Feels like Spring!

After a couple weeks of -20 degree weather, lately it feels like spring with these lovely 20 and 30 degree temperatures!

Last week my education practicum teacher kept me after class and showed me my "progress sheet" thus far. To get an "A" in the class, we need to exemplify 13 specific teaching methods throughout the weeks we teach. She sat me down and pulled out my sheet and showed me I had six of the 13 checked off, and that was after our first day of teaching! She said I could walk away from the class with a C right now if I wanted to. She then went on to tell me all these good things she's noticed about my teaching. Sure we have co-teachers, but she said she's picked up on me and she is impressed. I was beaming. Not to turn this into a brag-fest (my mom wisely taught me..."nobody cares") but it was most exciting. "I bragged about you," she said!!! She is from Oregon, and she quotes Mean Girl...she is the best.

School this week was very chill. I didn't have to teach at all so everything felt much more relaxed. My body weight management class is kicking my trash! We cycle every day and it is my new favorite thing. Sure it's hard, but it's so great! It is very low impact, so it's really good for your joints. We are supposed to set a weight loss goal, so I just did something really small. Two years ago I went to the wellness center and got several body measurements, one of them being my body fat percentage which was 33% at the time. They did our body fat percentages at the beginning of the class and I'm 24% now. What a crazy transformation but I am very happy and Justin and I have been using myfitnesspal and exercising every day to stay/get fit.

My best friend from Boise (when I lived with Hart and Jory fall 2010) Mindy came to Idaho for a friend's wedding and asked to stay at our apartment for one night. She brought her boyfriend who she's been dating since September. I'm really happy she's found a really nice guy to date--we'll see where it goes. She and I had the best of times right before I left for college. It was good to see her and to catch up!

Friday night Justin and I had a floor hockey game. I haven't played floor hockey since middle school P.E, and here there were serious hockey players out to dominate the floor hockey rec league. Lo and behold, my husband is one of them! He and James (Justin's younger brother) have experience playing floor hockey, and Justin has experience playing real hockey so they tag teamed while our friend played goalie and Jessica (my Ultimate co-coach) and I tried our best to mess up the players on the other team. We didn't have any subs, while the other team could sub in a whole new team. We were dying by the end of the game. Who knew it was going to be so exhausting? But Justin and James were happy with our performance and said we played feisty (because that doesn't sound like me). I almost scored once, but I've got nothing on real hockey players. Justin and I celebrated our five month anniversary that day by buying some Dominoes pizza. Spicy Hawaiian is now one of my new favorites!

Saturday we played some indoor Ultimate in the morning and then spent some time in Idaho Falls at Winco. Justin signed up to play in a racquetball tournament next weekend at Apple Athletic Club. That night we hung out with Chase and Rachel and played my new zombie game. Chase managed to steal the win from me just as I was about to succeed! We watched 500 Days of Summer with Chase and Rachel. I don't know how they felt about it, but I love that show and think it's hilarious.

Today I think I finally got a handle on the Visiting Teaching assignments. It's taken longer than I thought which has been frustrating! But I feel like I know most of the ladies' names by now and I'm starting to get more of my personality across now that I'm not so timid. I don't know why but the married ladies in my ward kind of scare/intimidate me. Maybe because for the most part they either have kids or are pregnant, I don't know, but I feel like some of the girls don't like me. In fact I'm pretty sure there are some that definitely don't like me. Oh well. I had a meeting with the stake relief society president. I am so grateful I had this job once before with half the sisters I do now, because I would be totally overwhelmed otherwise. I wrote my old bishop a letter thanking him for all the training he did in ward councils and after church meetings because in this ward there is no such thing. Ward council has been interesting being the only female. The bishop brought up that the stake wanted to put together a Valentine's Dance and everyone in the room made it seem like it would be absolute torture and claimed it would have no success. I was the only who chimed in saying I thought it was a good idea. C'mon people--let the stake put something fun together! Sheesh.

I had student teaching interviews all week. My favorites are a Las Vegas middle school and a Mesa high school. I was happy because none of the interviews made me nervous. I feel like I have a lot to offer because I'm interested in getting involved in sports programs, and many of the teachers expressed that they need earth science teachers. The middle school is my favorite because the principal expressed they definitely need earth science teachers, and their school just got donated a ton of new ultimate frisbee gear. Jackpot! I am sold. Justin interviewed with a company in Las Vegas on Thursday for an accounting position, so we fasted and prayed for everything to work out. We are really hoping that works out for us and to live there for at least a year. We'll play life by ear from there.

Ever since I had my cavities filled my jaw has hurt pretty bad. I'm having trouble opening my mouth as of late. I can't open my mouth big at all, and Justin says I chatter my teeth at night. It's not quite like grinding my teeth but it's like doing little "chomp chomps" in my sleep...weird. I'm calling the dentist tomorrow to see if they can help.

This week we are on again for teaching. We have a great Halloween-centered idea to teach Supply and Demand...should be interesting.

My parents are coming up on their 42nd wedding anniversary. As far as I'm concerned my parents could be movie stars, and when they were my age they should have been! Their marriage is such a great example for Justin and me as we start out early trying to make righteous habits. I want to have a big family just like them one day.