Remember 2009?

Little tid-bits I don't want to forget:

• Remember when the it was announced that Kaylinn doesn't like hamburgers, only after the entire bridal shower food for 20 people had been planned to be a hamburger bar.
• Remember the LA temple session that lasted 3 hours cuz it was a stake relief society night and the attendance for the sisters was somewhere in the million range. (give or take a few).
• Remember 1st period trio who brought Kay donuts, Milky Way's and orange juice all.the.time. to get out of learning that day. It didn't work...most the time.
• Remember Taffy. and how that dog peed all over the house. That was awesome. And when the roomie took Fido in her car without a cover on the fish bowl.
• Remember when we bought a bed off craigslist that was a piece of lumber covered with thin fabric. Then we tried to resell it to a scammer. Only to later sell it to an actual man for half what we paid for it. Lesson learned? Buy mattress from store.
• Remember when our hotel room the night after the wedding was right on the BART tracks. Every. Twelve. Minutes.
• How could you forget Hawaii...and Cholos. And we have to mention the tounge thing.
• Remember Skookie with the Richards'. And Party in a Can. and Jookie. And the Chokie. And Michele being blamed for knocking Pluto over.
• Remember the Flarp Face. And when Mark got the marshmallow all over his face at our BBQ.
• Remember when Mom beat out all the kids in her energy when they all came down to Disneyland. And then the car battery was dead at ONE in the morning and we had to wait for help. And your need was up against the guy who lost his kid at noon.
• You can't forget about the Gender confusion Denny's trip, and the Kamikaze squirrels that attacked us on the rocks in San Simion.
• Remember when Kaylinn cut Mark's hair for the first time ever. And that one really big mistake...or maybe we want to forget that.
• Remember 13.1 miles in Long Beach. And the ghetto hotel we stayed in that had a smoking room assigned to us so we upgraded to a "2 bedroom suite" to get out of it. And the "suite" was just as bad...but at least didn't have smoke.
• Remember when we stayed in the Grand California hotel and the Disneyland Hotel for the one night each...free...as a "test guest".
• Remember the Disney Dining Plan in Florida. And our mammoth Ice Cream goodness.
• Remember the Richards' visit round II. And Judy the hoarder. And we all vowed to never...
• Remember how glad you were to have a spare bedroom given the number of friends we were able to visit with!
• Remember Christmas day and Rock Band for 7 hours.
• Remember Nikki, and Mora, and Kathy at Disney. And the Drama!
• Remember our generous donations to El Torito, Ruby's, Chili's, and Yogurt D'lite.

It was a good year!

Our Announcement

For some time now, Mark and I have been trying to figure things out work wise. Disney has been less then favorable and although the benefits are delightful; the work hours have been less then conducive for "family time". So...

We're Moving!

To my old roots!

Mark is going to take on Wright's Pool Service.

So a little shout out to my dad and his lifelong labor that has secured my future.

He really was a good man. I love you dad.

The Move is scheduled for the end of March. and we're not moving exactly to the old stomping grounds because I really want it to be a new story. If we moved there, and the kiddos went to CVHS and we were in CV2...come on now; we're not the Blatters. :) you'd have to be CV2 alumni to get that last part.

Guilty Pleasures

Don't deny it...you know you have them too.

1) Infomercials: especially the long ones that are like a whole program. I'll watch the same one for almost an hour! Who does that? And secretly I feel a small need to have whatever they are selling. I've never actually purchased, but I do love to watch them.

and on that note...

2) I also love the Great Performances show that has like a 20 minute break every 15 minutes to get you to donate money to their network. Its usually some great Jazz artist or a tribute to an era passed. Its just great music.

3) Celion Dion: I'm pretty sure I would karokee it if I sounded even a little like her.

and while on that note...

4) Cher: Although I only know a few of her songs-and they're all the old ones...I really do like them. And I may or may not have already karokee'd Cher in the past...more then once. If I could turn back time....

5) Alias: And I'm pretty sure I crushed on Michael Vartan that summer.

6) House Hunters: and pretty much every show on Bravo.

7) Children's books: thankfully I know a family with young kids and I read their books. Sara may think I'm reading it for the kids...but I'm not. I use to go to the library and read a whole section of children's books just for something to do. I miss those days.

8) Taco Bell: and I'm pretty sure I order 7 things when I go...all for myself...and I eat it all. Something about Taco Bell at any obscure hour is just delightful. But-you can't plan on Taco Bell. It must be a spontaneous idea and acted upon immediately, otherwise it it only medium in taste. Preferably long after the dinner. 5th meal as it has been called.

9) Professional Photos: Photoshop makes for some wicked nice wall art. And for flawless skin/teeth/radiance that sometimes I don't feel is present. Bonus.

I think nine is enough for now. What stuff do you love that it a little taboo but you still love it?

Sightings

While in Disneyland the other day, we stumbled upon this guy:

I only had to quadruple-take before I believed that it was in fact John Header made popular from Napoleon Dynamite. Delightful for us. Then on our 3rd ride of the day, we rode just in the log just behind these people:

Yes, these are the Hinkins from the reality show "Here Come the Newlyweds" who we wanted to win but they didn't. They came in 3rd place. And they are Mormon. I'm just saying--John; Mormon, the Hinkins: Mormon. We're totally on a celebrity sighting 2 for 2.

Disneyland is the greatest place for my paparazzi instincts. Photos compliments of Michelle's camera. Without her these photos would not be possible. :)

Semester Wrap Up

The greatest thing about being a teacher is the breaks! Today I finished up Semester 1 and now am ready for a fabulous 2 week long break. Allow me to toot my horn for a minute:

--I am especially proud of my students this semester. 2nd period specifically. They are rock stars. Overall I only failed 18% of my students. A huge improvement from last year where I failed 28%. Pretty sure that my hours of after school tutoring was actually worth something for a few of those kids.

