! Then I got fourteen stitches put into my hand, and that sort of shot down my yoga dreams for a while. But the fire in my heart has been re-lit, and the yoga passion is back for the summer. I'm stoked! I start classes June 1....so I'll be sore for the next couple weeks.

Oregon

We just got back from the coast tonight...and I am exhausted times 10. We went with about 10 other people and had an absolute blast! Our trip felt much too short, however.

We left Friday night at 11:00 p.m. -- yes, that's P.M. We drove almost 8 hours straight, and arrived at the beautiful oceanside at around 6:30 a.m. We didn't even stop at our campsite -- we went straight to the beach, sat in the sand, and cracked open some Coronas. Awesome.

The first night we were there we spent most of our time at the beach -- we ended the day with a bonfire right next to the ocean. So cool.

On Sunday, we went to Cannon Beach, and Cape Cod. A few of the guys spent the day surfing -- I spent most of my time searching for and poking sea anenomes. After Cape Cod, we drove over to Tillamook -- where the cheese factory is. We literally ate so much cheese that we made ourselves sick -- and I got stuck in the car with our lactose intollerant friend Josh. (Let's hope he doesn't read this.)

On Monday, almost everyone headed back to Idaho, but Matt, Amber, Mike, and I weren't ready to be done -- so we made a spontaneous trip to Leavenworth. Mike said it would take 2 hours to get there -- it took 11. (And yes, we got lost at least 4 times.) Even though it took FOREVER to get there, we got to climb in one of the most amazing areas I've ever seen. And we experienced some seriously good sushi in Seattle at Blue C Sushi. (Food is way better when it comes from a conveyor belt!)

I'm excited to be back, but I certainly do L-O-V-E going on vacation -- especially to the ocean. I'll post some pictures soon.

New Song

I learned this song today, and am now presenting it to you via my high-quality camera phone. Enjoy the first 27 seconds ('cause that's all I can record.) My amateur guitar skills sound even worse on the camera phone....just plug your ears.

Tyrone

Last night, Matt surprised me with concert tickets to Tyrone Wells. We met Tyrone at U of I a couple years ago, and fell in love with his music. Apparently, he's from Spokane, so he played a show at the Big Easy in the midst of his tour.

The people at the bar were SUPER loud last night throughout the entire concert...until Tyrone played this song:


You could hear a pin drop after he was done. So cool.

Before he played the song, he talked about it's meaning...the fact that we will all die one day, and the things that will matter then are not the things that we think matter now. He talked about living a life of forgiveness and love, and he talked about the fact that we will all one day meet God.

Anyway, I felt like God really used him last night...it was neat.

He's way talented...check it out.

http://tyronewells.com/


P.S. This song was played at our wedding:




One more...just for kicks and giggles.

Bob Marley cover:

About Me

An explanation of my "about me" section:

Every time I try to write an "about me" paragraph, I end up deleting everything I type. I can't explain this...but I think it's because of my strong aversion to cliches. So, when I sit down to write an "about me" section, I'm constantly frustrated by the fact that I can't communicate or explain who I am in one or two paragraphs without sounding cliche or arrogant.

Does that make any sense at all?

Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about:

A typical "about me" paragraph (exaggerated for effect):

Hey! My name is Sarah, and I just graduated from the University of Idaho with my B.S. Ed. Woot! I love to camp, hike, kayak, rock climb, swim, hang out at the lake, hang glide, snowboard, raft, bungee jump, sky dive, scuba dive, backpack through the alps....in general, I love to be outside. And more than anything, I love to laugh! I am a pretty laid back person, and I get along with EVERYONE I meet. Most of my friends say that I'm one of the sweetest people they know. I try to keep that in mind, because the modeling business can really turn you into a mean person!

So here's what I hate most about these silly paragraphs.....they sound like sales pitches. The typical "about me" section just seems so self-absorbed. People always sound so wonderful in their paragraphs....but if they were honest, their "about me" sections would start something like this:

I pretend to like the outdoors to impress boys on myspace and old friends from high school, but I really prefer getting my nails done at the mall and shopping for shoes. Also, I spend most of my time on Myspace, so there's really no time for being outside.....

Ok, my rant is over. But just know that I will continue to refuse to write an "about me" section.

Unproductive

Today, I did absolutely nothing productive....and it felt great. I woke up at 11:30. I drove around spokane for about an hour and a half listening to the radio. I wandered around Mountain Gear without a purpose. I bought a new phone charger. I drank some superb coffee. I seriously thought about going for a run. And now, it's 9:00 and I'm ready for bed.

I normally hate ending the day feeling like I got nothing done, but I haven't had a day like this in FOREVER. It was surprisingly refreshing.

It's back to work tomorrow morning. Woohoo!

Working....in 3 months.

Sooooo....... (drum roll......)


I got a job! Hooray!

I am way excited...I got hired at Hayden Meadows Elementary to teach first grade. I am so glad that the interview process is OVER. I hope I don't have to go through that EVER again. Yuck-and-a-half.

Sometimes I'm shocked when what I want and what God wants for my life actually line up....usually I seem to be a little off. (And thank goodness, because what He has planned is always way more than I could imagine.) But I couldn't be more excited for where He has me next year.

