Rachel and Brady

Lately...

2011-10-02T10:59:00.005-06:00

Well, here it is October and I haven't posted anything since July! Our family's been so busy since the school year started...we haven't had much going on except work and grad school and trying to keep up with baby Lundyn! So far this school year has gone pretty well. I've been switched to fourth grade and I've really enjoyed the change. The kids are so independent at this age and that's been really nice for me! Teaching an entire new curriculum has been a bit of a challenge, but I'm learning (or re-learning I guess I should say) just as much as the kids. We get to study a lot more science and do Utah history in this grade, so that's been a fun change too. Here's a picture of my cute class this year :)

A couple weeks ago we had family pictures taken and so I had my sister also take some outdoor photos of Lundy Lou! They turned out pretty darn cute! My sister is so great at capturing Lundyn's precious little facial expressions. Lundyn is getting so big so fast! She likes to "sing" along in the car and when she's watching cartoons. She plays the Ipad with mom and also loves reading stories. She can reach into her can of puffs and feed herself now too...it's so cute to watch her think she's so big! She sits up and is just starting to try and get up on her knees to crawl. She doesn't really like being on her tummy so she probably won't be crawling for at least another month...but that's ok with me! She's easier to keep an eye on just sitting and not being mobile :) Anyway, she's tons of fun and we love watching her learn and grow every day!

Jackson Hole 2011

2011-07-24T15:25:00.003-06:00

Our summer vacation was spent in beautiful Jackson Hole this year, and it was Lundyn's first motorcycle road trip! We went with my family and it was lots of fun. Lundyn did awesome too! I didn't know what to expect with the long drive and staying in a hotel for the first time...but she had a blast and was her usual well-behaved little self! She is such a good baby, I don't know why I expected any different! Anyway, we shopped, ate and rode around Teton Park on the bikes and had a great time. It is so beautiful there...Brady kept asking me if I wanted to move! Here's a few pics...

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:28:00.002-06:00

We've had a fun time celebrating Lundyn's first Easter! We got pics with the Easter Bunny last weekend and then spent Easter Sunday with both sides of the family. Lundyn got to wear an Easter dress from when I was little and looked so darn cute in it! It was fun to put together an Easter basket for her...even though she had no clue what was going on! :) We filled it with some books and a little toy to hang on her car seat. I'm excited for next year when she'll be walking around with her basket in her hand. Hope you all had a great Easter weekend!

Blessing Day

2011-04-11T11:27:00.004-06:00

Yesterday we blessed our sweet baby girl. Brady gave her such a beautiful blessing! It was a really special day we got to spend with our family. Lundyn is so lucky to have so many wonderful family members that love her so much! Here's our precious little angel in her dress. A lady in our ward asked if it was vintage and it made me laugh because it is! This was my blessing dress...so it can definitely be considered vintage! :)

A Baby Story

2011-02-28T11:16:00.002-07:00

Well, it's been just over 3 weeks since our sweet Lundyn arrived! We've had our lives turned upside down and couldn't be happier! I thought I'd share her birth story on here....
Lundyn's original due date was January 29th and I was convinced she would come right on time, but Brady knew better and had said all along that she wouldn't come until February. I just thought he was trying to torture me...but he ended up being right on! Anyway, after sitting home for a week anxiously waiting for something to happen our Dr. decided I could finally be induced on Friday, Feb. 4th. I was up at 4 am getting ready for the phone call to come in to the hospital and the darn phone didn't end up ringing until about 10 am because the hospital was so busy! We finally got to go and be admitted, and then the induction process began around 12:30 pm. I felt great and was hanging out with Brady and my parents watching movies until about 6 pm when the doctor arrived and broke my water...that's when the real "fun" began. My contractions began to really get going after that, and I decided to get my epidural around 7:30 pm. Brady was right up in the action with the anesthesiologist while he stuck me! Then it was just more uncomfortable waiting. I remember my epidural started to wear off a couple times during the night, and I was seriously hating life when it did! Finally, around 3 am I was fully dilated. The doctor had me hang in there about 45 more minutes to let the contractions do their thing and then I couldn't take it anymore and needed to start pushing. My epidural had worn off again at this point, so I was pushing with all I had to get that baby outta there! The nurse was surprised how fast the baby was coming so they called my doctor and by the time she arrived, I gave two more pushes and the baby was here! I probably would've only had to push for about 30 minutes...but we waited about 15 for the doctor to get there, and that was the longest 15 minutes of my life!! Anyway, we were all shocked by all the baby's long, dark hair! She was so perfect and gorgeous, and Brady and I were thrilled that she was finally here. We were able to bring her home the next afternoon and we've been learning how to be new parents ever since! We couldn't have been blessed with a sweeter baby. She sleeps well, eats a ton and only fusses when she has to be naked! We love our little Lundyn so much and can't wait to share all her fun milestones as she grows up!

Baby Shower!

2011-01-09T07:27:00.005-07:00

Yesterday was the baby shower! It was a lot of fun and I want to thank everybody that came and gave me and the baby (and Brady too) :) such wonderful gifts! We made a haul, and that little girl is going to be stylin in all those cute clothes! I feel like I'm much closer now to being ready for her arrival...so, thank you again everyone! Here's some pics...

I look good sportin a burp rag, right?!

Each piece of cake had little pink booties on it. So cute!

My mom made this cute diaper cake...thanks, mom! Loved it!

The Nursery

2010-12-19T14:51:00.003-07:00

The nursery is just about ready! All that's left to do is sew a cute valance for the window and maybe find one or two more cute things for the walls...but this is it so far! We love how it's turned out. It has been a lot of fun putting this room together for our little girl. My awesome brother built the wainscot around the walls and Brady did a great paint job. We wanted to go with a more neutral color on the walls in case we ever have a boy, and I really like how the color turned out. I can't wait to take some cute pictures of her and get them on the walls too! So many fun things to think about! Decorating and shopping for a baby is so fun! I also wanted to share this darling cradle our Grandpa Gene made for us...she'll be using that for a little while before she's in the nursery. Anyway, we're in the homestretch now...just six more weeks until her due date ( I wouldn't mind if she showed up a week or two before that too)! Brady is set on seeing her before we name her but some names we like and are considering are: Lundyn, Scarlett, Presley, Paizley, and Ruby. Feel free to give us any other suggestions or share your opinion because we're still unsure at this point! I'm pretty sure we've agreed that her middle name will be Jaylyn after both of her grandma's Jayna and Jolyn...so tell us what you think sounds cute with that! :)

Alie and Tanner 12.11.10

2010-12-12T14:45:00.004-07:00

My little sister is a married woman! We enjoyed celebrating with her and Tanner yesterday! They had a beautiful temple ceremony and reception. She looked gorgeous and I am so happy for her. We love Tanner and are really happy to have him join the fam!
This was last week when Alie went through the temple for the first time

Showers!

2010-11-16T18:32:00.005-07:00

On Saturday I helped throw my little sis, Alie, her bridal shower. It turned out great and was a lot of fun. It was amusing to see her opening all her domestic type gifts and trying to imagine her using them! haha Yeah, picturing Alie baking pies and cooking dinner is kind of funny if you know her ;) But, I'm really excited for her to begin this new chapter as a married woman and I really do know she'll be an amazing wife! My awesome co-workers also threw a baby shower at work for me and two other preggo ladies and that was lots of fun too! The people I work with are so great and they spoiled all of us with some wonderful gifts!

Hot Mamas at HVE!

Pet Day at School

2010-09-27T19:52:00.004-06:00

We were learning about Pets last week at school and so I took Harley over to meet my new class. Of course they loved her and begged me to let her be our "Class Pet." I would love to take her everyday if dogs were allowed at school! :) Anyway, I thought this picture was cute.

One of my little boys came up to me later in the day after Harley had gone home and said, "Mrs. Probst I wish I was your kid." So I asked, "Oh yeah, why's that?" And he said, "I just really wanna live with Harley." haha! I thought that was hilarious!
Anyway, that's about the most exciting thing happening as of late. Brady and I are just keepin busy working, I'm still going to Master's classes and we're just tryin to get ready for this little one! We've got the nursery all painted and we're trying to decide if we're going to re-carpet our upstairs before we get furniture set up in there. I'm excited to get it all done and put up some pictures! Hopefully they'll be coming soon....

The results are in...

2010-08-14T17:18:00.003-06:00

Here's an ultrasound photo...You have to click on it to see it better. I just had to scan in one of the photos that they printed for us, so it's not the best. But, she still looks darn cute! ;)

Now the name debate can officially begin...

Massachusetts and Montana

2010-07-17T10:34:00.004-06:00

Last week when I jetted back East again for a "business trip," (I like calling it that. It makes me feel all grown up and professional)...Brady took off on his bike, riding solo all through Wyoming and Montana. We both had a good time on our separate little adventures! Brady took a lot better pics than I did...but let's face it, I was feelin all kinds of preggo and tired walkin around Boston, so I wasn't exactly in the picture posin mood. Anyway, at least it's something mildly interesting to blog about, right?! So, here's a few pics from our excursions...
My first time standing on the East Coast!

At Plymouth Rock...this is a replica of the Mayflower

Minute Man Park...where the Revolutionary War began

He Shoots. He Scores!!

2010-07-01T19:03:00.005-06:00

We are thrilled to announce that as of today, we are 10 weeks pregnant! We were able to go to the doctor today and hear the heartbeat. It was really cool. Our little bundle of joy is due January 29th.

"These streets will make you feel brand new..."