--I am just not going to count period 4 for anything! At least 6 of those students. If y our percentage in class is 28.41% or lower (the lowest being 5.24) I'm pretty sure you have bigger problems in life other then the fact that you're not passing World History. With that being said, it really helps the fail rate percentage in that class. Do you think the school will care that I'm deleting 6 kids from that class period in my stats?

--I did exceptionally well with my parent contacts this semester; better then any before. Many of the parents had numerous emails and letters home to notify them of their kids progress, both good and bad. Pretty sure that is what got George, Karen, Denisha, and Ana to pass. It didn't work for everyone but, it did for some and I am really proud of myself. Can't lie, I totally went back through my "sent mail" and re-read what I wrote. I'm good!

Next semester will pose new challenges and changes. With yearbook no longer being "my" class it will make the structure different which will be an interesting adjustment. Some of my favorite students are graduation again. So weird to think I have been here long enough to have seen an entire class go through their 4 years of school. I just smile thinking of all those good kids. Meena & Aaron, and Chris, Jenny, Sean who I've had every year these 4 years...such good kids all of them. So-here's to another semester down. One more to go!

Please Step Down

Late last night I got a phone call from the principal of my school. Really? I have never received a personal phone call from the school. Conveniently I had taken the day off from work, which added to my anxiety as to why I would receive a phone call!

This morning I got word that I would be forced to step down from my Yearbook position. Being that I am not "highly qualified" under NCLB (no child left behind); the state threatens revoking my teaching licence if I continue to teach without obtaining either an English degree or an Art degree. So-I am being replaced. My room will still be the yearbook room; the book is 3/4 done. I'll still edit, and submit the pages, and essentially do all the work for it. Just not be the teacher on record. Or get paid for it. I am really sad about the whole thing.

Kinda a crappy deal. But I suppose that this was inevitable; considering I refused to go to another several semesters of classes to get an English degree. At least I made 2 books. Sad.

Qualified

My car desperately needed a wash. Desperately!

The other day it was raining. I stopped to get gas. While waiting at the pump--yes--I used the window washing brusher to basically wash my car. The combination of wet car, washer fluid brusher, followed by a raining rinse completed my very make-shift car wash. Hey, it worked. Don't judge me. And you probably thought of it too.

Pretty sure that qualifies me as something not so great. Whatever. I'll take it. And my cleaner car. I'll take them both.

Cast Christmas Party

Another Cast Christmas Party found us spending more time in the Park then we had anticipated. At first we just jumped in to get the collectors ornament, which turned into just swinging by to see if they had chocolate covered caramel apples, which evolved into stopping into the Christmas shop, and passing through King Arthur's Carousel, Dumbo, and Small World.

I really can't remember the last time I rode Dumbo. Quite Fantastic. And don't worry, I totally remembered the Disney episode with John & Kate's 8. Nice. I wonder if this is the face Mark would have made if he saw what I was thinking.

Love the Carousel.

Cheers to another Family Christmas party. Of course we walked out with several unnecessary purchases that were at a very discounted cast special. I even saw one of my students there. Its funny since his mom works there, he and I always have conversations about the inner stuff most don't know. Merry Christmas from the Disney Resort. We'll take it.

"I quit yesterday"

I haven't said much about school lately. Mostly because it feels like the same thing all the time. But I have one period every day that really tests my sanity. I changed the seating arrangement thinking it would be the cure all pill; and for all other periods it is! Except fourth period; the period that holds the children from...well, in the spirit of the season, we are all God's children, but these are definitely the...never mind.

The point is Martin. Started out a quiet kid. Didn't do a lot of work, (then again, none of these kids do) so I contacted mom to try and get some outside support. Fast Forward to today. He has 17%. Yesterday he came in after lunch smelling like smoke real bad. Then, to my shock, he came in after school to see if tutoring could help raise his grade. (um...you're asking me now? 5 days before the end of the semester?) I told him no, we had an interesting conversation about how he has turned in blank assignments, and even gone as far as giving me the assignment back telling me he wasn't going to do it and to save paper. Then we had this conversation:

Martin: Its better then last year, all I did was smoke weed before every period.
Me: [stunned] Every Period?
Martin: yeah, but I quit that. Now I just smoke cigs.
Me: Why are you doing that? You know it is a stupid choice right?
Martin: Yeah, but I'm quitting.
Me: That's good. are you on the patch or the gum?
Martin: The patch. I've got two on right now.
Me: That's good.

--at this point, Martin starts to get work to me that he wants credit for which is a whole new story; and he says something to me which made me feel like I had entered a smokers only zone--
Me: MARTIN! Did you smoke before you came in today?
Martin: Yeah. Just a cig though.
Me: and did you smoke before lunch too?
Martin: Yeah.
Me: You told me you were quitting. You've had 2 in 2 hours! That's not quitting!
Martin: I quit yesterday. It was too hard. I'll quit again later.

Nice. Wisdom from a 15 year old with a 17% in world history. Take it for what its worth.

Movie Review & stuff

One word! Amazing.

We haven't really been feeling the movie theater vibe until just recently. Now we have several that sound really good. We just ventured out to see the "Extraordinary true story"--The Blind Side. I may or may not have cried a little. So many great scenes and emotions. Pretty sure I have my most favorite NFL player now. Such a great flick and one we both HIGHLY recommend.

