A Night Out With the Ladies

So, I'm not the only one who deserved/took a vacation this weekend. My parents took a long needed, quick vacation up to Logan on Friday night to go to join Jake and Kylee for dinner and a Bryan Regan comedian show. That left me with a Friday night of fun with the little girls!!! (I guess I can't really refer to them as the 'little girls' anymore seein as Becks is taller than me and Andrea is now 12!)

There are just some things that you have to do as females on a Friday night. Yep, we dressed up all fancy and headed to the Pizza Factory for dinner. Yum!!! The splendid evening then finished with watching an episode of Bones and having a slumber party and falling asleep to Pride and Prejudice. I'm so glad I got to spend some two-on-one time with my favorite girlies! Thanks for the memories!!!

Here are the successful pictures from the evening:

And here are some candid shots :)

Rested and Relaxed

Wake up, classes, work, study, go to bed, wake up, classes, work, study, go to bed, wake up, classes, work, study, go to bed...

Do you see a pattern here? Thus is the story of my life. Taking 16 credits (8 classes) and working 25 hours each week is pretty crazy, time-wise. On top of all this I am trying to get my recommended 8 hours of sleep. The craziest part about all this is that I have actually been doing it! How? Well, I ask myself the same question... It could only be done with the creation of some coping strategies:

- four calendars to organize my agenda

- never taking a moment to stop and think about anything until I go to bed

- living my life at full speed ahead and allowing my mind to do the same

- driving like a maniac to get to me next location as fast as possible so as to not waste any time

- etc.

Yeah, I have 4 calendars... One at work to remind me of appoinments I have going on after work. One on my phone so that at all times I can know my schedule and schedule things for any time in the future. One in my school notebook to tell me when each homework is assignment is due for the entire semester, and one in an agenda to allow myself to plan when I will study for what and on which day. It's ridiculous but it helps SOOOO much!

Getting 8 hours of sleep was a little more difficult than I thought because when I lay my head on my pillow at night, my brain uses it as an opportunity to do all the thinking that I didn't give it time to do during the day. Not so easy to fall asleep with.

Okay, I know this is getting boring and I'm dragging on so I'll get to the point.

I saw president's day weekend as an opportunity to catch up on some thinking so I packed my bags and headed down south... south to Holden!!!

It was the best weekend ever! I came back feeling like I had taken a trip to the Inner Soul Spa.

I drove down Saturday night and spent the evening chillin' with my grandparents and watchin the news. How relaxing!!!

Sunday was even better. First, I had some extra time before church started and took a little drive around the town. Only took me about 2 minutes but I was able to see all around one of my favorite places on earth! Second, church in a small town is just plain fantastic! All the men have white foreheads, red cheeks and noses, and boots. Everyone is oh-so-friendly and, well, it's just plain hard not to feel like ya fit right in. Lastly, I had no meetings or anything after church and I spent the whole day relaxin and not thinkin bout anything. I had time to read a few good books including Return From Tomorrow. This book was so good and sparked an interest in so many other books. I highly recommend it to everyone. It's a quick read and very excellent! What a peaceful day!!!

Monday started out bright but not so early cuz I didn't wake up til 8:30! It felt so good to sleep in. I woke up to the smell of my grandma making me pumpkin spice pancakes with homemade syrup. The best! After breakfast I pulled out my books and started chippin away on homework. I continued to work on it til about 5 pm and got sooo much done. I didn't get stressed or restless at all cuz I didn't have a deadline and there was nothing to distract me from it. Totally relaxing! Crazy, right? Well, about that time some cousins of mine showed up and I got the chance to play with them (and, unfortunately, tell them I won't be livin with them in the fall) and have some good girl talk with Angelique and Jessica. I can't believe how grown up those two are gettin. About this time it was gettin late and I had to head back to real life but no worries cuz I was heading back with my head cleared and my homework done.

When I laid my head down on my pillow Monday night something was different... Something didn't feel right... I wasn't thinking a million miles a minute! My brain was relaxed and I had nothing to stress and think about! Weekend vacation... success!!!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for taking care of me this weekend! And thanks for the shoes Amber. :)

P.S. I'm even drivin slower. I hope y'all realize what that means as far as the changes that took place this weekend :)

Cultural Snapshot Assignment

*DISCLAIMER: THIS POST IS AN ASSIGNMENT FOR MY CLASS. IT WAS CREATED FOR THE READING ENJOYMENT OF MY PROFESSOR.

(although you can read it if you want to)

Read, watch, and consider the following information:

While searching for pictures on Google, typing "Muslim" brings up pictures of happy, Muslim people. Typing in "Muslims" brings up pictures of bloody Muslims, wars, and protests.

Hyscience - An article discussing the percent of Muslims that believe in suicide attacks

Muslim Media Review - A blog discussing the portrayal of Muslims on Bones (a television show)

Muslim's on TV, No Terror in Sight - An article that discusses whether or not Muslim's are kindly portrayed in television shows.

So how are Muslim's being portrayed in mass media?

