anna and tyler sittin' in a tree....K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!

I am surviving being sworn at, flipped off, called weird, and repeating everything I have just said 3 times. Life as a teacher is hard. It is slowly getting easier, however. Tyler is being a good student and getting all his work done. In fact I am at the University with him right now and it is just after midnight. I have to work at the hotel at 6 am. I think I will have to go home without him. :(

Well I started teaching a few weeks ago. I am teaching Art Foundations and Painting in Cedar City at an Alternative High school. Things are pretty good. I have some really great students, (a few that I would like for them to stay home) but all in all I have a great bunch of students. I really like that I am only working half-time too. It gives me a day and a half to re-coup and mostly to plan my next day of classes. I thought I would've freaked out right before school but I didn't. It's this week that I am freaking out. I have almost lost it the past two days. Luckily I know that when I get like this I need exercise. Once I went to the gym I was able to handle my stress a lot better. I think I will be exercising a lot this school year. I think the hardest part for me is that I have a hard time organizing my thoughts and then just getting started on something. Once I get started I am fine. Who would have thought that teaching would be a cinch if you didn't have all the planning and preparing for the actual teaching.

I am the teacher and tyler is the student. He is in some pretty interesting classes this semester and I think this is the semester he is truly going to "become" an art major. He will find out more about himself this semester than all his previous semesters. In other words this is going to be a really busy semester for him. Luckily we are both busy so we aren't going to destract each other from our business.

Well to make a long story short if anyone has some encouraging words I would really appreciate it.........especially my teacher-sister-in-laws who have been through the horrific first year of teaching.

The month of June was really an exciting one for me. The Utah Summer Games are held annually in Cedar City. I was able to go to a lot of fun activities due to working at one of the Sponsoring Hotels in town. I was able to meet Sione' and Philipe from the Biggest Loser this season!!! I was so EXCITED!!!! I would rather meet them any day over Brad Pitt or some lame actor like that. It was so weird too because it was like I knew them well yet they had never met me before. They are AMAZINGLY nice guys and I got to talk with them a bit and tell them what a great job they are doing with their Boot Camp tour. This is also my friend Shioban (Bonnie) who I had Biggest Loser parties with quite frequently.












Well the VERY next morning I ran a 10 k down hwy 14 that leads up Cedar Canyon. The whole road was blocked off. It was so peaceful. It was such a motivation to have met some of the Biggest Losers and then be able run my race not even 12 hours later. I ran/jogged the whole way to the finish line with a personal best, finishing my race in 1 hour and 9 minutes.

My friends Bonnie and Liz woke up early to cheer me on. Here are some of the signs they made for me.








Tyler and I have been able to go to Zion National Park twice this summer already. We hiked to Emerald Pools which was so BEAUTIFUL on our hike it rained and we saw some guys repelling from the top of a cliff. It was AWESOME!!! We went with our friends Josh and Liz and Liz's mom from New York.







Me and Tyler where the guys were repelling down the cliff just behind us.








Last night I went hiking with some girls in my ward. We hiked for a few hours to go to the "C" on the mountain. We didn't want to get stuck in the dark so we weren't able to make it the whole way, but it was such a GORGEOUS sight to see. We also had a good time chatting about what ladies chat about.......ponies and the Planet Earth.

This past week Tyler and I went up to Salt Lake to one, "watch" Darla's girls (Alyssa said it is not babysitting, because she isn't a baby) and two, to take a break. We had a great time. We hung out with the girls and had a great time with them! We played with them and the neighbor kids(4 of them that we started to "watch"as well) Then we went to McDonalds where me met Grandma and Grandpa. It was really nice to spend some time with them. Heck kids aren't as bad as their parents make them out to be! ( J/K darla!) Then again it is a whole lot easier when they are already well trained! (Thanks Darla and Brian!) It was nice to be part of a SUPER SURPRISE for my sister.

Tyler and I were able to spend about a week up there because Tyler was able to switch his shifts around like mad so we could just take a break. Which Tyler really needs! He hasn't had that much time off since 2007. We enjoyed hanging out with Darla and Brian at their cozy home. We also got to go see the new pixar movie "up" in 3-D!!!! It was such a good movie! Mom came with us which was nice to have her especially since she has never experienced a 3-D movie before.

Well now we are back home and found out that Tyler didn't have to work during the day at one job only grave at another, So we hiked Angel's Landing in Zion National Park. I would have pictures but I forgot to pack my sd card, IDIOT! It was so BEAUTIFUL and the weather was great. Last year we went around the same time and I had to stop a lot with the steepness of the trail and all the switchbacks. And I am happy to say that I am in better shape than I was last summer! I may not look like I am in better shape but my heart and lungs were able to keep up with my body. It was great! All my exercising is doing something, YIPEE!!!

Now it is time to get back to the church callings, meetings, working/finding a job, housework, laundry and bills. What a world!