And I must add the topping to this already delicious cake came upon our exit of the theater. We were walking behind some rather old fellows who were also commenting on the film. One turned to the other with his hand resting on his companions shoulder and stated, "Did you see that body? Wow...now that was amazing. She is a looker that is for sure".

He may be totally out of her league and probably her generation, but he is totally right. I bet she doesn't have the privilege of enjoying ice cream.

In other news:

I have been working my hours finalizing the Senior yearbook pages. I have spend so much time doing these it is crazy! If one Senior says anything negative about them I'm going to punch them in the face. And then loose my job but it'll totally be worth it.

We've set out our Christmas tree. That was a delight. Cheers to Home Depot and their simple, tree purchasing process. Although he didn't cut off enough of the bottom so we struggled with leaning tree syndrome until Mark went all manly on it with his pocket knife. If we were stranded in the jungle, we'd totally survive. The magic of white lights on a tree at night makes the cold goodness of winter my favorite time of year.

Mark has been having quite the stories from work recently. A lot of he said, she said high school stuff which makes me laugh. Sometimes I think his lifeguards are younger then my Sophomores. One situation in particular makes us more frustrated then a job should make you. Someone is suspected to have been tampering with the schedule after it is posted. Thinking that nobody would know the difference. Shift hours were switched to benefit one party over the others and who gets the bad end of the deal? US! It has been quite the adventure, and we're certain the benefits of going to the park is not worth the job itself. So--we're ready for another adventure.

A Day Amongst The Animals

There are so many stories that could help support the title of this blog. So let's just start out by saying that this was the most spontaneous road trip that I ever taken. Kaylinn just said around 4 pm last Sunday, "Let's go to the San Diego Zoo tomorrow." So, we packed our bags, booked a room and off we went. After a trip to get some Oreo Blizzards (we are sinners, we know), it seemed to be a really quick trip down to San Diego. We booked a package that included pizza and a movie, so we finally watched the newest Harry Potter. Gotta say, I thought it was pretty good, better than I thought.

The next morning we headed off to the Zoo, and I can't explain why, but I absolutely love animals. I felt like I used to when I went to Disneyland (yes, most of the Disney love has moved on...sad I know). We got to the zoo and started our adventure heading to the reptiles. We got to the area with these HUGE Galapagos tortoises. As we were watching we noticed that two of them decided to express their love for each other....I know it is beyond immature, but it was one of the funniest moments we had during the day. So much work for the poor guy. Then two kids came up and said, "Look, he is giving her a back massage!" To which the girl responded, "I betcha she asked for it." We had to do everything we could to not lose it in front of these kids.

After that we went and saw the monkeys and tigers, followed closely by the Panda Bears and Polar Bears. Then to a whole lot of others. The best part about the day, for whatever reason the animals were super active. We got to each area right at feeding time or some other time that they were all just moving around. I have never been to a zoo where the animals were actually moving. So, I guess we will show you a few pictures of what we got to see....and you know I had to include one of the turtles.

Now that is one back massage we will never forget!

Being that these bears hardly move at all during the day, we saw quite a bit of action from these guys. (A few bear shots for our buddy Jason W!)

Now this was incredible, this polar bear (which neither of us have ever seen polar bears in a zoo move before) had a lil' moment with Kaylinn where they kinda just looked at each other for a minute. It was amazing!

I had to add in a picture with this little guy. He was, I must say, cute.

Now, my favorite part of the trip was feeding time for the lions. They did an enrichment activity where the food was put in a burlap sack and they had to figure it out. The zoo-keeper said that he was sure the female would get it because she was the smart one, and the male would try for a while and give up. True to form, the female had it in about 2 minutes and 35 minutes later, the male was still trying to figure it out. Once again, I have never seen a lion move in a zoo, but this was amazing, they are absolutely majestic in every way shape and form. My only regret...I just wish the stupid fence wasn't blocking the photos! But, on the other hand, I was glad it was there so they didn't tear the flesh off of my face. Check out those teeth!

All in all, it was the most successful zoo trip either of us has ever had. Three cheers for my amazing wife and her spontaneous inclinations and for getting me out of my daily routine. Another shout out to Carl's Jr. and their Oreo shakes, absolutely amazing! An all around fantastic trip!

In Recognition

Not that we think she'll happen upon our blog on her day of birth

But we give a roudy shout out to our British/Canadian/American citizen friend.

May you live long and prosper. We thought of you while in Epcot. Too bad you and Buddy weren't free to join us. Would have loved your company!

All. Time. Favorite

"Favorite" is a pretty bold statement. Tonight, I was reminded why the classic holiday film While You Were Sleeping is my favorite film. And my all.time.favorite scene in all of movie-dom is as follows. I'm pretty sure I cry laughing every time. Tessa will attest. So funny!






And I hope all our Holiday Table conversations have someone commenting on the creamy mashed potatos...very mashed!

I'm Thankful

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving, I am Thankful for:

My job: I love the creativity and freedom I have to "do my own thing". I love that the Principal respects me and appreciates my value to the team. I love my paychecks!

Costco: Two words--Sample Ladies. Pretty sure Mark and I have been on dinner dates there a few times. Its delightful, and if you haven't done it you should cuz its pretty dang fun. Pretty sure I use to be a Costco Sample Lady when I was in high school. How did I get that job!??! Katie G. and Amanda B. both worked at Costco and I really wanted be cool like them so I applied. Except I applied to the wrong company. WDS works in Costco, but isn't costco. Whatever. I liked that job.

Modern Communication! Thank you Mr. Alexander Bell, and Mr. Thomas Edison, and Mr. Internet people, and Dr. Martin Cooper. Definitely Dr. Cooper. What was life before cell phones and free long distance. I'll tell you what it was like: USPS=no communication-o. So gentlemen; you are all super blessings in my life.