2010-06-28T19:56:00.007-06:00

We had a great time back east with our friends, Will and Adaire. Thanks guys, for letting us crash your pad, and for tourin around with us! We pretty much saw everything there is to see in D.C. and New York. It was really fun. Brady and I really enjoyed all the history that is back there, and visiting all the cool places in both cities. I think our favorite parts of the trip were being at the top of the Empire State building in NYC, and seeing George Washington's house at Mount Vernon. In NY we also went to a Yankee's game, visited Time Square a couple times, walked past Ground Zero, stood on Wall Street next to the NYSE building, ate in China Town and Little Italy and saw West Side Story on broadway. In DC we visited Arlington National Cemetery, saw all the monuments and memorials like the Lincoln Memorial, walked through our Nation's Capitol and the Library of Congress and visited a bunch of museums at the Smithsonian. We were busy! :) Anyway, below is just a small portion of the pictures we took...the video kind of cuts some of them off...I swear we're not that bad at taking pictures ;)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My First Year Teaching

2010-06-12T18:08:00.004-06:00

Well, my first year of teaching is now behind me! And it is a very bittersweet feeling. I have learned and grown so much over this past year. I absolutely loved my students, and I'm pretty sure I learned more from them this year than they did from me :) While spending my last few days with them I started thinking about having a new group of kids next year, and it's hard to believe I'm not going to be with these kids again! I think it's probably like when you're a mom, and you can't imagine loving another kid...until you have another one. But, on the flipside, I'm really lucky that I get a fresh start every year with a new group of kids. I'm really excited for next year...to make changes for the better and to continue to make strides in my profession. I have the best job in the world!
This is at our field trip to the zoo.

"We've Got Everybody Singin...Whoooaaa!"

2010-05-11T20:03:00.005-06:00

I Heart Paramore....for rockin my world last night! If I could switch places with one person for a day, it would be with Hayley Wiliams...cause she head bangs with the best of them! Here's some pictures from the concert last night...

Glitter Toes for Girl's Night!

2010-03-24T19:01:00.003-06:00

Yes, the most exciting thing going on in my life right now was a night of girl talk and glitter toes! So, I might as well blog about it right...I need something to put on here! :) Lana and I thought everyone at work needed a little morale boost since we are all stress-cases right now with core testing just around the corner. We thought since sandal weather is also quickly approaching, we would throw a glitter toe party! It was really fun to hang with the ladies outside of work, and to see friends that we don't get to see enough! So, here's a few pics from the night...

Valentine's

2010-02-17T19:08:00.008-07:00

Ok, so our lives revolve around work right now and we don't have kids so I know that you all think we are totally lame and our blog is completely boring. And...you're right! But, there is one exception to that truth, and that is that I do have cute kids to blog about...I have 24 adorable eight year olds that I love and see every day! These sweet little second graders showered me with the cutest Valentine's you have ever seen, and I decided I wanted to post some of them on here so that I can look back on my blog and remember some of my favorites. I would love to keep everything that my students give me, but I would have to rent a storage unit to fit everything! Anyway, here's just a few things they made that I thought were cute!
I had them write valentine's for everyone in the class, and I decided in order to make it more educational I would teach them how to address envelopes, and then they had to "mail" them to each other. I love how this student used my first name on this, and I love how he spelled it

"Roses are red, violets are yellow. You are a jolley fellow" haha So funny!

I love this last one! This student made me this little book last week when I was at meetings and they had a sub...

How cute is that? I have the best job in the world...

Our Holiday (A little belated...)

2010-01-18T11:22:00.004-07:00

So, I was kinda lazy over Christmas break and didn't take many pictures...which is funny because I got Brady a new digital camera...anyway, I do have a few pics (thanks Chan for letting me steal some of yours). We had a really nice holiday this year! It was fun to spend time with family and friends we don't get to see as much as we'd like to. And this was my first Christmas break not having to work AT ALL...so, it was awesome! Here are some pictures from our day of sledding with the kiddos and a very fun (crazy!) game night we hosted at our house with our closest friends!

Christmas Photos

2009-12-16T19:14:00.003-07:00

My sister is a photographer so I'm always dragging Brady into taking pictures all the time because she does such cute stuff (thanks for being such a good sport, sweetie) Anyway, I had her take some pics so that I could put together a Christmas card...and they turned out really cute so I wanted to share them on here. If you ever need a photographer for any occasion, call my sister, because as you can see SHE IS AWESOME!
Thanks, Al. (I can't wait to have kids...they're going to be the most photographed children on the planet :)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Turkey and Football

2009-11-29T17:14:00.003-07:00

We went to Colorado again this year for Thanksgiving. It was really fun! After our turkey day feast we got to go to a Denver Broncos football game. Neither of us have been to an NFL game before so we were pretty excited. The weather couldn't have been better! We bought seats in the section where you can go inside in case it was freezing, but the weather was mild and totally enjoyable. It was a nice little getaway, and it's always fun to spend time with the nephews. Now we're lookin forward to christmas break :)

We also visited Buffalo Bill's grave site...

New Moon Madness

2009-11-20T19:48:00.002-07:00

Last night my friends, my mom, my aunt and my sister and I all waited outside in the freezing cold for three hours to see New Moon at midnight...and it was totally worth it! Such a good show! Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are gorgeous! Between the two of them it was seriously just a two hour drool fest. :) So dang fun. Thanks girls, for being as much of a Twilight fanatic as I am! Let's go again soon! ;)

First Field Trip

2009-11-06T17:28:00.003-07:00

I need to post more often...my blog is getting boring. Since my life revolves around teaching right now, I thought I'd post a couple cute pics from my first field trip with my second graders. We didn't go far...we went to Midway to visit the State Park and learn about seeds and plants. I think the kids had a lot of fun and I did too because all I had to worry about was crowd control...the park workers got to do the teaching that day! Anyway here's just a couple pictures from the outing.

Home Sweet Home

2009-10-15T13:50:00.005-06:00

Well, we've been in our new home for about seven weeks now and I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures on here! Our house is 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths; and approximately 2400 square feet. We have a 3-car garage which Brady loves! I also posted a homemade virtual tour of the inside because I thought that would be more interesting than a ton of pictures. It's kind of dorky of me, but oh well! :) Hopefully it gives you a good idea of what our new house is like...we are really enjoying it, and I feel grateful to have found such a nice place to live and to have a talented, hard-working husband that did some really nice work on it. Thanks, sweetie!

This is it!

Here's some pictures of our deck and backyard.

And here's my virtual tour! I probably should have done it slower, but my batteries were about to die. Sorry if you're feeling dizzy after watching it... :)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Back in Business!

2009-09-27T18:37:00.003-06:00

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post. The past month has been an extremely busy one at the Probst household. We moved into our cute new house a few weeks ago. We're pretty much settled now, and we are enjoying being homeowners! I haven't had my home computer set up until today, so that's why I haven't been able to blog for a while! But, I am happy to be back in bloggin business! I have some pictures of my classroom to share. The first few weeks of school has gone pretty well. I love what I do, and I am learning so much everyday. My kids are so awesome, and they definitely keep me on my toes! Teaching has kept me extremely busy this past month, but hopefully once a routine sets in over the next little while, things will calm down a bit and get easier. Although sometimes I feel like I'm not cut out for teaching, I am grateful to be a part of one of the best professions there is! I am really lucky to be able to work with such great kids everyday, and I hope I can continue to grow professionally and do my best. Anyway, here's some pics of my home away from home! :) And I will post some pics of my real home very soon...

We Got More Bounce in California...

2009-08-18T18:20:00.004-06:00

Here's a slide show of some more of our pictures from California. It was pretty much the funnest birthday I've ever had. We spent it at Disneyland (where I got in free, I might add.) I got this big button to wear that had my name on it, and so whenever a Disneyland employee saw me they'd say, "Happy Birthday, Rachel!" It made me feel extra special. Anyway, we also went to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame, played at Universal Studios, and relaxed at Venice Beach in Santa Monica. It was just a great little get-away; and exactly what I needed right before the craziness of my first year of teaching begins. Thanks, Alie, for coming with me!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Pretty Woman

2009-08-02T16:54:00.002-06:00

Brady riding his motorcycle in drag...enough said.

Ain't he purdy? haha

Kenny and Jackson

2009-07-27T10:34:00.005-06:00

Just wanted to share some pictures from our fun holiday weekend. We got to go see Kenny Chesney's show on Thursday, and then Friday morning we left for Jackson Hole on our bike with my fam. We had a great time! The concert was awesome, and it was absolutely beautiful up in Wyoming. We shopped, ate good food, rode the tram up the mountain, and just enjoyed the beautiful scenery. It was way fun! Now I am lookin forward to my girl's trip to Cali! Hollywood here we come!!!

The Fourth

2009-07-06T10:00:00.009-06:00

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to be a leader at girls camp, so I wanted to post a few pictures on here from that week. Unfortunately, I can't get the pics to post large enough to see them. So, you can check them out on my facebook page I guess...darn it! I'm not really a huge fan of camping...but the Heber Valley camp has cabins and showers, so I guess most people don't even consider that real camping. It sure felt like camping to me!! That's about as close to roughin it as I'm gonna get! We hiked, did a challenge course, hauled logs up the mountain, and built fires. I was proud of myself by the end of the week for surviving...haha. Anyway, we also went to the Bee's game for the fourth, and that was pretty fun. What better way to celebrate the fourth than enjoying America's greatest past time?! So, that is what's been goin down with us the past couple weeks. We're still in the middle of the home-buying process, and once it's all said and done I'll post some pictures on here of our new house! Yay! Hope ya'all have a peachy week!

My Classroom

2009-06-16T16:09:00.003-06:00

So these are some before pictures of my classroom at Heber Valley Elementary. We have been meeting as a faculty this week for some professional development and planning, and I was able to see the location of my classroom, and us new teachers were so excited, they indulged us by unlocking the doors and letting us take a peak inside. I will post some after pics once I have everything set up and decorated by the end of this summer. There are three things I love about the location of this classroom: 1) It's directly across the hall from the copy room 2) It's directly across the hall from the restrooms and 3) It's only a couple doors down from the recess exit. These things will make my life so much easier!!