Tonight I was able to go see the play of the Wizard of Oz. I wanted to go see this play for weeks now. I loved the movie and figured the play would be great too. After trying to get several people to come with me and getting denied I finally found someone who I could go with.... my co-worker. She is obsessed with Wizard of OZ. From what I have heard she has a whole room or corner of her house dedicated to OZ memorabilia. We had such a great time! It was fun to get all dressed up to go to a play in my very own RUBY Slipper high heels! This play was super funny and it was a bit different from the movie, but I think it was a lot better than the movie. I am so glad I took time to do something that I wanted to do for myself. I have not regretted it one bit. So this post is to inspire all my ladies out there to go do something special for yourself. You won't regret it. (if you do, then it is your own fault :) You should have chose something more fun to do)

Why does it always seem I start to get really close to someone and then they move away? I hate that. I have tried to make this not happen, but sometimes it just does.

Wow. I have so much to be grateful for at this time in my life. I am grateful to have my Bachelor's degree, that I have a good paying AWESOME job, a wonderfully kind and fun husband and a capable/ healthy body.

1. I am glad that I am done with school so that I can relax a bit and watch some t.v. again. I LOVE it!!! I also am able to get some of my own projects done. I feel like I have learned so much during my schooling not only about art, but about myself, others, and life in general.

2. Because of my education I was able to get a TOTALLY awesome job working with special needs students teaching them life skills. They are so AWESOME to spend my day with. It makes me think that possibly I should go back to school and get certified to teach special ed. Really, most days are just a blast with them! I am so blessed to have a this AMAZING job!

3. My husband is so GREAT!!!! I just have the best time with him and love hanging out with him (even if we play video games.) He always knows how to make me smile! He always helps me to see "the light" if you will. I have been exercising and eating better and have not lost any weight and so he is helping me to eat better even when I don't want him to. :) In my ward in less than a year there have been 4 divorces of couples that had been married 3 years or less. Now that is so sad. Every day I think how grateful I am to have such a great guy that I can be a goof ball around for ETERNITY!

4. I have been training for a half marathon and am really amazed that I am now able to touch my toes, I CAN run for 5 miles!!!! A miracle I know!

5. Now don't get me wrong I am thankful for my family too......especially my parents and my sisters even though some used to be Wicked, they are some of my best friends now. I am also grateful for great friends that I have been able to learn so much from.

Well my life is so SWEET right now. Everyday I think how blessed I am. At Christmas Tyler and I recieved money from his family and my family. We were trying to decide if we should buy one big thing with it or if we should split the money. Well I decided that I would save that money and my birthday money and take a Ceramics class. So I am just going in on my free time making pots! It is so nice to be back in the mud.
I am still working with the Post High Special needs students at a local High school. I really enjoy it and I am disovering so many new things about myself. I love working with them and am laughing everyday. Such as......yesterday one of the students, who also has Down Syndrome, was sitting outside on a bench just by himself enjoying the sunshine. One of the students went outside and got some snow, went and sat down by the other student and put it down the back of his shirt. Well the one receiving the chilly gift just got it out of his shirt and I thought he was going to give a friendly punch to the other boy. Well before I knew it the one with Downs gave the other one a huge hug!!! I just laughed so hard and I thought how sweet that was! They all are so great and I love getting to know them all better.
Also Tyler went home teaching last week. Well when he was making the appointment he found out that this family watches "lost." People keep asking me and Tyler if we watch the show which we didn't until this family let us borrow Season 1 and now we are hooked. We are almost done with the second season. We will be caught up before we know it. It's like every night we have "date night" with each other just watching "Lost" just the two of us. And if any of you have seen it I don't want to hear anything about it, specifics I mean. I have already had a few things ruined for me.
It seems like my life is really balanced lately. It is so nice to feel like I have some control in my life. I love it.

101 things I could have done in my life.
This is a fun tag that was shared with me. You copy and paste the entire list below and put the ones you have done/experienced in bold. (I put mine in light purple)
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning-probably
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables -
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train-rode one from Baltimore to Washington D.C and shared the gospel with a guy my age.
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping-with a Swedish girl, a Turkish girl, a Finnish girl, two American girls, and an Australian.
27. Run a Marathon-I have done a half marathon so I am half-way there! :)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. -I have been to where my grandparents were born
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language-And that is why I don't speak finnish. I know a few things
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Have been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud-all the time
54. Gone to a drive in theater
55. Been in a movie- home made ones
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies- no I just eat them
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
-79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car-It's new to me
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper-picture of my artwork
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument-flute and some guitar

My brother Clinton and some of his Christmas gifts! What a goof ball!









Grandma and Grandpa gave the grandkids some art kits for Christmas.







Rhonda and Mom being shutter-bugs. I got them before they got me! (evil laughing)





Clinton took my nephews Logan and Atlin to see the movie Twilight. They were excited to see the movie and hang out with Uncle Clint with no parents around.










Now on our stage we have
TYLER on drums!
ATLIN on Bass!
LOGANon Vocals!
and last but not least..........
CURTIS on lead guitar!!!!
ROCK ON!!!!!!!

My sista Darla and her baby girl Alyssa!











Aunt Rhonda and Alyssa decorating sugar cookies!









Tyler and I had a really good time with my side of the family which just makes me miss them more. I can't complain though, Tyler hardly ever gets to see his family. We missed them for Christmas. :( We plan to go see them this summer! Maybe someday some of his family will move out west. ;)