Mexicans: I couldn't love enchiladas and tacos and chips and salsa any more. So even though some of their kids in my classrooms are the bane of my existence (Noriel Lopez!) their food is dang BIEN!

Freeways: Can you imagine getting to work side streets. Well, maybe you can depending on where you live and work but I know that I COULD NOT do that! As they say, we measure distance not in miles but in how long it will take you to get there.

Pictures: Thank you world for making pictures easy and convenient and wonderful. They are the only tangible evidence I have of my dad. They hold more memories and life and love and joy and sadness and dear people in all of those photo pages. Thank you Photoshop for making pictures look more amazing then ever. And talented photographers whose skill makes us all look flawless and amazing.

So many good people: Countless individuals. I could not give a shout out to them all for fear of forgetting one. But I couldn't forget Courtney and lessons she has taught me in spirituality, faith, finding joy in life, and pure spunk. Lauren and her consistent spontaneous companionship; not one college memory was made without her. Sara and her friendship, kindness, and wisdom; moving is never fun and I dread life without our date nights. Michael Palo for making work meetings bearable, Bonnie Jacobs for saving me in MoVal and our memories with the Bells', Stephanie Inskeep for convincing me to buy a Disneyland season pass...thank you for the people.

Mark Morrell-What a man of service, love, devotion, support, kindness, and adventure. I admire his will to work, persevere, problem solve, and personal improvement. Life would not be the same without his sound effects, facial expressions, Fast Talk, food cravings, blue eyes, and love of the game. In just 7 months he has cooked countless meals, watched a myriad of shows, edited wedding photos, updated my musical needs, arranged tours of near impossible grander, introduced me to and allowed me to socialize with remarkable friends, and trained for and run a half marathon. All. for. me! I love him and am eternally thankful he said yes!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ-A true foundation to an ever changing life. One place I can rely that will always be the same, produce the same results. Constant direction and guidance. I love the temple. I love what I feel when I go there and what I learn inside. I cherish eternal marriage covenants and blessings. I reverence the blessing of repentance and mercy made available through my Savior. I am truly and humbly THANKFUL for my membership.

The list could be too long for posting, but I truly am a grateful person this season. I pray all our hearts can reflect on the good we have been given; somewhere in the muck we call life.

Walt Disney World

Delightful! Vacation time finally came and we were more then ready. And what better place then on the other side of the country in the land where "Dreams Come True". Because Mark happens to work for the parks, we get some fabulous discounts. We were there for 5 days, how delightful!Just a few pictures to highlight our trip. We must mention our ability to eat! Disneyworld has the most amazing dining plan that had us eating pretty much non-stop. Our best "sit-down" meal was at Ohanas in the Polynesian Resort. Funny thing, for me-the meat wasn't the best part but it the delicious pastas and goodness you get before the meat buffet. I'm just saying!

I'm not much for Roller Coasters but in true theme park support, I rode all the rides. Expedition Everest is the parks most recent roller coaster. I don't love the backwards part of the ride, or the forward part so much either. I guess you can just look at my face, that tells a pretty good story.

Back to the food...pretty sure my favorite part was when we discovered the ice cream station. And I hate to admit it but I totally ate one of these every night; Mark enjoyed a chocolate shake (or two) as well. Yes, we took the "we're on vacation" excuse to the next level.

The highlight of the trip would most definitely be the surprise Mark had planned for Thursday night. We headed back to the Magic Kingdom that evening and I had guesses all over the place. It wasn't until we ventured backstage with a park manager that I put the pieces together. We were headed to none other then the Cinderella Suite located in Cinderella's castle. This room was used for the year of a million dreams but now is used exclusively for high profile guests. And very few tours. Their most recent guests? Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

James showed us little secrets from the escape window that would stop the fireworks show if it were opened and the Versailles chest taken from the fall off the Versailles Palace during the March. It was seriously beautiful. Smaller then I thought it would be. There wasn't a master bedroom, just one room with 2 queen beds and a pull out queen sofa. So my question: where did TomKat sleep? It was super neat to stand in a room that is so hard to get into. What a treat.

One of our last stops was at Epcot. The newest attraction there was the Kim Possible Secret Mission extravaganza. You get a little cell phone that tells you clues throughout different countries as you hunt for the evil henchmen. Really kinda fun, even for those of us in our late 20s.

And our last special treat was to meet the characters from the movie Up! which is one of our new favorites. Carl and Russel were uber cute. Carl even lent Mark his walker/cane thing. Super cute. So here is our standard Disney character shot.

A few other trip highlights (less photos):

• Analyzing WDW lifeguards. They failed.
• The couple on Splash Mountain. I promise he was late 30s, she was barely 20...if we're being nice.
• Mark's introduction to and conquering of Sudoku
• Christmas Lights in Hollywood Studios
• Running into old friend Ben Parkes and expecting wife.
• Peter Pan ride: so much better then California.
• Birthday guy from Jungle Cruise. "Many more to come...for both of us" said while shoving cheetos and a pickle into his mouth.
• German dinner with awkward tablemates.
• 50% holiday cast member discount on merchandise
• Food, Food, Food. Perhaps the additional lbs gained were not so good.
• Trip to Downtown Disney (about 1 hour travelling time) to purchase "must haves". Later realizing they were in the shop at the hotel. Nice wasted trip.
• $6.00 DirectTV purchase on flight home. Totally worth it.
  

What's up with them?

I have been wanting to update for a while now but really feel that we are lacking blog worthy events in life. Mostly, we're just doing the same stuff. It IS my favorite season: fall. Disney brings out all their colorful stuff and I just love it. Minnie was wearing the cutest little dress that I had never seen, it was just adorable I had to wait in line to snap a shot. And then I fired the "character escort" for such a bad photo. Seriously, I did so much better back in my day.