Anyway, enough about my class...I guess I could update on our search for a home again. We've looked at a bunch more houses and found one we really like in country meadows. We have an offer on it right now, and should get a response today! Hopefully this one will work out for us...I'll let you all know if it does. Have a fabulous week!

Rachelology...and House Hunting.

2009-05-29T18:48:00.004-06:00

So, I know a bunch of you did this a few weeks ago, and tagged me...and I am so dang bored at work right now that I decided this is a great time to finally do this tag! I also wanted to update everybody on our search for a new home since I haven't blogged in a while...but first, here's some Rachelology...if anybody even cares.

Let others know a little more about yourself, re-post this as your namefollowed by "ology".

***********FOODOLOGY***************
What is your salad dressing of choice? ranch
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Chili's
What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? sugary cereal
What are your pizza toppings of choice? just cheese and pepporoni please!
What do you like to put on your toast? butter, sugar, and cinnamon

***********TECHNOLOGY***************
How many televisions are in your house? two
What color is your cell phone?*Black

***************BIOLOGY******************
Are you right-handed or left-handed?*right
Have you ever had anything removed from your body?* My tonsils...and some wisdom teeth.
What was the last heavy item you lifted? a box of classroom stuff...yay!
Have you ever been knocked unconscious?* no...knock on wood...

************BULLCRAPOLOGY**************
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?* Probably not..because knowing me, I'd put a countdown on my blog and then I'd freak out each day that it came closer!

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?* Regina Filange

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?* Heck ya! Guzzle, then puke!That's easy money!

************DUMBOLOGY******************
How many pairs of flip flops do you own?* I have too many to count
Last time you had a run-in with the cops?* A few years ago, when i was a speed demond.
Last person you talked to?* A co-worker
Last person you hugged?* Brady

**************FAVORITOLOGY****************
Season?* Fall...I love the colors and going back to school!
Holiday?*Christmas
Day of the week?* Usually Sunday
Month?* August and September...most beautiful time of the year.

***********CURRENTOLOGY*****************
Missing someone?* my hubby...we don't get to hang out as much as I'd like.
Mood?* Bored...sick of work.
What are you listening to?* Some crappy country station at work.
Watching?* the computer screen
Worrying about?* Finding a house to buy...and my first year teaching!

***************RANDOMOLOGY*****************
First place you went this morning?* Post Office, then work.
What's the last movie you saw?*Slumdog millionaire...so good!
Do you smile often?*Yes
Sleeping Alone Tonight?* Hope not.

***************OTHER-OLOGY*****************
Do you always answer your phone?* Heck no...most of the time I don't answer it!
Its four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?* i dunno...but whoever it is better be dying cuz I'd be pissed!
If you could change your eye color what would it be? hazel
What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?*Fresh Lime
Do you own a digital camera?*yes.
Do you have a pet fish?*No, I had a traumatic experience when I was little...did you know fish eat their young in fish tanks?!
Favorite Christmas song(s)* Have Youself A Merry Little Christmas
What's on your wish list for your birthday?*Clothes...always.
Can you do push ups?*Yes
Can you do a chin up?*probably not.
Does the future make you more nervous or excited? EXCITED!
Do you have any saved texts?*yes
Ever been in a car wreck?*Yes
Do you have an accent?*I'm sure I do to somebody...
What is the last song to make you cry?* songs don't make me cry.
Plans tonight?* work. go home. sit around. fun, huh?!
Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?*no.
Name 3 things you bought yesterday.I don't think I bought anything yesterday.
Have you ever been given roses?*Yes!
Current worry?*Am I gonna be a good teacher?
Current hate right now?* My weight.
Met someone who changed your life?* Yes
How will you bring in the New Year?* I have no idea...I'd like to bring it in on an island somewhere far away.
What song represents you?* Business Time by FOTC...haha. google it.
Name three people who might complete this?*? Everybody's already done it!
Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?* Oh yeah!
Do you have any tattoos/piercings?*Piercings. Ears.
Will you be in a relationship 4 months from now?* yep.
Would you be a pirate?* fo sho!
What songs do you sing in the shower?* Usually something from the sound of music...or whatever's stuck in my head at the moment.
Ever had someone sing to you?*Yes...I'm pretty sure I didn't like it though.
When did you last cry?* last week when I was hormonal...ugh.
Are you afraid of being alone?*Yes, but only at night.
Do you like to cuddle?*Yes.
Have you held hands with anyone today?*Nope.
Who was the last person you took a picture of?* Alie, I think.
What kind of music did you listen to in elementary school?* Spice girls
Do you believe in staying close with your ex?*No
Are most of the friends in your life new or old?*Mostly new friends from college.
Do you like pulpy orange juice?* gross!
What is something your friends make fun of you for? Being a smart a...lec.
I tag who ever wants to do this!

And since this post isn't long enough already...
I posted on facebook that we put an offer in on a house in Timberlakes...and unfortunately, they accepted the other offer, and not ours. Darn. So, we're back to square one again. There's some more houses we want to go look at and then hopefully we'll make another offer on something we like real soon. I'll keep ya'all posted...it's very exciting! I can't wait to know where I'm gonna be living in a couple months!

I'm an Official Member of a Faculty...That is So Cool

2009-05-13T15:05:00.002-06:00

I have some very exciting news! I was offered a position at Heber Valley Elementary today to teach second grade. I am so dang excited...and relieved. In this economy, I'm lucky to have been offered a job at all. There were 250 applicants for just a couple open positions at this school, and of those, only 20 were interviewed. So I am feeling extremely blessed right now. And second grade is my number one choice...so I got lucky there too! Anyway, just wanted to share the exciting news! Next on our list is purchasing a home, so I'll keep ya'all updated on how that goes! Enjoy your week everybody!

College Graduation

2009-05-03T19:04:00.006-06:00

I did it!! I finally graduated from college... thank goodness! I am ready to be done for a while. Even though I know I will eventually miss going to class and seeing my friends, I am ready to move on with life and begin teaching! So I have a few pictures to share on here, and I also wanted to thank Brady for being so supportive these last four years, and making it possible for me to receive my education and to graduate debt free! I am so lucky!! Thank you, Brady, for making my dreams of having a degree and teaching a reality.
This is my announcement

And here's some pictures from the ceremony...don't mind how dorky I look in the cap and gown. You'd think they could come up with something to wear that didn't make graduates look so stupid.

My grandpa was so proud of my honors medal. That's cute. And I was so happy to give my sweet husband my stole of gratitude. That's the yellow sash he's wearing. Nobody deserves it more than him! Love you, babe!

Wisconsin

2009-04-19T09:55:00.003-06:00

I'm back from the land of squeaky cheese and Fargo accents! My trip to the University of Wisconsin was pretty fun. I was accepted to NCUR, which is the National Conference for Undergraduate Research, and so my good friend, Joelle, and I went with a group from our school to present our research projects. Our presentation couldn't have gone better, and the campus was really nice. It looked like a college campus right out of the movies with old school buildings and people walking around everywhere. It seemed like it would be a really fun school to go to. The weather was perfect too! It was in the mid 70's the entire time...which was a nice break from the never-ending winter it has been in Utah! Overall, it was a great experience. A lot of people commented on how interesting our research was, and what a great job we did. I'm really glad I had this opportunity, and that I was able to work with such an awesome partner. So, here's a few pics from the trip. We didn't really think to take a whole lot...so there's just a few, but here they are!

Graduation Portraits

2009-04-01T11:03:00.005-06:00

My little sister is an amazing little photographer, so I had her take some portraits of me and my college pals for graduation. I wanted to share some of those pictures on here to showcase what a good job Alie did. She's working on starting up her own little photog business called Sally Photography. She does great work and is so creative. What I have on this slideshow is only a small amount of the pictures we did...Alie had so many great ideas, and she really got some good shots. She's also a whiz on photoshop and can do anything on there! She made all of our pictures look really nice. So, here's a little peak at my grad pics...

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

P.S. Thanks to everybody who made suggestions for our trip...I have looked into everything that you've all recommended and we're still trying to decide where to go...but you're all awesome and I appreciate the feedback!

Decisions, Decisions

2009-03-24T21:26:00.002-06:00

Hey blogger friends! We need your help! Brady and I have been trying to decide where to go for a graduation trip...and we're having a real hard time making a decision. We've sort of narrowed it down to going to a nice resort somewhere in Mexico...but the only time we've been to Mexico was just a short day stop on a cruise, so we don't know where the best place to stay is. We'd love some input from all of you! We'd like to try an all-inclusive resort, but we've never done that before either. So, what's better? Cancun? Cabo? Puerto Vallarta? Acapulco? If any of you have been on any awesome Mexican vacays or any other destinations that you loved...give us some feedback! I'm graduating in a month...so we need to get goin on our plannin. We'd love to hear from you! Thanks, guys...enjoy your week!

Long Time...No Post

2009-03-18T17:17:00.002-06:00

Wow guys, it's been almost an entire month since my last post! I apologize for being such a lame blogger lately. The truth is nothing really post-worthy has even happened over the last few weeks...and I must admit, I've recently become a facebook addict. So, my blogging has been neglected lately...anyway, I guess I have a few good things to update you all with...so here ya go!

The first exciting thing happening in my life is I am finishing up my last week of student-teaching! Hallelujah!!! Although I have enjoyed it immensely, I am ready to be finished. It is sort of bittersweet though. I will miss my students so much...they are just the cutest things in the world! But this has probably been the most stressful semester of my college career, so I am happy that it is coming to an end. So I am now on the hunt for a job, and I will let ya'all know if and when I snag something! Hopefully that will happen sometime soon!
Anyway, another bit of good news is that I have had two different offers to have my research from this year PUBLISHED!! That is really exciting for me, so I will hopefully start working on that this summer. I will keep you updated on how it is going! I just hope you all are enjoying this new spring weather, and I hope everyone has a fabulous week! And I will try not to go another month without posting....TTFN!

