Goals for 2010

With the new year coming up on us, of course we all are thinking of New Year's Resolutions we would like to accomplish this year. Me included in that. However, I made a list of 27 goals this past February of what I would accomplish before I turn 28. So my list of goals for 2010 include a few things I need to finish before turning 28 in Febs, and then the rest are for the rest of the year. My top 10 goals for 2010 are as follows:

1. Run the top of Utah full marathon in September. So I will be spending the next nine months training myself to run 26.2 miles.
2. Read the Book of Mormon. I had the goal to finish it before February, I'm currently in Helaman, but my dad gave my whole family a challenge to finish reading it before he does, so I have decided to include myself in this challenge.
3. Finish reading Les Miserables.
4. Get a pedicure-feet scare me so this is a hard one! I don't want someone else touching my feet with their hands...
5. Completely pay off all my debt.
6. For the last few years I've gone on a trip over President's Weekend since it's so close to my birthday..my own little gift to myself. So I would like to go somewhere fun for President's Day weekend!
7. Finish memorizing the lyrics to We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel. I'm so close!
8. Write 2 letters/cards to friends/family each month.
9. If I stay in first grade, I would like to completely organize all my files and my classroom. If I switch grade levels, I want to be totally prepared beforehand in teaching it!
10. Watch all 3 Lord of the Ring movies in one day, and really feel more confident in my driving stick shift abilities!!

Can't Get Enough!

I watched (500) Days of Summer and loved it! I really loved a song from the movie, I keep playing it on repeat. I've share it with a few people and none of them seem to see it the way I do. That's the great thing about music!! Maybe it's just speaking to me right now in my current state of life...So I'm sharing it with all of you!

Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap:

sweet disposition
never too soon
oh reckless abandon
like no one's
watching you

a moment, a love
a dream aloud
a kiss, a cry
our rights, our wrongs
a moment, a love
a dream aloud
a moment, a love
a dream aloud

chorus:
so stay there
cause i'll be comin over
and while our bloods still young
it's so young
it runs
and we won't stop til it's over
won't stop to surrender


songsof desperation
Iplayed them for you
a moment, a love
a dream aloud
a kiss, a cry
our rights, our wrongs
a moment, a love
a dream, aloud
a moment, a love
a dream aloud

Aspen's 8!!

My niece Aspen, turns eight today! Happy Birthday Spenners! I love you Aspen, and I'm so happy you are a part of my family. I can't believe you are already 8! I remember the day you were born, I was SOO excited to see and hold my first niece! And now look at you, so tall and beautiful and grown up. I love your fun and sweet spirit, how incredibly loving you are to everyone. You are so smart, and I'm so proud of you, for how hard you work in school. You are such a great big sister to Libby and Abbie. You are a good example for them to follow. Thank you for always loving me the way that you do, you always make me feel special when I'm around you. I treasure the memories I have shared with you, and look forward to making more! Happy Birthday, beautiful lady!!

Turkey Trot 2009

Every year, McKinley does the annual Turkey Trot before Thanksgiving. I always like to run it with my kids. Second grade and older students run for a mile, but first grade runs just half a mile. I haven't ran for two months, since I had surgery. My doctor just informed me last week that I can start running again (praise the heavens...you have no idea how much food I've eaten since my surgery, I've gained myself a few good pounds, and need to start running it off, and I also need the running to improve my mental clarity!). So I was excited to be able to run, and thought, "I've ran a 13.1 mile half marathon, a 10K and a few 5K's this past year, I can run a half mile easily!" All the first graders lined up, and I joined them when they started. Good heck, they all ran fast, and left me in the dust! I was shocked at how slow I was! After a bit, of course, most of them decided to just walk. I kept my slow and steady pace (and yes, I ran by all the kids who were complaining how they couldn't do it. I would encourage them with my words, but I wasn't going to slow down and walk with them. I wanted to run, man! Rude of me, I know :) ). I finished it, but it was the hardest half mile! It sucks how much running I have lost since I haven't done it for two months! It was a lot of fun though, and I was very proud of all my students for doing it. The first place boy and first place girl even came from my class!

First graders, lining up, ready to run!

And they're off!

Phew! We finished!

Yay Billy! First place boy..

Yay Lexy! First place girl..

My Short but Fun Weekend in Denver

My good friend Meggan came with me to Denver for the weekend. I was able to have lunch with my former coworkers, see lots of my favorite Colorado people, eat some yummy food, and do a little bit of sight seeing. We went to Boulder for a few hours, a place where Meggan, Jessica, and Becca had never been. We also spent some time at the Columbine Memorial. As weird as this sounds, I find that place to be so peaceful and I love to visit it! It was a short but fun weekend, spending time with the funnest people I know! Thanks Hil, Sara, Jessica, and Michelle for letting us stay with you and spending time with me. I sure love you girls!

We loved this candy shop on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder. They had everything!!

Megg loves her nut rolls!

They even had awesome sunglasses in the candy shop...Jessica looks stunning, don't you think?!

I have funny friends in Colorado. We ate at Mexican Restaurant, and didn't have the best service. We were short a straw, So Jessica and Becca split a straw in half and used the short little straw until our waitress FINALLY came back and brought us another one. Loved it! You can see here Becca comparing the two straws..

Self-portrait, with some yummy candy in my mouth from the yummy candy shop in Boulder. I love to eat!

I'm "in" Boulder. Get it? Huh, huh? I love that city. Can't wait to run the Bolder Boulder 10K again in May!!

Denver, You are Just What I Need!

Since moving back to Utah the end of July, I have been anticipating and trying to plan a trip back to Denver, the city I love. FINALLY, I bought my plane tickets and will be going in a week and a half! I have missed the people in Colorado, I have missed the Denver skyline, I have missed the adventures that can await you there, I have missed the food, I have just plain old missed it! Don't get me wrong, I love Utah, I love teaching, I love the people here (most of them anyway). But there's something about Denver that just speaks to the heart and soul of me. And I have a feeling that taking a quick trip there will be just what I need at the present funky moment of my life. Denver, here I come!!

Halloween 2009

Meggan and I dressed up as the Chippendale dancers from the Saturday Night Live skit with Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley. I elected Meggan to be Patrick because she is an awesome dancer and for some reason I KNEW she could pull off that mullet! We even performed the dance. We'll do it again and get someone to record it, don't worry! Enjoy the photos!

Yep, I was "Barney" (Chris Farley) and no, that is not a pillow sticking out of my armhole. OK, so maybe it is...

Adrian (AKA Meggan) showing off the Patrick Swayze move very well!

The Schulze's don't mess around at their Halloween parties! After an awesome scavenger hunt around town, we had the eating contest. Don't let this picture fool you..we thought it was just nachos too. But below the nachos was a collection of nasty stuff: marshmallows sprinkled with Cajun spice, pumpkin, olives, beans, cookies, along with drinking hot cocoa mix in water, that mind you, had not been stirred together yet. I don't mess around when it comes to eating contests but this year I couldn't handle the marshmallows with spice. I tried to gag it down but I ended up throwing it all up instead! Sorry team, I couldn't pull through on the food eating this year! After the eating was the obstacle course, but sadly I couldn't participate in that with my recent surgery. Next year my friends, next year!!

This year the theme was whatever you wanted. Shay and Nik came as Fred and Wilma, Laci was a pirate, Daniel came as Billy Ray Cyrus. Good times at the Schulze Halloween Party 2009. Thanks for the good times!!