Halloween came and went without much of a notice in the Morrell house. I did dress up for the ward trunk-or-treat but only because I had been roped into working a booth. Most of the ward didn't notice me which was funny. Few said hi-which was funnier. I was a little embarrassed when I took on the role of managing the air-bouncy-slide thing the ward had rented. The kids had taken over and were being very rowdy so--I couldn't help but kick into teacher/crowd control mode and whip it into shape. To many comments later, I kinda regret it. But on the other hand, I LOVE that power when people listen to you. Hence why I love Disney Crowd Control. Good days.

this is me with my dear friend's kids. If she weren't around, I would literally go crazy with Mark's schedule. Abby didn't want to take a picture, but I promise she likes me.

Not much other news here. We're packing to go to Florida; a much needed and anticipated vacation. Surprising to most, this was a joint decision for vacation locations. Some would judge that I was getting Mark to go here but honestly, Mark has been very excited to go. Five lovely days without dealing with our lives here. It will be so lovely.

And for a final random note: the neighbors are crazy foreigners who we've decided speak a new language named "Panjabi". Downstairs from them are the Garden-of-Eden/Dog Owners who make the entire world smell like their Dog's waste mixed with cigs and old garbage. Mark has interesting stories about co-workers being serious druggies, overdosing, coming to work, and then basically running away from the hospital so they don't get fired. I have stories of 4th period and 6th period being the end of my teaching career. And one kid in particular who has taken an awkward liking to me; today he called me mom as he followed me all the way to my car

Recollection

I've been teaching 5 years now. FIVE YEARS. That is crazy. Especially since 5 years ago I didn't think I would be anywhere near here.

Five years ago I was...

• Living in a townhouse. Cute one too. Biggest room upstairs which was really swanky. Loved it.
• Serving as RS President. Huge calling. Especially when the girl from the ghetto apartments in our ward had her abusive boyfriend drive from who-knows-where and beat her up. Yeah, that was interesting.
• Teaching at Springville Jr. First year! Hated it. Hated my students, and had no clue what the heck I was doing. Pretty sure I went several weeks without even seeing the sun. Seriously wanted to QUIT my job every day. The last day in May I vowed I'd never teach again. Guess my word means nothing.
• Driving my brown Honda Accord. I liked that car. Even if it didn't start all the time. And my license was suspended. And Lindsey, bless her heart, would come and pick me up and drive me to school.
• On my 27th roommate. One was from Mexico. One was a dancer. One lived in the basement and tried to get me to apply to the Bachelor. We did. We didn't make it. Good thing!
• Obsessed with 5 Dollar Hot 'n' Ready. And Pipeline. This was after my Costa's obsession. That was a good obsession.
• Crushing on a short boy. And a different taller boy. Both didn't like me. Although the taller boy made it seem like he did. He didn't. The short boy was from Texas. I don't think he even knew I existed. Good thing. All boys liked my roommates. They were Beautiful.
• Went on a "married" date to get free food. (Only married people were invited to the event) The food wasn't that good. We learned about Fire Saftey. It was wierd now that I think about it. That boy is still single. He shouldn't be. He's amazing.
• Went on a lot of walks and talked about another different boy. This one I didn't like. We just talked about how weird he was. We still do.
• Driving to church even though it was 2 blocks away. But 1 of those 2 blocks was a steep hill. And it was snowing. So it was justified.
• Knew a girl 2 doors down who shared my name. Never had that before. Or since. Really liked her.
• Donating Plasma. Still. 20 bones each time. It was worth it. Helped with the entertainment costs of life.
• Watching VHS on a little TV. We were college students. It worked then.

What were YOU doing 5 years ago? Are you where you thought you'd be?

Behind--Catching up

1) We went to Medieval Times for FHE this past week with some of the neatest people on the planet. (Seriously, afterwards both of us just couldn't get over how much we like the Wallaces. How lucky we are to call them friends). It was beyond fun. Highlights include:
-- "Three Waves for Tom" followed by flag waves in unison. Totally unplanned.
-- Eating without utensils. Something about the mug made me feel like a Barbarian. Weird.
-- The horse dances and actual Jousting. How do people get that job? Do they see the show and think, yes, I'd like to do that. Our "serf" had been doing it for TWO YEARS! Wow.

2) Other dear friends the Marcum's visited town Saturday and we got to spend the day in Disneyland with them. Mark took the day off so it was Disney from sun-up to sun-down. And I must say, when Mark and I do Disney, we tend to spend more money then we originally plan. But it is so delicious! And I love it. Highlights from that trip included
-- The Hunt of the Army Man. Such a cute tradition. I must boast, I did find the placement for the newest addition.
-- Delicious Salad bowl and Mexican food.
-- Seeing Fantasmic...twice.
-- Jack Skeleton? Weirdest costume ever.
-- The "hands belt" invention
-- For the record, I totally rocked everyone on Toy Story Mania. I don't think I am even that good, but I do love it.

3) School has been funny today. Discussions include:
-- Why do you scratch your leg?
-- Do you have those clear braces right now? Or is it just a lot of plaque?
-- Are you going to Couples Therapy? (when I told them I had a thing after school that I like to look nice for, which led to a meeting with my husband, which led to couples therapy? Don't ask)
-- "I prayed to my friend to win! And I did! I'm so happy!" (we draw tickets for "free quizzes". You prayed to your friend? really?)