We Could Smell the Sweat...

2009-02-23T17:38:00.005-07:00

I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be front and center at Celine Dion's Taking Chances Tour last night...one word: AMAZING! We were literally on row 1 right in front of the stage. It just doesn't get any better than that!I wasn't even zoomed in on these photos I took...that's how close I was! And the woman can sing and entertain like no one I've ever seen. It was so dang fun! Here are my pictures and some video footage from the show...and thanks so much to the McQuarrie Fam for letting me tag along! I will never forget that experience!

Be sure to pause my blog jams at the bottom of this page so you can enjoy this video

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I Gotta Good Man

2009-02-15T20:52:00.006-07:00

So Brady went out of town this weekend on his annual birthday ride, and I was left alone on Valentine's Day...and before you start feelin totally sorry for me, take a look at this gorgeous bouquet of pink roses that he surprised me with, and sent to my school on Friday!

Yeah, the boy did good! It was about 11 am, and I was at the whiteboard in the front of the classroom teaching, and the office lady walked in and said, "Delivery for Mrs. Probst!" I turned around and was so surprised! And my first grade class, being the easily amused six year olds that they are, were even more wowed than I was. I just thought that was so sweet and thoughtful, and I loved it!
And I did end up having a really fun Valentine's Day, even without my sweetheart. During the day, my sis and I went shopping, and then that night we went out with our girlfriends to the Gateway for dinner and a chick flick. It was tons of fun! Thanks girls for being my hot dates last night!haha

I'm Bringin Sexy Back

2009-02-02T17:44:00.003-07:00

Thanks to these two awesome, butt-kickin presents I got for Christmas!

Brady spoiled me with a brand new treadmill, and my parents got me the Wii Fit. It is sooo nice to be able to stay home and work out whenever I dang well please! The Wii Fit is so much fun, it doesn't even seem like you're working out...the games are a riot! And you really do work up a good sweat playing it. That little balance board is amazing! It will calculate your weight and BMI, and then it'll help you set realistic goals and everything! Anyway, my goal is to lose 11 lbs. over the next two months. It might be a slow process since I'm so busy right now with student teaching...but, we'll see how it goes! Have a fantastic week everybody!

This Will Be My Year

2009-01-26T17:35:00.003-07:00

Happy Chinese New Year! I was born in the year of the Ox, and now here we are at the beginning of 2009, and it's the year of the Ox again! I found this zodiac info on yahoo, so I thought I'd share a few of the Ox attributes with you...it's kinda long but I found it to be pretty interesting!

The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. This powerful sign is a born leader, being quite dependable and possessing an innate ability to achieve great things. As one might guess, such people are dependable, calm, and modest. Like their animal namesake, the Ox is unswervingly patient, tireless in their work, and capable of enduring any amount of hardship without complaint. hi Ox people need peace and quiet to work through their ideas, and when they have set their mind on something it is hard for them to be convinced otherwise. An Ox person has a very logical mind and is extremely systematic in whatever they do, though they have a tremendous imagination and an unparalleled appreciation for beauty. These people speak little but are extremely intelligent. When necessary, they are articulate and eloquent.

People born under the influence of the Ox are kind, caring souls, logical, positive, filled with common sense and with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Security is their main preoccupation in life, and they are prepared to toil long and hard in order to provide a warm, comfortable and stable nest for themselves and their families. Strong-minded, stubborn, individualistic, the majority are highly intelligent individuals who don't take kindly to being told what to do.

The Ox works hard, patiently, and methodically, with original intelligence and reflective thought. These people enjoy helping others. Behind this tenacious, laboring, and self-sacrificing exterior lies an active mind.

The Ox is not extravagant, and the thought of living off credit cards or being in debt makes them nervous. The possibility of taking a serious risk could cause the Ox sleepless nights.

Ox people are truthful and sincere, and the idea of wheeling and dealing in a competitive world is distasteful to them. They are rarely driven by the prospect of financial gain. These people are always welcome because of their honesty and patience. They are reputed to be the most beautiful of face in the zodiac. They have many friends, who appreciate the fact that the Ox people are wary of new trends, although every now and then they can be encouraged to try something new. People born in the year of the Ox make wonderful parents and teachers of children.

Hi...it's me again! Some of that is pretty spot on...I'm glad to know that Ox people make wonderful teachers of children! That was very reassuring. Go to yahoo.com and check out your zodiac sign! It's kinda fun!

Wisconsin, Here We Come!

2009-01-19T19:15:00.004-07:00

I received some very exciting news today! The research I am doing this semester that I posted about a few weeks ago was formally accepted to the NCUR (National Conference for Undergraduate Research) in Wisconsin this April!! Yay! In the acceptance email it stated,

"Congratulations! We are happy to announce your abstract submission, Bridging Borders Through Books, was approved for presentation. Chosen from thousands of submissions, your abstract displayed a unique contribution to your field of study. Your scholastic achievements and efforts are impressive and we hope you continue this high standard of excellence into graduate school and beyond."

How awesome is that?! I can't believe mine was chosen from thousands
of submissions. All this time I've been hoping that I'd get to go to this conference, but I never really expected that I'd actually get there! Not only will I have an all-expenses paid trip this spring with one of my best friends, Joelle, and hopefully our hubbies too...but this is going to look really impressive on our resumes! Now all we have to do is put together a killer presentation, and make sure that our school has the funds to send us out there! Wish me luck!!

Live 'n' Legal

2009-01-12T17:10:00.006-07:00

My little (well, not so little anymore!) sister had her 21st birthday on Saturday, and so we threw her a little dinner party at our house for some friends and fam. Our house just seems to be party central lately! Anyway, it was fun! We did have margaritas even though they were rumless...can that be a word...rumless? And of course, we played ping pong and the wii, and then opened presents and told embarrassing stories about Alie,of which there are many, so we were up quite late laughing ourselves silly. Anyway, here's a few fun pictures from the night...
Brady challenging my dad and grandpa to a game of, "very competitive" pingpong

The Birthday Girl

Cheers!

I'm glad you enjoyed your bday, Al! Love ya!

Lots of Holiday Fun

2009-01-01T11:55:00.005-07:00

Brady and I had a very fun holiday season this year! We were spoiled like always by our families and by each other, but the best part was just being able to spend time with friends and family. We took a bunch of pictures this year, so I put them in a slideshow to share with all of you! We hope you all enjoyed the holidays as much as we did, and we wish you all a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

You'll want to pause my blog music at the bottom of this page while playing the slideshow, it has its only little theme song!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Amazingly, I Survived!

2008-12-23T19:24:00.004-07:00

I survived another semester of college! Well, I did better than survive I guess...I received my third 4.0 in a row...although, as challenging as this semester has been it feels like I merely survived it. My grades were just posted, and honestly, I am surprised I pulled off straight A's this time around. I've never spent nine hours at the computer doing homework before, and I did that more than once this semester. There was just a massive amount of work to do all the time...it was crazy! But, despite my struggle with the work load, I do have a couple commendable accomplishments this semester that I am excited about and wanted to share. First, I had to take the Praxis test, which is basically like the licensure exam for teachers and the results go straight to the Utah State Office of Education. I won't bore you with a detailed explanation of it, but let's just say not everybody is able to pass it on the first try. So, I was really nervous about it all semester. I've known actual teachers who have taken it a few times and can't pass it, so I was pretty much planning on not passing on my first try. Well, I got my score back last week...and not only did I pass, but I passed with a much higher score than I was expecting. I believe it was one of the highest in my cohort...if not the highest! So, that was a proud moment for me! Also, I decided to do some research during my student teaching...and it ended up being accepted to a big conference for the state of Utah in February, so I get to go down and do a whole presentation on my stuff down at Westminster in a couple months, and I'm really looking forward to that!Anyway, this is turning into a novel, so I'll wrap it up. Just wanted to share a few small victories with you!
We also want to wish all of you bloggers a very merry christmas! Here's our "christmas card" for all of our blogger friends and fam! We can't wait to see all the fun things everyone does over the holiday!

My Martha Stewart Moment

2008-12-13T13:08:00.008-07:00

And no, I'm not going to prison...haha. I am creating christmas cards! I decided that I want to get into making my own cards. Ya know the really cute scrap cards that people make that take a ton of time and creativity, and when you give them away you seriously want your friends to frame them cuz they're so dang cute! Yeah, I really wanted to learn how to make those! So, my little sis and I went to the class today, and I wanted to share some of the stuff we made. I thought it all turned out so cute! It was tons of fun, and way easier than I expected it to be. I also had fun shopping after the class, so that I can do more stuff on my own at home...anyway, here's my creations!
This is just a fun little decoration that I made...

And these are the three cards I did...and I am giving them away so sorry if this ruins the surprise! I was just so proud of myself I had to share them on my blog!

Thanksgiving Break

2008-12-01T10:03:00.006-07:00

This post is a teeny bit delayed because we've been out of town for the Thanksgiving Holiday, and we didn't get home until later last night...but we had a great time visiting Brady's sister and her family in Colorado. Here's some pictures from our trip!

Uncle Brady and the boys!

Pin the Hat on the Turkey!

We went on a tour of the Budweiser Plant...the coolest part was the Clydesdale's

We had a really good time on our trip, and a very nice Thanksgiving! Thanks Noah Family for having us! Now it's officially ok for me to begin celebrating the Christmas season!

My Twilight Movie Review...

2008-11-21T16:22:00.005-07:00

Two thumbs WAY up!! The show was nothing short of amazing!
I got to stare at these faces for two hours straight...

Of course I loved every minute of it!!