I find it very interesting that one small letter makes such a difference. An 's' changes a word from representing individuals who are happy and content with life to representing a group of people who are associated with terrorism, violence, and war. Go ahead, try it. Google images for 'Muslim' and then google images for 'Muslims'. Do you see what I am talking about? The images that appear have a completely different feel to them. Is this a valid representation of the Muslim culture's identity in America? Do we really feel like Muslims are normal, friendly people and that their culture is dangerous? I'll try and answer this question as I look into other ways that Muslims are portrayed in mass media.

After reading the above articles and thinking back on shows that I have watched in the past I have come to a conclusion about the racism of the Muslim culture in America. It exists, but not in the way that you would assume.

Many articles and movies show Muslims and do not label them as terrorists. However, this doesn't mean that the Muslim culture is accurately portrayed. What is the common theme of this culture on television? It is Muslims being mislabeled as terrorists. The media doesn't show all Muslims as terrorists, instead they show all Muslims being accused of terrorism. So how does this affect the racism toward the Muslim culture?

There are two options for these portrayals. The first is that it acts as passive racism. It is not coming out and supporting racism against this culture but it keeps the idea alive. It constantly reminds us that Muslims are or can be associated with terrorism. This is demonstrated in the Hyscience Article. The author of this article still believes that the majority of Muslims should still be considered a threat.

The other option is that, as Americans, we recognize that Muslims are not terrorists and those that believe they are are made to look like fools on national television. Take the "Little Mosque on the Prairie" clip for example. The individuals who accuse the Muslims of terrorism are over the top and are shown as wrong. Thus, the American minds are taught that being racist towards Muslims is just plain ridiculous.

The Bones episode also teaches us a lot about biculturalism and how Muslims are doing it here in America within the work place. This episode caused me to ponder upon my own classroom and how to properly deal with cultural differences. I may be lucky enough to have a Muslim student in my class. How will I deal with it? Will I do anything different or make accommodations for them?

I do not feel that the deficit theory would apply to this situation. The media doesn't portray Muslims as unintelligent people nor do I believe that they will struggle more than others in the learning environment. From what I know, most of them speak English and so teaching them also will not include a bilingual education.

If I had worries about teaching Muslim students, I believe they would come from a cultural perspective. These students will not be from the majority culture. This can cause a problem for all my students if I do not learn to acculturate the Muslim students into my classroom. It will be important for me, as the teacher, to let the cultural difference be recognized and accommodated for. I will want all of my students to be aware of and appreciate the differences in the cultures. I will also want to familiarize myself with the culture so that I can make any learning accommodations that would be necessary. These accommodations would be made so that the students from the Muslim culture do not feel like they are being assimilated into the classroom and their cultural identity will not be suppressed.

It's important for me, as the teacher, to be aware of how this culture is portrayed in the media. If I have the opportunity to teach a child from this culture I will need to be able to understand where they are coming from. The media affects how people are treated and I need to be informed so that I do not make the same mistakes or that I do not use any cultural assumptions that are incorrect but used all the time publicly. All students should be able to see their school as a safe haven because they know they are a part of a community at school, even if their community outside of school is different. School is their right to an accepting, unbiased community.

Ah!!!! I Just Can't Wait!!!!

Do you know what this is folks?
This is the view that my dad and I will have on April 2nd!!!
No, we aren't going to a Jazz game. We are going to
GEORGE STRAIT & REBA MCENTIRE!!!!!

I can't even begin to contain my excitement. This is absolutely a dream come true. I have two music idols in this world and NEVER did I dream that they would perform TOGETHER. For those of you that have been following up with me for a while, you'll remember that my dad and I went and saw George Strait two years ago when he came to Utah for the first time in over ten years. I never dreamed that it would be possible for him to come back and so soon and with Reba! I was floored when I found out about the concert back in December and I have been saving up since. Tickets finally went on sale today and I got the best ones I could and am so excited!!! I'm pretty sure I'm in heaven. I can't focus on anything because my mind just goes into overdrive when I think about how incredible this concert is going to be.

I hope my dad and I make a tradition out of this. In the past 3 years, we will have been to three country concerts together: George Strait 2009, John Michael Montgomery 2010, and George Strait/Reba 2011.

As a side note, my sister, Stephanie, found my husband the other day. Now I just have to figure out how to meet him:


*As a side note: He mentioned later that he made a promise to his momma while he was on his "church mission". He's LDS and I'm hoping he's single ;)

All My Dreams Shattered in an Instant

I know the title sounds a little harsh, but it's how I feel.