4) I'm insanely busy. I realized last night that I have NO TIME for anything. I don't have time to mail my sisters Only me October package that has been in pieces on my floor since mid August. I haven't talked to my distant friends in weeks. I barely see my husband. All my time is dedicated to school, tutoring, grading, sleeping, church responsibilities, meetings, hosting guests, more school, and an occasional catch up on my favorite shows: Amazing Race, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, ANTM, 18 Kids and Counting, House Hunters, Top Chef, Toddlers & Tiaras, and a few Biographies.

5) I'm beginning to really like the look of the yearbook. Finally. I was uber excited about it in the start, and then I felt like it just wasn't jiving. Recently, I've added some color effects and wa-la: it is looking better. This is very likely my last year doing yearbook becuase I don't have an English Crediental and they can only excuse me so long. That and I may-or-may-not be an employee here at all if we have a move in our future.

I'm pretty sure I ask Mark several times a week when are we going to retire and just enjoy life! I think we've put in our time. No? All in favor of early retirement and a life of luxery and fun say I. (or say nothing--as most of you do since our comments are minimal. Another thought, how do people get 14-24 comments or more per post. Really? I always knew I wasn't the popular girl! This just confirms it :) hahahaha)

Thank You

I'd like to thank the man who was swearing like a sailor at the park today.

While waiting for parent/teacher conferences to start, I usually head over to the local city park and lay out my blanket for some reading and nap time. It is usually quite relaxing. Today, there was a man who was extremely opinionated about the affairs of the country and our president. Kudos to him and having an opinion. I just don't think everyone wanted to hear him. And I'm pretty sure he was talking to himself. The problem wasn't that he had a loud opinion, it was that his language was RIDICULOUS! Seriously, Every. Other. Word! He just sounded stupid. We're talking the BIG four swear words.

As I was trying to enjoy my afternoon nap under the shade of a tree, I finally got tired of listening to his jargon, so sat up to leave. Literally TWO SECONDS after I sat up, a bird pooped on the very pillow which I rested my head. I kid you not! I was SAVED by the swearing.

So thank you Swearing Sailor man and your loud opinion that disrupted my nap under the tree in the beautiful autumn weather. I can now meet all my parents without bird poop!

Our Morning Jog

WE DID IT!!! Life goal #1--check. Done and Done.

Saturday night we decided to stay in Long Beach to save us a few more hours in sleep knowing we had to be up bright and early to get to the starting line. Funny story about our hotel, it wasn't exactly the Quality we were paying for and the first room we were given was a smokers room that was...really bad. So the only upgrade they had was a 2 bedroom suite, complete with kitchenette. Was it really that much better? No, it was just more ghetto in one space. Nice!




Race day came bright and early. We were out the door by 5:30 for a start time of 7:00. Parking wasn't as bad as we thought but the line to the portable potties was terrible! We soon found ourselves in the sea of people stepping onto the starting line. Wave 3--we were off.



Mile after mile, we didn't stop. We both felt that miles 8-12 were the longest. Although the beach was pretty, the path was thin and it just kept going! By mile 10 they had "power balls"--aka donut holes which was a bit funny. When we hit mile 11 both Mark and I picked up our pace just a bit to finish off the race for my dad who would have joined us if he were here. Our shirts defiantly got some comments too. Many in fact. We had them made just for the event with "Team Morrell" on the front and 2 runners. Mark's back said "if you can read this I'm either still running or Dead!!! Please respond accordingly". Mine said "shoes...$, Registration Fee...$$, Completing a Life Goal...Priceless."

We crossed the finish line together; even holding hands! (ah for cute). Malissa met up with us there! Such a great cheer team to congratulate us on our accomplishment.

Pretty sure the rest of the day and all day Monday we were so sore, simply standing up and sitting down was way more work then it was worth. If it wasn't within our reach, we chose to do without.

Team Morrell
13.1 Miles -- 2:22:33

Once Upon a Time...

I use to have time. Time to eat lunch at my desk without feeling guilty that I wasn't catching up on grading or work. Time to sit and watch my TV shows. Time to call my dearest friends and see what is up in their lives. Time to read a book, or sit by the pool, or take a run, or clean my house, or do my laundry.

Once upon a time, I use to sleep plenty at night. And would got to bed after 9; not falling asleep on the couch at 7:30. I use to make it through an entire day at work without feeling the need to sit while lecturing, or sleep between bells.

Once upon a time, life was simpler. I went to work, came home, relaxed, and had a life. I didn't tutor until 4 everyday. I didn't commit 60-80 minutes running. I didn't have mutual nights, or house guests, or basketball games.

So I'm sorry to those that feel I have neglected them. I haven't really. Someday I'll call you, or hang out with you, or see you. Someday. Just not today.

Family

When it comes to in-laws, I'm pretty sure I got the jackpot! How many people can say their sister-in-law calls just to check up on you, and you actually enjoy talking to her. And your brother-in-law thinks to bring you a computer game that is funner then it sounds like its going to be. Mark seems to think they talk to me more then they do to him! I don't think thats true, but I must say, the Morrell's are a fabulous family to be married into.

Sunday was Malissa's birthday. As a surprise, Tom flew in and Mike came down after I practically begged him to. We had dinner at Tortilla Joe's over in downtown Disney and then the next day headed into LA to have an afternoon and dinner at the home of some of Mal's dear friends. Can I just say---I was next door to Casey Affleck, and I'm pretty sure Ben and Jen stopped by since it was Sunday, and I'm pretty sure I was sort of a stalker and peered into their open garage. The home we stayed at was beautiful and historically charming. Built in the 1920's with all the Hollywood history to make my history heart flutter. Wally gave us a marvelous tour with the detailed stories of the old house and the updates and the old owners. It was as magical as an ice cream parlor. (and if you know me, thats a really big deal!) We were fed non stop with delightful cheese and bread and chips and pigs in a blanket and of course a full meal to boot. Such a glamorous birthday hoo-ra-ra! I need friends in Hollywood.