So I was one of the extreme Twilighters that sported a Twilight shirt to the show...this is what it said:
I thought that was pretty cute

We had as much fun waiting in line for two hours as we did actually seeing the movie! We had pizza and treats, and we just hung out, ate, and laughed until they let us inside. It was such a blast! And we were lucky to have such mild weather too...we were all toasty warm cuddled up in our blankets!

I had so much fun, guys! I'm so glad we decided to be die hard and go wait in line! The movie was totally worth it. The only thing that was strange about it, was how a 500 page story unfolded in two short hours. I left the theatre just thinking, "Whoa...did I really experience the entire story of Twilight just now?" Just like when I read the books...I absolutely did not want it to end!

Get to Bed Early Ladies....

2008-11-19T16:43:00.002-07:00

Because tomorrow night is midnight movie time!!! I can hardly wait!

Countdown Continued...

2008-11-16T09:25:00.010-07:00

What do we got...about 11 days left until Thanksgiving? I know I'm looking forward to a nice little break from work and school next week, and I'm also looking forward to spending time with family. So, that's what I'd like to share as another one of my greatest blessings. My family! I love each and every member, and I couldn't imagine life without them.
The Howard Fam

The Probst Clan

Counting Down with Gratitude

2008-11-09T20:01:00.005-07:00

I saw this on my friend's blog, and I thought it was such a cute idea! Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, and so I wanted to post a few things that I'm thankful for every week leading up to the big day! I thought I'd start off with the things that I'm MOST thankful for: my wonderful husband, and our sweet little puppy, Harley.

I look forward to coming home every day and seeing these two!
I'm so thankful for all that Brady does for me. He's such a wonderful companion, and he is my greatest blessing. And Harley is my little ray of sunshine every single day. She is always so happy to see me, and I love that! So, there ya go! My life is incredibly blessed, but I would happy if these two were all I had...what's your greatest blessing?

Twilight Tuesday and a New Tag!

2008-11-04T20:15:00.004-07:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!
You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great
importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and appreciate the kind way you always handle things.
This sort of surprised me! I'd like to think that I'm like Esme...what do you think?

I've also been tagged, and Babette, I've finally found a sec to do it! It's the EIGHTS tag, and I don't think I can think of eight things about myself...so I'll do 1-4 for me, and 5-8 for Brady. Here we go!
TV Shows We Love to Watch:
1. The Hills
2. What Not to Wear
3. The Office
4. Um, The News ?? I don't watch tv much at all...
5. SportsCenter
6. How It's Made
7. Man Vs. Wild
8. Any sports...

Things that Happened Today:
1. A little boy told me I was beautiful at school today while I was student teaching
2. I got my hair done...and I actually feel slightly beautiful again now! hahaha
3. I got rained and snowed on!
4. I ate tacos for dinner...
5. Brady worked hard as usual
6. He found out he's going to be an uncle to another little nephew this spring!(We're really excited for ya, Crystal and Jason!)
7. He also ate tacos for dinner
8. And he watched the latest election news on tv

Favorite Places to Eat:
1. Chili's
2. Carraba's
3. Dairy Keen
4. Rodizio Grill
5. Texas Roadhouse
6. Carabba's
7. Chili's
8. And his mom's!

Adventurous Things We're Looking Forward To:
1. Learning to ride my own Harley Davidson
2. Becoming a licensed elementary educator
3. Buying a house
4. Having babies!
5. Brady said he's looking forward to my graduation!(me too, believe me!)
6. Vacations
7. Having kids
8. Retiring in 30 or 40 years!

Things on our Wishlist's:
1. A treadmill (and some motivation to use one...)
2. Laptop
3. my own motorcycle
4. a winning lottery ticket!
5. a nice home of our own
6. an Orange County Chopper
7. helicopter
8. And a private Island!

The Eight People I Tag Are:
1. Lana
2. Adaire
3. Alie
4. Melissa
5. Cassy
6. Jennifer
7. Amber
8. Chandice
And, of course, anybody else that would like to participate!

More Halloween Festivities!

2008-10-30T16:53:00.009-06:00

We had a costume party/Halloween potluck at school today, and it was quite amusing! We had witches, pirates, gypsies, and all sorts of random other stuff goin on! It was great! I decided I couldn't be Beth again without Dog...so I wondered what other sort of costume I could throw together with a big blonde wig, and enormous fake boobs made from styrofoam! Then it occurred to me...who else but the legendary Ms. Dolly Parton?!

And here's some more pictures of our Halloween holiday celebration!
Melissa, the Witch. BREWHAHA!!

The Whole Class (minus me and the lamos who wouldn't dress up)

Just teasin guys...I still love all of you that didn't wear costumes!

The Fab Five

Rachel, Lana, Jen, Joelle, and Lorie

Costume Party!

2008-10-19T10:13:00.013-06:00

Last night Brady and I participated in an event that allowed us to transform into our alter-egos, and our true trashiness was exposed...

DOG and Beth are in the house, baby!

We went to a party at Preston and Amber's house, and when we got there Brady busted through the door in true Bounty Hunter style to "arrest" Preston. It was hilarious!
We pulled these costumes off so well, because deep down we're just ghetto fabulous kind of people.

Beth and Red

All the ladies

Everybody looked so great! Thanks guys for inviting us! It was a blast!

IF YOU WANT TO DESTROY MY SWEATER...

2008-10-08T15:37:00.005-06:00

Going to concerts has to be one of the funnest things to do ever!! I was lucky enough to have tickets to go see my all-time favorite band, Angels & Airwaves, and WEEZER last night at the E Center, and oh my goodness, it was such a riot! I've never seen weezer live, and let me tell you, that was entertainment! Their music sounded awesome, and they were just funny to watch! They were so crazy and eccentric that it made them totally cool somehow! Does that even make sense? Anyway, it was tons of fun so I wanted to share some pictures and video from my rockin night!

This is my friend, Jennifer, posing as a member of the band...

And here's me as a weezer band member...hee hee

Gettin ready to rock!

Hot Tom.

Here's a little Angels and a little Weezer together...this was my favorite performance last night, and don't mind my lovely vocals that are also included in this video! It's hard to know if you're even close to being on tune when you're singing along at a rock concert! Ha Ha

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Brady's Buck

2008-10-05T20:29:00.009-06:00

Brady got lucky this year, and won a premium deer tag in the Bookcliffs, and so I thought I'd post some pics of the buck he took from that trip. He says that he hunted pretty hard all week (yes, WEEK...I was a hunter's widow for seven days straight and it wasn't fun), and they finally spotted a nice one and got it the second to the last day they were there. He's excited about this deer because it has a cheater point on each side. He also wanted to give a shout out to the guys that went out with him and helped him...he really appreciated it!

Brady did a real good job of camoflouging himself, so you have to look hard to see him in these pictures..hee hee jk

Twilight Tuesday and a New Weekly Concept

2008-09-30T16:59:00.005-06:00

Well, the absolute and incredible boringness of some of our college courses has led to some amusing online discoveries that I wanted to share on my blog today! My good friend, Jennifer, knows what a huge Twilight fan I am...and so she led me to this aweswome homemade music video from youtube that I really liked, so I wanted to share it with you fellow Twilighters! Enjoy...and thanks, Jen!

Then, both Lana and Jen also discovered a happy little website that has a bunch of nerdy quizzes that are fun to take and share on blogs, so I thought in an attempt to share some interesting things about myself on a regular basis (because reading about my life is just so captivating, right?!) I would post a weekly quiz so you can learn quirky little things about me (or Brady), and if you're bored at work or school or home even...then you'll have something recreative to do too! Here's this week's quiz:
What Movie Is Your Love Life Like?

Your Love Life is Like The Princess Bride

"Since the invention of the kiss, there have only been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind."

For you, love is like a fairy tale - albeit a fairly twisted one.

You believe romance is all about loyalty, fate, and a good big of goofy fun.

Your love style: Idealistic yet quirky

Your Hollywood Ending Will Be: Perfectly romantic

What Movie Is Your Love Life Like?

Birthday Bash!

2008-09-21T20:26:00.004-06:00

Last night we threw the funnest surprise party for my dad's 50th birthday, and so I wanted to share some pictures from the party. My family has been scheming this whole summer for this party for my dad, and it has been so much fun. The look on his face when he entered the room was priceless! At first he looked totally confused like he was in the wrong place, and then it was pure shock when he realized what was going on. It was awesome! We spent the evening sharing funny stories and memories about him, and then my sister and I created a slideshow to watch, and it just turned out perfectly! Anyway, he's an outstanding dad, and I'm so glad we pulled it off, and that he had a fun night. Here's a few pics...
We decided he was the "King of Old" so he wore this black hat (cuz they don't really make black crowns)and he had a black staff...it was so funny!

Me & Brady

The Whole Fam-Damily! Whitney and Ryan are our adopted siblings...they're with us so much my parents just consider them their own kids now...

It's About Time!

2008-09-12T14:20:00.005-06:00

For the first time since my freshman year of college...I have been awarded a scholarship!! WOOHOO!!! Every semester for the past three years I have always taken the time to apply for at least five scholarships, and now here I am a senior, and I thought my chances for getting help with paying tuition were over, but I finally got a friendly letter in the mail today stating that I have been awarded the 'Dean Merit's Scholarship' and half my tuition this semester AND next semester will be paid for! What a relief!! I'm just so excited about it, I had to blog and share my good news! And for any of you that have applied for scholarships before, you know what a pain it is. You have to fill out a million forms and write a bunch of essays, and I'm a 4.0 student, but I was always denied before because they base most of them on financial priority...and we have always been able to pay my tuition which I'm incredibly thankful for, but it hasn't been easy. So I'm looking forward to getting a delightful little refund check in the mail for this semester, and I'm also very much looking forward to only paying half-tuition next semester. My hard-work and good grades have finally paid off! And this has also reminded me that remarkable blessings come when you pay your tithing. It's not always been easy to pay a full tithe and also pay for college tuition and books the past few years, but we have been blessed for doing it, and I'm so thankful for that! Anyway, I'm done rambling now...have an awesome weekend everybody!