On the same note, I've been thinking about how easy it is to praise God during times like these...times where I seem to be "blessed." What I fail to realize is that God is constantly blessing me....I am blind to it so much of the time.

So, I want to praise God in good times, in bad times, and, most importantly, in the "blah" times....the times in my life where I simply go through the motions, and nothing is necessarily good or bad. Those are really the times that I seem to get stale in my faith.

61 words

Thoughts on Hebrews

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
--Hebrews 4:13

Right now, American Idol is on in the background and I'm reading through Hebrews. So this post is coming from a combination of those two things.

The verse above really stood out to me as I was reading. Sometimes I think the best thing that could ever happen to me is to have my sins broadcast on national television for all the world to see. Honestly, it's so funny that we think we can "hide" our sin by appearing to have it all figured out. Frankly, my life is a mess sometimes, and God knows it. Yet I continually try to pretend that it's not. Who am I hiding from?

"For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness."

Phone Phobia

Somewhere between high school and now I have developed a phobia. It sounds ridiculous, I know...but I swear it's legit. Whenever someone calls me, I get so anxious that I cannot bring myself to answer the phone. So I tell myself, "I'll call them back later today....after I hear their message." This is for two reasons. If they do not leave a message, then I know that it was not important, and that I don't have to call them back. If they do leave a message, I can find out if they are "just calling to talk," in which case I also can choose not to call them back. In the case that the message is important, and that I am forced to make a phone call, I spend hours or even days cohercing myself into making that call. I LOATHE talking on the phone.

I can't explain where this came from. It has gotten progressively worse over time, and I continue to worsen. It's not like I get a panic attack when the phone rings....but I definitely get super nervous, and can't bring myself to answer it.

I have looked into this briefly....I found some information on the internet about social anxiety disorder and a few other things....but I'm not really sure that's what the issue is. I am (for the most part) fine in person. I tend to be pretty outgoing, and usually don't get nervous. It's the added element of the phone that starts to cause problems.

What's wrong with me? Does anyone else have this disease?

I can't stop...

Just a few more pictures that reminded me of my graduation night...why do I think this is so funny?

I graduated from Hogwart's

Found this picture on the internet....multiply the guy on the left by TEN and that's what everyone on the stage at my graduation looked like. Haha, so funny.

Sick and Bored.

I ate a bunch of fruit last night that had been sitting out all day....not feeling so great today.

On another note, I graduated last night. It was honestly one of the most boring things I've ever done. But, I got to sit between my friend Ray and my husband (because we share the same last name, of course.) :) SO that was exciting. We laughed so hard when we walked into the auditorium because the stage looked like the set of a Harry Potter movie. Our vice provost was holding this huge scepter-like thing, and our president had on this medieval beret and a HUGE gold necklace with three medallions that were bigger than my hands. On top of that, all of the other faculty that were on the stage had their PhD's, so they all had hoods on their gowns. It cracked me up. I really wish I had a picture. Maybe I can find one on the internet.

International Buffet!

I have to share this story about one of the kids in my class. Let's call her "Angela." So, the other day, Angela (who is a rather heavy-set young lady) walks into the classroom SUPER excited. She literally could not contain her joy...so I asked her what was up.

"Why are you so excited Angela?"

"Because..." (dramatic pause as she begins turning red with excitement) "...we are going to INTERNATIONAL BUFFET TONIGHT!"

I have never seen anyone get so excited about the International Buffet. It made me laugh.

Done!

Just got home from my interview....and it was a disaster! I wanted to RUN out the door by the time it was over. Oh well...maybe next time will go better. At least I have that first one under my belt. I can use it to learn from.

The position that closes tomorrow is the one I'm really hoping for -- kindergarten or first grade. So hopefully I will learn from today's disastrous interview and land this next job.

Whoo! This is stressful.

Interviewing

My first "official" interview is today...is it strange that I'm not nervous? It's for a thrid grade position in Coeur d'Alene. I really have my heart set on a position that I'm interviewing for later on, but this area is so competitive that I have to take the first job I can get. So we'll see what happens. I know I'll end up exactly where I'm supposed to be.

I'm pretty excited about having the day off. I really need to clean the house at some point....

Feeling Connected

For the first time in a long time, I am finally beginning to feel connected again to my church family. The people in our growth group are way cool, and I am excited to see where God is leading us as a group.

Honestly, I haven't felt connected to girlfriends since I lived in Minnesota (which was 2004-2005.) I have been longing for real people in my life...people that I can be authentic with, and that really know me. The past couple weeks have been amazing. (Although I feel like I am back in the 6th grade begging for girls to be my friend.)

On another note, I am totally pumped about American Idol tonight...this is my third week ever watching it. Is that ridiculous?

Why I love Idaho.

I just found this picture from Yellowstone last summer. Thought it was neat, I hadn't seen it before (we took SO many pictures.) Anyway, we mountain biked about five miles into this spot, and found this geyser that was going off right when we got there. So cool...our Creator is seriously incredible.

A First

Dear Blog,

As I am now officially a college graduate, I suppose it is time to begin my journey as an "adult." And what better place to start than right here in the midst of the blogosphere? So, blog, we will be sharing many long hours together as I type my most personal thoughts onto the screen for the world to see. I can't wait... (??) I'm sure we will become great friends.

Hopelessly Devoted,

Sarah