The boys stayed with us. They all bonded with Little Big Planet and Plants vs Zombies.

Of course, spending time with my love is the best spent time of my week. I couldn't be luckier to be married to a man who sacrifices so much for me. Lets be honest, what other husbands would run 13.1 miles with their wife just to be supportive of a life goal. We're running on Sunday; keep your thoughts on us! :) And it may be lame but we totally got personalized race shirts. Again, supportive husband! Love him!

Memories

I remember weird things. And I think of them all the time. Like

1. I remember my mom telling me that she doesn't spend more then .20 cents an ounce on cereal. I use this as a bse for our purchases. I remember standing in food for less, searching the endless options of cereal, and her making this statement. Now I think of it every time I buy cereal. wow.

2. I remember my dad's constant Model Home comment. I only really remember him coming with us on one. But I distinctly remember him giving his opinion. The distance between the garage and kitchen needs to be minimal. Why? Groceries. the end.

3. I remember Tessa and I laughing at the tv guy saying "please try to find the humor in this". It still makes me laugh. I do say it almost all the time.

4. I remember David's advice about rounding that corner on Clayton Road, just beyond Peacock Ridge before there was a light there. Just as you get up that hill, you can speed cuz the cops won't be there till Marsh Creek. (the school).

Weird that I remember those little things. But it still makes me chuckle. And it still affects my days. Happy.

Caught!

Today I hit a limit. Not the first time I must admit. In 4th period I have a kid that genuinely might rid me of my sanity. I can't control him. I've tried everything in the book. I've tried calm and collected, I've tried putting him in the corner, sending him to On Campus Suspension, calling home, corners and closets. Everything. Today, I couldn't handle his little antics. He randomly outbursts in class, does these outlandish dance moves across the front of class mid-lecture, throws paper! Seriously everything. So-I broke. I yelled a little. And threw my pen at him. Then banned him to the office room to sit and be alone so I could finish my lecture about pre-Revolutionary French Estates in peace. From the office window he continued to make faces at the other students, tap on the window, and whatever other distracting things he could think of to get attention.

I mean no disrespect but the "excuse" I often get from administration is he has an undiagnosed ADHD. I understand that this makes attention difficult and at times can be frustrating. I don't know personally anyone with it, but have several students who have it. This particular student I think takes it to a whole new level. My annoyance comes when it becomes the crutch. Almost like he doesn't have to even try to behave. Seriously, if his antics are this out of control, he should be in a more supervised class where other students aren't disrupted. Anyway, I digress.

After class, I calmly confronted the student saying, this was his last straw. I'm contacting his counselor and father to have him removed from class. Or to find a solution because I can't do this everyday anymore.

I was quite proud because I didn't fall for his whimpering eyes and promises to be better today. I called dad (got answering machines) and contacted his counselor.

I got a return call from the counselor. Mostly good news and totally on my side with some good suggestions for solutions. Until the counselor said..."and one more thing. Don't throw s*** at the students girl. You couldn't get into SERIOUS trouble for that. We're talking legal stuff. Don't do it!"

Woops. My bad. Guess that means I should stop shooting rubber bands at them too. :)

The good news is that the students has been formally confronted with administration. Is apparently up for expulsion. Is it bad that I'm hoping it goes through? Tomorrow is another day. I hope I can keep my cool for at least 10 minutes.

I did it!

Our "Smart Goal" in the History Department this year is to lower our fail rate from 30% to 25%. Hence why I have been working so hard in after school hours to try and get these kids to make up their work and get that passing grade.

Today marks the end of our 6 week progress report grading period. Reports will be mailed home early next week. After calculating my kids scores--I have a 21% fail rate. This counts the 7 students I have on my rolls that have more truancy's then actual days attended. (3 I have never seen.) If you ask me, that is pretty darn good. That means I have 130 passing students.

I must say, my 2nd period class are pretty much rock stars. All of them. I have 16 A's in that 33 student class alone. Followed by 11 B's and NO D's. So kudos to them.

I can't say that this improvement in grades has anything to do with me. I have changed my teaching methods slightly this year. I do my notes differently, and have done a different activity here or there, but overall I think its the same stuff. So, maybe I am getting to be a better teacher, or maybe its just a smart year of kids. I will say, I got an email today from one of my parents (I'm really making a concerted effort to email/call/contact all my parents frequently) responding to an email I sent that his kid had an A and was just a good kid overall. He responded saying thanks and that I "must be an OUTSTANDING educator!!!" That made me feel good.

Self-great day!

Aquarium of the Pacific

As a part of our weekend getaway, Mark and I made a short drive over to Long Beach to see the Aquarium. Simply BEAUTIFUL. I can see why people would want to live in that specific area. The drive over from the freeway was a little sketchy, but the Bay there was just beautiful. We saw the route we'll be running in a few weeks for our marathon. That was motivating. And the weather was just beautiful!

The Aquarium was really great. We pet the rays, held the birds, and saw the new baby tiger shark that will grow up to 15 feet and 1600 pounds.

Mark was really good at the "2 finger touch". I wasn't so good. I was gentle! Just used all my fingers instead. :) I'm a rebel without a cause.

These birds really had no fear. With clearance from the volunteer, we just had to stick out our arm and they would jump right on! What is it about holding birds that is so interesting?