Husband Tag

2008-09-04T15:47:00.010-06:00

My good friend, Chandice tagged me, and I finally have two seconds of time to take for blogging! And I'm happy for an opportunity to spotlight my husband for once on our blog, because the majority of the things I post on here are about me, and not him as much...and he is fantastic if you ask me! (And you did...so here you go!)

1- Where did you meet? We met at Wasatch High School in 2001. I was a sophomore and he was a senior. We got to know each other in 7th period seminary. Needless to say, I had 100% attendance in that class that semester, which was unusual for anyone who had seminary after lunch!

2- How long did you date before you were married? We dated for about a year, then he went on a mission for two years, and then we were engaged five months after he got home from his mission, and we were married six months later. So about four years altogether!

3- How long have you been married for? Three years and four months...to the day actually. Hmmm, hadn't realized that till just now...

4- What does he do that surprises you? If he does anything around the house without me asking him to do it...that is always a gargantuan surprise for me!!!!

5- What's your favorite feature about him? I love that he has light blue eyes, and dark brown hair. That's a rare combination...and I think it's just ravishingly handsome!

6- What's your favorite quality about him? I love his sense of humor, and how hard-working he is. He is also very personable, and I really admire that. He can strike up a conservation with any stranger on the street. And as much as I hate to admit it, I love that he's a tease. He teases me all the time, and I act like it bugs me, but I really love it!

7- Does he have a nickname for you? Rachie Poo

8- What's his favorite color? Hmm...can camo count as a color?

9- What's his favorite food? Steak. He would eat it everyday if he could.

10-What is his favorite sport? Hunting

11- Who said I love you first? Oh, gosh! That was like seven years ago! I think it was on New Year's Eve 2002, and somehow I tricked him into saying it first so that I could say it back.

12- When and where was your fist kiss? Our first kiss was at his high school graduation 'party' in his friend, Clint's, basement with all his rowdy friends just up the stairs. Romantic, eh?

13-What's your favorite thing to do as a couple? Hmmm, well let's just call it 'hugging' jk. We like to watch 24 together and try to guess who the traitor's are, ride motorcycles, travel, and shop. He'd never admit it, but I think he enjoys shopping as much as I do.

14-Do you have kids? How many? No kids yet! We have a dog though, because we'd rather ruin our carpet than our life! Oh I am Just Kidding! That was a joke! We love kids, and we're looking forward to starting a family in the next couple years...we're just not in any rush...

15- What's a hidden talent that he has? He's better at sewing than I am. If I need a button restitched, I just ask him to do it for me.

16- How old is he? 25

17- What's his favorite type of music? I'm gonna say country music.

18- What do you admire most about him? How hard he works, and how smart he is. He's taught me so much since I've known him. He has a lot of common sense, and I love how rational he is. That is something I really value, and I think that's one reason why we get along so well. We're both very much realists.

19-What's his favorite past time? Riding his motorcycle, shooting guns, playing softball, and taking naps.

20- Do you think he is going to read this? Oh, yeah! He checks out blogs as much as I do...so I know he'll read this!

I tag: Adaire, Melissa, Crystal, Amber, Jennifer, Cassy, and anyone else who needs something to blog about!

Back To School...

2008-08-27T16:32:00.004-06:00

Today was my first official day of my senior year of college. I still can't believe it! It was fun to get back and see everybody in my cohort...but it's going to be difficult getting back into the swing of things. In my first class our professor wanted us to get in groups and brainstorm some ed psych theories and theorists just as a review...and we (well, I guess I should just speak for myself), I had the hardest time thinking of anything I've learned in the last four years I've been studying this stuff! I'm still on summer mode I guess. Anyway, I wanted to also share a picture I took last week of my first grade class that I will be student-teaching this year. They are so cute! Most of them have their eyes closed because the sun was so bright...but they're still adorable little munchkins! I can't wait to spend more time with them this fall and spring.

Here We Go Again...

2008-08-22T17:43:00.005-06:00

Another year of college is about to begin...my last year of college too! Aaagh!! I still can't believe it, but we had our Senior Class Meeting today down at the main UVU Campus...and it seems like I was just there last summer attending the Junior Class Meeting. This summer, and this whole year for that matter, has just flown by! It's so wierd how the topics of today's meeting were graduation, certifying, and actually getting licensed to be a teacher. I'm having a hard time trying to wrap my head around the fact that I will be a teacher next year at this time! There's a light at the end of the tunnel, finally! Anyway, I also had tons of fun "school clothes shopping" with my fellow-future-teacher-friends! We hit Old Navy, the Mall, Chili's, and Cold Stone today...it doesn't get much better than that, huh gals?! I had a great time, and we need to do it again soon!

Birthday BBQ

2008-08-16T18:22:00.013-06:00

Here's some pictures from the party last night. I had a ton of fun! We ate good food, played volleyball, and then went inside to play some Wii until we were all totally pooped out! It was a blast! Thanks to everybody who came, and helped with the BBQ. I really enjoyed it, and it made my 23rd bday a memorable one!

Wii Wars

Boxing...I Must Break You

Wii Mii Look-Alikes
Kelli

Whitney

Brady

Drew

Rachel

Alie

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-08-15T11:50:00.006-06:00

Today I'm 23!

I'm having a birthday bbq tonight, and so I'll be posting pictures from the party later on! And I'm going to miss those of you who won't be able to be there!

Our New Pad

2008-08-07T16:13:00.004-06:00

So, we finally moved! We began on Friday, and we just barely finished the last of the unpacking and putting together of our new place (I was goin nuts not having my computer up and running till now...how pathetic is that?!) Anyway, we're really happy with our new place. It's on a quiet street in Midway, and it seems huge compared to the little house we've been in for the past couple years. We only have a 1 year contract here, and that sort of bums us out because we know we're really going to enjoy living here! We also wish we would have bought it, but it's not for sale, so guess we'll be back to house hunting next summer after I graduate. I thought I'd post some pictures here so ya'all have an idea of what it looks like. Our favorite part is that the owner left her pool table for us, so Brady and I can have pool and ping pong tournaments when we get bored!

Back to Reality...

2008-07-27T13:12:00.005-06:00

Home again! We had so much fun on our cruise...as you could imagine! I've decided that cruises are the funnest vacations to go on. All you have to worry about is enjoying yourself, and everything else is taken care of. Anyway, we saw so many cool things, and the pictures in this slideshow are really only a fraction of what we experienced. But you probably don't care to see all 185 of our pictures, so I narrowed it down to a few minutes of footage. Just pause the music down at the bottom of this page, and take a moment to check out our slideshow! Thank you SO much, Bob and Jo, for treating us to an amazing vacation!

Adios Amigos!!

2008-07-18T21:07:00.007-06:00

Well, we're flying out tomorrow morning! Yay!! We'll be cruisin along in Alaska and British Columbia for the next week, so I'll be out of touch from the blogging world for a bit. Stay tuned though, cuz we'll have some breathtaking photos of glaciers, whales, the northern pacific, and more when we get back next week! See ya!

St. George

2008-07-13T18:56:00.004-06:00

Brady had another softball tournament, and it was down south this time, so we made a three-day weekend out of it, and went down with some friends and family. Anyway, here's some pictures from the trip...it was a good time!

As far as stats go...his team lost their first game by just one run, they won their second game by forfeit, they got their butts kicked the third game, and then lost their last game again by just one point. They played hard though, and had a good time doing it, and that was the point of going...to have fun!

She's Even Got Her Own Gang, it's Called, "Big Deloris"

2008-07-05T16:08:00.005-06:00

How's this for a family photo?! Let me explain our matching t-shirts before you all think we're totally wierd! My parents had their boats up to the lake yesterday for the fourth so Brady and I went up there to chill with them for the evening. They named their big boat, "Big Deloris" after the mean, bully girl on the movie Hope Floats ( if you haven't seen the movie, or ya just don't think that's a clever name...that's ok, it's sort of an inside-joke with our family.) Anyway, my little sis decided it would be funny to make t-shirts with a picture of Big Deloris on the front and a funny line from the movie on the back, and she wanted us to all wear them yesterday and take pictures. So, there ya go! You probably still think we're all a bunch of freakin nerds, but we are... so whatever! I'm surprised Brady was such a good sport about it...if Alie hadn't made the shirt for him, he probably wouldn't have even put it on! Thanks hon for humoring my family!

I Got Curious...

2008-07-02T21:13:00.005-06:00

So I've seen a few of you with your disney princess posts, and I guess I got very curious as to which one I would be. I was hoping for Sleeping Beauty, but this description does kind of sound like me...

You Are Cinderella!

Dignified and hard working. With a gentle and soft-spoken manner you have something many people don't. Patience. Even through the moments of heartbreak you're still able to hold onto all of your hopes and dreams. Bide your time; your dream will come true.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

My Saturday...

2008-06-29T12:22:00.003-06:00

Well, Brady played in a softball tournament all day yesterday, so Alie and I decided to venture on up to Park City to engage in one of the various mountain activities they have to offer up there. Being the incredibly adventurous gals that we are...we chose to ride on the Alpine Slide. It was such a nice day yesterday, and the mountains are so green and beautiful this time of year. We had a really good time! Then we had a 30 min wait to eat at Baja Cantina...so we decided to have some fun with the camera while we were waiting. Of course we had to do the whole 'pretend like we're falling off the benches that look like ski lifts' thing. We were laughing our butts off, so it was hard to get decent shots...but it was an amusing activity to pass the time while we were waiting to be seated, and I thought I might as well share some of our nerdy pictures on here since there's no other post-worthy things going on in my life right now!