I have been planning on doing my student teaching and living with my fantastic cousins and family in Orderville, UT for almost two years now. I have dreamed about this since I was a little girl. Could life get any better than living with family on a farm while teaching school? I submit that it cannot! I had everything planned out and talked to BYU about what it would take to be able to do it. In their kindheartedness they told me that I just need to apply for Courtesy Placement when I applied for student teaching/internships. This seemed a little simple to me so I asked them over and over again last summer what I could do to make it happen. They kept assuring me that it would happen, I just had to wait until January so that I could apply.
Well, I didn't even get a chance to apply. When I went in to get an application a few weeks ago, they asked if my husband needed to move for school/work purposes. I told them no. Obviously. Then they proceeded to tell me that there is a .01% chance that they will even think about considering my request to student teach outside one of BYU's partnership schools. I couldn't believe what I was hearing!!! Everything I had dreamed about and wished for since pretty much forever ago was just killed.
Apparently it takes a lot of work for BYU to coordinate with a school that has one of their student teachers there. For this reason they aren't willing to do this unless it is an extreme circumstance (such as your husband moving and you need to move with him). I am so frustrated!!! I understand where they are coming from and why they don't want to let me go but WHY COULDN'T THEY HAVE TOLD ME THIS LAST SUMMER WHEN I ASKED THEM!?!?!?!?!?!?! (Can you tell I'm a little passionate about this?)
And why can't they make an exception for me? From what I've heard the school district down there is more than willing to help coordinate anything and my housing, transportation, and other such issues were already taken care of.
To add to all this, BYU is currently rearranging the way the ElEd major is organized partly because they feel their teachers don't get enough experience teaching in different types of schools. They feel it is important that their teachers be prepared to teach anywhere. So why can't they compensate for their failure by helping me gain the experience they want me to have? Their answer: Student teaching in either Wasatch or Nebo school districts will give me the experience I need to teach in a rural area. Really BYU? Heber and Spanish Fork are rural? I think not.

I don't want anyone to misunderstand me. I don't hate BYU. I don't hate the ElEd program. I don't hate the Courtesy Placement advisors. I am just heartbroken and frustrated that everything I have been working towards for the past two years is not going to happen. The one thing that has pushed me to do well in school and has given me something to look forward to in the end is not going to happen. Now, I can just hope and pray that somehow after graduation there will miraculously be a job opening for me somewhere down south. :(

Picture Update

I was going through my pictures and decided it was time to add some of them. Enjoy!!!

Zach, Russel, David, and Tommy

There is an apartment in our ward that is occupied by four, fresh-off-their-missions ADORABLE boys. My roommate, Sarah, and I decided to decorate their white board with a picture of all of them. We think it turned out quite well :)

Russel, Zach & GF, Tommy, and David & GF

Eventually our masterpiece got erased to make room for the boys' new years goals. :( So Sarah and I decided to motivate them for their goals by drawing pictures of them accomplishing their goals. Once again... we think it turned out quite well :) (The big blob would be Tommy who was too cool to come up with some New Years goals)



Those of you who know me well know that I have the gift of words... as in I always use the wrong ones and end up sounding like an idiot. I even had a professor tell me she didn't expect me to do well teaching during my practicum but was surprised when I did because in class I sound like a dumb blonde. Well, the other day in class I wrote a comment on the board and was so surprised at how intelligent it sounded that I had to take a picture of it so that I had proof of how smart I really can be. :) It reads...
"The classroom is an ideal society to exemplify democratic practices and build a foundation for children through modeling. Certain classroom practices familiarize students with good citizenship skills and how to be a competent contributor to society."

The lovely Sarah and Erynlea enjoying my meal

My wonderful mother bestowed me a with a crockpot for Christmas and I finally got to use it last night! I made a scrumptious roast with carrots & potatoes and then some rolls & salad to go with it. The best part of the meal was that my plates, crockpot, and silverware were all black and my bowls and cups were all glass! The table cloth was black and our kitchen is decorated in white and black. Sense a trend yet? There is just something about a matching dinner setting that puts my mind at ease and makes me feel happy. How weird is that? :/

That's all for now... but coming soon we have Becca's first date!!!
(Heather, me, and our roommates our all going with Becca on her first date and we are a little more than just excited)

Stuff White People Like

I am taking a class this semester that focuses on teaching English language learners. For one of my assignments we have to post our favorite part of this website and observe everyone's reactions. I posted a link to my favorite pictures on facebook, but for those of you who are without facebook here is my favorite picture.

Overview: The New York City resident is one of the most envied white people in the entire world. Their access to art galleries, restaurants, public transit, and pools of hobo urine is second to none. Fiercely proud of their city, all New Yorkers consider themselves to be the last one in. That is to say, everyone who moved to New York after them made the city a considerably worse place to live and thus are not considered “real New Yorkers.”

• Strengths: Can get you into places that don’t exist; able to survive in small spaces.
• Weaknesses: Cannot go fifteen minutes without telling you they live in New York. Also driving.
• Secret Shame: Actually from Ohio.

The website is really funny and is quite entertaining to look. I'm not just saying that because it is an assignment. I couldn't help but laugh through every post that I read. These two guys are so straightforward and honest and it is hilarious!

Speaking of assignments... As part of my assignment I need as many people as possible to leave a comment with their thoughts/reactions to this picture and the website. So blog stalkers, it's time to come out of your closet and leave a comment!!! Thanks :)