Gotta Move

2008-06-19T08:32:00.002-06:00

Well, we are moving...against our will. jk Our landlord has an employee that he needs to move up to Heber, and so that means we need to find a new place to live! We were just told on Tuesday, and we are supposed to be out of the house by August 1st. Yeah, so that gives us like six weeks to find something! Not a lot of time! It's sort of disappointing because we had such a stealin deal on our rent for such a cute house...but this could be a blessing in disguise. We're hoping that we'll be able to find a decent house to buy...and that is exciting for us, even if it wasn't exactly when we were planning to buy our first home. So, we're gonna go see what kind of loan we can qualify for next week, and hopefully we'll be able to find something we will be happy with for the next few years. So wish us luck...and if anyone knows of any places for sale (or even for rent) that aren't too ridiculously priced, let us know!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T13:38:00.004-06:00

I want to give a shout out to all the dad's out there...Happy Father's Day!! I hope my dad, and Brady's dad, know how much we love and appreciate them. My dad has recently taken up playing the drums...which I think is really cool, and he is actually getting really good! So I thought it would be fun to include some video footage on here of him rockin out! He has taught himself how to play by ear, just by listening to songs and then learning the beats. I've tried a few times to play something on his set with an actual rhythm...but it is way harder than it looks. Anyway, both our dads are rockstars...and we hope they enjoy their day!!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Bangin'

2008-06-09T11:55:00.005-06:00

Well, a couple semi-exciting things have happened since I blogged last, so I thought I would post about em. The first thing was, as you can see below in my picture, I got BANGS!!! I've been thinking about doing this for a while, and then I saw my sister-in-law, Crystal, and her bangs looked so cute that I decided to finally do it (I hope you don't mind, Crystal.) I had my other sis-in-law, Amber, cut them and she did a great job! Thanks, Amber. I really like how they look. It's amazing how a small change can make such a difference! When Brady saw me at first, he didn't know what to think...he said I looked like a boy. But after a few days, and some time to get used to it, I think he likes how they look. Anyway, enough about my bangs...I also got my student-teaching assignment for this coming school year! I'm going to be teaching first grade at Heber Valley Elementary! I was really happy to see that they put me in first grade. I love the early education setting, so I think it's gonna be a really fun experience. So, that's what's going on in the life of Rachel...exciting, I know! jk. Well, until next time...have a good week everybody!!

This is just me, Alie, and Whit showing off the cute hats we bought on Sat.

Twilight Tuesday!!

2008-06-03T11:09:00.004-06:00

Aaaahhh!! As I was going about my daily check of stepheniemeyer.com today, I saw that they had posted the first completed scene of the Twilight Movie, and I was so excited!! I'm sharing it here because I know most of you are Twilight fans too. It's the scene from the end of the first book where James has caught up with Bella in a dance studio from her childhood. The action isn't exactly the same as the book is written, but it's just as intense!! Enjoy!!

Memorial Weekend

2008-05-27T17:23:00.002-06:00

Here's some pictures from the events of this weekend. The top ones are from my cousin, Vanessa's, bridal shower. I got to see friends and family that I haven't seen in a while, so as far as shower's go, it was pretty fun. Then of course we barbequed with the fam, so I got some pictures of that. We wish we could of done more boating and harley riding than we got to do this weekend, but the drabby weather put a damper on all those plans. We still had a fun three days off work though!

Tagged

2008-05-26T16:36:00.003-06:00

I noticed today that my good friend, Cassy, tagged me on her blog, so I thought since I have nothing better to do right now I would post this, and tag some other bloggers while I'm at it!
How to play this game. Post these rules on your blog: List 3 Joys, 3 Fears, 3 Goals, 3 Current Obsessions/Collections, and 3 Random Surprising Facts About Yourself. Tag 5people at the end of your post by leaving their names.

3 Joys:
*My husband
*My puppy
*Family

3 Fears:
*Brady dying before me...I hope I go first!
*My dog running away or getting hit by a car
*I'm afraid I'm gonna die of cancer before they find a cure...bad family history.

3 goals:
*Graduate from college with honors next year
*Get a job teaching second grade
*Buy a house and start a family!!

3 current obsessions/collections:
*Purses
*Digital scrapbooking
*Blog Stalking!! hee hee

3 random surprising facts about yourself:
*I get 4.0's in college, but I couldn't seem to do that in high school...I guess that's more of a regret than a random fact...but whatever, can't think of anything else.
*I'm not very crafty or domestic. I guess I just figure that women who are going to be teachers would naturally be talented at that stuff...but I'm not at all!
*My dream is to move to Hawaii, and just live simple. I would love to live in a little shack on the beach and go surfing everyday!

I tag:
Adaire
Melissa
Crystal
Amber
Chandice

Book Review

2008-05-20T21:58:00.008-06:00

Ok, I'm stuck in that reverie that you feel after reading a fantastic book that you just don't want to end and so I had to post about it!! I just finished reading "The Host" (for the very few of you that may not happen to be Twilight freaks like most of us, this is the newest book that just came out by the best-selling author, Stephenie Meyer.)So, yet again I have been a neglectful wife, employee, friend, mommy to my puppy, etc. because I have been so engrossed in this dang book for the past six days. It's over 600 pages, and yes, I read it in less than a week! I probably would've finished it sooner if I had been a bit more lax on my duties and responsibilities more than I already was...but I don't think that would've made my husband or my boss very happy! Anyway, as you can tell from my obsessive enthusiasm, this book is completely amazing and totally addicting, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. If you haven't read it...you must start (and if you haven't read Twilight...you must read that first!)And don't ask to borrow my copy, because I am totally too attached to it right now! jk

We Swam with the Sharks!

2008-05-17T10:25:00.004-06:00

We got our video back from our shark excursion in Hawaii, and I'm bummed because I thought I'd be able to post it on here, but I'm not able to!! So, I posted a few pictures instead so you can sort of see what it was like. When we booked the excursion, I figured we would get in the ocean and see like one shark swimming in the distance, maybe two if we were lucky. Um, no!! We were surrounded by at least 15 sharks, and they would swim extremely close to our cage and right up into our grills! I have to admit it was pretty nerve racking...but it was really fun. If you ever go to Hawaii and want to do something that will get your adrenaline pumping, swim with sharks!! I was able to upload some video of the Tahitian Hula dancers from the Polynesian Cultural Center that is kinda fun to watch...I know Brady enjoyed it! jk

We're Back!

2008-05-12T22:07:00.005-06:00

Well, we have arrived back home from our trip...and it's good to be back! I'm pretty sure we visited every single tourist trap and did everything there is to do on the island of O'ahu! And we came home fat, tan, and happy just like we planned! We wanted to share a slideshow of some of the pictures from our trip with all of you! You'll have to pause my jams down below because this has it's own music. Enjoy!

peaceout, beansprout

2008-04-30T07:49:00.004-06:00

Well, we're leaving on our vacation today...finally! The timing couldn't be more perfect too, because the weather is turning cold again for the next couple days. I'm gettin out of this stinkin 40 degree crap and heading into perfect 85 degree weather! I won't be posting while we're gone, but don't forget about us! I will have some fun pictures of our trip up as soon as we get back, in a little less than two weeks. Chao!!

Another Year Down...One More to Go

2008-04-24T15:23:00.002-06:00

As of this afternoon I am officially finished with my junior year of college. I am also officially considering myself a senior now even though I don't go back until August, and I couldn't be happier about the fact! Going to school is a long road, but it will be so worth it. Knowing that by this time next year I will be graduating with my Bachelor's degree is such a good feeling. I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere! Don't get me wrong, I really have enjoyed going to college because I've learned so much, and I've also made some really good friends that I wouldn't have met otherwise...I am just so eager to move on to the next chapter in my life and begin teaching! And for my school buddies who read this, I want you girls to know that I love you all and I'll totally miss seeing you everyweek and going out to lunch. We need to make sure and get down to Seven Peaks to "study for the Praxis." Yeah right, huh?! And you all better keep blogging this summer so we can stay in touch! Have a fun summer everybody!

Countin Down the Days

2008-04-23T19:23:00.002-06:00

Ok, so we leave for Hawaii in one week, and I know it's probably a wee bit early for me to have changed my whole blog to a Hawaiian theme...but I'm just so dang excited I couldn't help myself!! Brady and I are both in desperate need of a vacation, so I think waiting for this week to go by has been hard for us both...it's been the slowest week ever! I can't wait to be relaxing in paradise!

ROCK AND ROLL, BABY!

2008-04-15T15:22:00.018-06:00

Last night, Alie and I went to Jimmy Eat World and Paramore down at the Mckay Events Center, and it was such a blast! My most favorite thing to do is go to concerts, and this one didn't disappoint! I got some awesome video, so pause my "Ridiculously Good Music" down below, push play, and take a moment to rock!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Girls are Back in Town!

2008-04-10T22:16:00.004-06:00

My little sis got back from Costa Rica yesterday, and I asked her if I could post some of her cool photos on my blog. She's the photographer in the family so she took some pretty cool shots! She had such a fun time while she was there, and she picked up quite a bit of Spanish...accent and all! Costa Rica really is such a beautiful country. I hope that she will take me there someday!

How lucky am I?

2008-04-01T15:47:00.007-06:00

Here's a picture of the cutie-pa-tooties I've had the wonderful opportunity to work with over the past couple weeks. It's amazing how attached you can get to these kids even just being with them for two short weeks. They seriously are the best second grade class ever! It has been so much fun. The kids are so funny...everyday they all keep saying, " You guys are pretty, are you married, can you drive, do you live at college?" They ask the most random questions. I think a few of the boys were pretty disappointed when they realized both Joelle and I were married. Ha! Anyways, it will be sad when we have to say goodbye and go back to boring classes in a couple weeks. Oh, and it was hat day today...that's why some of the kids are wearing silly hats. We were observed by our professor today or else I totally would have worn a hat too cuz ya gotta have school spirit!!

Photo Tag

2008-03-29T17:49:00.009-06:00

My sinuses are wreaking havoc on me this weekend, so I'm sitting home being sick and I'm really bored so I thought I would do this photo tag thing that I saw! And sorry some of my pics are a little pixelated!

What is your relationship status?

Blissfully Married!

Who is your celebrity crush?

Two words: Channing Tatum. Is there any man more sexy than that?! I don't think so...

Who is your favorite band/Singer?

You probably can tell I'm one of their hugest, most obsessive fans!

What is your favorite Disney Movie?

This one's a classic!

What is your life goal?

To be a good teacher, good mom someday, and a good wife! (Not necessarily in that order)

Where do you live?

Good old Heber City!

Where do you work?

Workin as a student right now, but as an elementary teacher when I graduate next year!

Who do people think you look like?

So many people have told me I look like this model from Deal or No Deal...I'm just the fugly version.

What do you drive?

2006 Ford Explorer

What is your favorite T.V. Show?

It's my guilty pleasure! I know that's pretty dorky!

What is your favorite color?

What is your favorite food?

Fudge Brownies!

Now I tag anyone who has read this post!!

Field Work

2008-03-26T20:11:00.005-06:00

Ok, so for school I have to do a few weeks of field work every semester in an actual classroom setting, and I started this semester's field experience this week! Not that any of you probably care that much, but I wanted something to blog about, so you can read on or not. We go as partners, and I lucked out and was assigned to my good friend, Joelle, who I think is just going to be an awesome teacher! We are in a second grade classroom at a school in Park City, and we're having a blast. I was going to ask the teacher if I could take a picture of the class, but I keep forgetting my camera. So hopefully by the end of next week I can get a picture on here if it's ok with our teacher. Anyway, we have been working with literacy groups and also teaching units in science and math, and it's been such a positive learning experience so far. Our cooperating teacher is truly a professional at what she does, and it just makes me so eager to get my own class to teach! I am so ready to move on to the next chapter in my life and become a certified teacher! This semester will be over in four weeks, and then I have one more semester of coursework, and then I student-teach, and finally graduate. The end is in sight!!!

My Two Loves

2008-03-18T16:32:00.004-06:00

Well I have nothing real exciting to blog about at the moment, so I thought I'd share this cute picture with all of you. This would give you a snicker if you knew the story behind Brady and this little dog. For the first two years that we were married, Brady was 100% opposed to getting a dog! He told me we would never have pets in our house, even when we had kids. So he went out of town for a few days, and I decided that was the perfect opportunity to take matters into my own hands! I knew it wouldn't take long for him to bond to a furry little creature as cute as Harley so I wasn't worried that he would be mad at me for too long! Anyway, I smile everytime he's cuddling with her because it's a reminder of how right I was all along! (He's going to love me for blogging about this...ha ha)

A Night On the Town

2008-03-09T12:45:00.013-06:00

So I was invited to a fashion show in Park City on Saturday night, and I took some of my gorgeous gal pals with me. It was really fun!! The actual show was kind of different...a little eccentric, but it was still a really good time. I haven't had a girl's night out for a while, and I really enjoyed myself!

Costa Rica, Here Alie Comes!!

2008-03-04T16:19:00.006-07:00

So my little sister is officially in Costa Rica today. She went to do the whole Teaching the Kids English thing with one of her roommates. She's the one in the middle of this picture, and Amy is who she is with, and she's on the right. Anyway, I will worry about her while she's gone since she is so far away, but she claims that Costa Rica is one of the safest countries in Latin America, so I hope she's right. She'll have a lot of fun though. She's such a free-spirit...she probably won't even miss us back home. But she's only going to be gone for six weeks so that makes me happy cuz I miss her tons when she's not around. And she will be living at home this summer so I'm so excited to hang out with her for a few months before she goes back down south for school.

My Future Ride

2008-03-01T10:44:00.003-07:00

So when we were tagged, and I posted ten interesting things about myself, my #9 was that someday I will have my own Harley Davidson. Well, we went to a car and motorcycle expo last night at the South Town Expo Center and there were so many cool bikes there (Brady was in hog heaven)! Anyway, I found this freakin awesome bike with a pearl white paint job and pink flames, and you probably can't tell from these pictures, but the engine lit up purple too! I thought it was so hot and I told Brady that when I can buy a bike of my own this is what I want!

Brady's Birthday Extravaganza!

2008-02-21T16:42:00.003-07:00

Here's some pictures of Brady's recent motorcycle adventure. He left me at home to do homework for four days while he got to take a road trip through Vegas and all the way out to Sand Diego! I think he enjoys the fact that I'm too busy during the school year to go anywhere, because then he doesn't feel obligated to invite me on trips with him. But on the flip side, I sort of enjoy the time apart! That kinda sounds strange, but absence does make the heart grow fonder. I think it's good for a marriage to have some time away and miss each other a little bit. Oh, and you can click right on the pictures to enlarge them, I posted them small since there's more than one.

"Dance is music made visible"-George Balanchine

2008-02-18T12:04:00.005-07:00

Well, our husbands ditched us this weekend to go on a motorcycle excursion, so Adaire and I went to see Ballet West's production of Cinderella. And it's probably been about 10 years since I've gone to the Capital Theatre to see the ballet, so I was pretty excited about it. We had awesome seats too! We got to sit on the front row of the Grand Tier, so we had some of the best seats in the house. Anyway, the show was excellent and the dancer's technique was incredible. It amazes me how gracefully they can move. I hope I get to go again soon!

Ain't No Other Man

2008-02-15T13:04:00.007-07:00

I have the cutest hubby in the world! He made my day so nice yesterday for Valentine's. He woke up an hour early to cook me breakfast in bed, and it was totally unexpected so I loved it. He did pancakes, eggs, bacon...the whole thing! I just thought that was so sweet and thoughtful of him. When he got home from work he gave me a card and a dozen pink roses. And Brady hates to write in cards so when he does it's a treat for me because it doesn't happen very often, and the things he writes can be so sweet and charming! I decided to stay home and cook for him this year so we wouldn't have to go and spend $90 at a restaurant. We both agreed that staying in is better than going out on Valentine's. We cooked tortellini together and had slow jams in the background and it was really fun and romantic. Anyway, he's really been into Hershey's chocolate lately...he seriously has eaten at least one chocolate bar a day for the last month so I got him a 3 lb. solid milk chocolate heart that only has like 7,000 calories in it!! That's a gift that will keep on givin!

Happy Valentine's! Love, Rachel

2008-02-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

My School Chums

2008-02-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

We had to go to a Literacy Conferency today and then we went to the Olive Garden for lunch and it was so much fun! And we missed you Jennifer!!! Wish you could've been there!

We've been tagged!

2008-02-03T13:08:00.001-07:00

Well here's the only ten wierd or interesting things I could think up about me and Brady...

1. I've always hated talking on the phone. Even as a teenager I had no desire to ever sit and chat with my girl friends or boys that would call me. I just thought it was boring!

2. Brady flosses like a maniac. I've never seen anyone more obsessed with flossing their teeth in my life! I can't complain though...he could have worse habits.

3. I was hit by a car when I was in the fifth grade...and I seriously think that concussion messed up my long-term memory. My family will reminisce about things when I was little and I can never remember what they're talking about.

4. I'm an actual fan of the UFC. I just think it's so comical to watch two guys beat the tar out of each other. The flying-knee is my favorite move!

5. I worry about everything! I like to call it 'defensive pessimism.' I always plan for the worst...

6. I've lived in Utah my whole life and I am not a fan of country music or snow!

7. Brady will never let me know how much he weighs. I tell him all the time what I weigh, but its like he thinks I'm going to judge him or something. What a girl! jk

8. I'm working on a degree in elementary ed right now, but i really want to be an educational psychologist. someday i plan on getting a master's in ed psych.

9. If I had the money, I would drive my own harley davidson.

10. My number one dream is to be an author someday. I think people that can write are so rad!

Proud of my pooch!

2008-01-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

So we're proud of our dog like most people are proud of their kids, I know it's sort of pathetic. But we're not ready to be kid people yet, so we're dog people! We get a kick out of Harley when she looks out the window just yearning to go out and run around in the snow. And I got her on video last night fetching each of her toys on command. She got 4 out of 5 before my batteries died, and she usually does it faster but she was distracted by the camera. It's still impressive how she does it though (at least to me and brady anyway...you might think it's dumb and that's ok too).

Eat Pray Love

2008-01-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

So somehow I managed to finish reading the book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert despite the fact that I am required to read an average of like 15 textbook chapters and five professional articles every week for school. But I started this book right before this semester started, and it was so good that I couldn't wait to finish it. Let me just say that I strongly recommend this book to all women! The author is so amusing, and she takes you on a journey through Italy, India, and Indonesia...and I don't know about you, but the chances that I'll make it to all three of those places are slim so I thought it was nifty to sort of experience them through Gilbert's book. There are so many insightful little lessons to be learned about life and being a strong and individualistic person in this book, and I found them to be very encouraging. I always highlight things that I like from books while I'm reading, and so I wanted to include a tasty little excerpt here that was one of my favorite things that I read:

"People universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck; something
that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate
enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence
of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and
sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate
relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings....The search for
contenment is, therefore, not merely a self-preserving and self-benefiting
act, but also a generous gift to the world. Clearing out all your misery
gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not
only to yourself but to anyone else. Only then are you free to serve and
enjoy other people."

Anyway, if you liked what you read right there, pick up the book. It's awesome!