A really fun day. We wish our schedules were more conducive to fun outings. I find that I am working more then I thought I would with my extra 6th period and tutoring after school. I think I'm seeing a difference in my grades though, maybe? The 6 week grading period is here and our goal was to have lowered our fail rate to only 25%. We'll see if I pass.

Disney Weekend

As a fabulous perk in Mark's job, we were invited to test the new Vacation Club suite's in the Grand Californian hotel. Swanky! We arrived for a relaxing Sunday-Monday evening full of a little Disney magic, a free arcade, and a comfortable room complete with a DVD player and robes. We hadn't seen the new dragon at the Fantasmic show so we made a point to go into the park specifically to see the much anticipated change. With a two hour wait on the banks of the Rivers of America, time can get a little slow. Mark then found this fun trick with our camera. Made the time past for a little while!

Disney pulled through again with a marvelous show. The Dragon was just remarkable! Really neat. After Fantastmic we ran with the crowd down Main Street to see Dumbo fly over the Castle. That was a little less then fabulous, but the fact that we got to walk to our swanky room made it totally worth it!

We've now decided that we need to get rich and retire quick so we can live like this more often!

Tagged

What is your current obsession? Luckily, I'm "in between" obsessions right now. The last was Sims3 probably. Or digital scrapbooking. I was consumed with it a few months back.

What do you hate that most everyone else seems to love? Not a surprise to some, but potatoes. I'm apparently not American.

What are you wearing today? My red "bowling" shoes that I haven't worn in a while. Love those. Jeans and the La Sierra Basketball shirt from 2 years ago. It's casual and comfortable-don't judge.

What’s for dinner? Probably cereal. Mark won't be home until after dinner so...I'll probably not think much about it.

What would you eat for your last meal? Its hard to say. I love so many things. Whatever it is, it will definatly include fresh Sourdough French Bread. And I'll never be full from it!

What’s the last thing you bought? Gas this morning to get to work. $3.17/gal.

What are you listening to right now? The kids outside on lunch and Mr. Ramaswamy on the other side of my wall in the middle of his very exciting Math lesson. He is really a loud teacher, but so am I so we balance each other out.

What is your favorite time of day? Morning. Crisp Fall Mornings!

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Home to be with my hubby. Then I'd take him to Venice, Italy. It is SO romantic and beautiful there and their gelato carts are cheap and amazing!

What is a hobby of yours? Running (although not as of late). Scrapbooking, cooking (even though you wouldn't guess based on our past meals), travelling.

What’s your favorite quote? I can't choose just one, so here are my top 5

5. "If I'm going to get cheap stuff, I want quality cheep stuff" -Lauren Kammeyer regarding the need for a Walmart at all times!

4. "Life rewards Action" - Sarah Krause

3. "Life - lived properly - is romantic" -Ryan Sutter

2. "There's a billion people on the planet, I mean what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything...the good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things...all of it, all the time, every day. You're saying... 'Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed, because I will be your witness.'" -Shall We Dance

1. "I love you" - my husband

What is your favorite color? Yellow

If you could be proficient at anything without having to practice it over and over again, what would it be? The piano and volleyball

What is your dream job? I'm a lucky one who is doing her dream job. Better yet, I'd love to do yearbook ALL DAY! Its insane how perfect that class is for me!

Describe your personal style? I really like business casual but don't ever dress it. More of a jeans/top kind of girl.

What’s your favorite flower? Don't have a favorite, but really love roses.

What are you going to do after this? Chew out the yearbook class for their "he said/she said" 3rd grade crap. Then watch 6th period read. Then go home and clean my house, go for a run, clean more of the house, and then go on my Holidate! :)

What’s your favorite fruit? Strawberry

What inspires you? Music, Really dedicated athletes, My mom.

Who was the last person you kissed? My love.

What are you currently reading? Harry Potter 7. I know, I'm a bit behind.

Go to your bookshelf, take down the first book with a red spine you see, turn to page 26 and type out the first line: It brings you the energy you need to work long hours without burning out. (StrengthsQuest: Achiever)

What is your favorite sound? Main Street in Disneyland. And the after-fireworks music from Wishes.

What delighted you most today? The fact that I got 2 hours off for the assembly that I was supposed to attend but didn't.

Did you laugh today? Not yet. Class has been a little boring.

What is a new year’s resolution that you have kept? I've tried to keep to a budget all year. Thats kinda a big deal. A bigger deal is that the past month we've really tried double hard to stick to it. Kinda rewarding.

Our "normal"

Today I got home from work around 4:30.

We went to Chili's around 5:30 where we ordered too much food. The skillet queso was delight, we splurged on beverages and the strawberry lemonade didn't disappoint although the ICB rootbeer isn't "free refills". Disappointing.

We returned from Chili's around 7:00 too full to be comfortable.

Mark napped.

I watched TV.

Mark woke up and began playing the football game on his playstation.

I read blogs.

We'll probably think about bed around 9:30.

Fun eh? Bet you wish your lives were cool like ours?

Girls Weekend

What a fun chance to get away for a few days and enjoy St. George with dearest Lauren. We headed up Friday afternoon and spent the weekend relaxing, eating, sitting by the pool, and just enjoying a little time together. The highlight of the trip was probably the first night when we saw Annie at the Tuachan Theater! What a delightful show. I'm a little embarassed to admit I had never seen the movie so this was a special treat for sure! The sets were amazing, the vocals surpurb, and the red rock backdrop made for a perfect evening. And yes, we did stand in line to get our photo with Annie, specifically for the post! Delightful.We certainly enjoyed lots of time sitting in our hotel room just relaxing. Those beds were pretty much worth every penny. And if the breakfast bar didn't have such a huge line, it would have been more enjoyable. Seriously, there was a man at the waffle counter who was making a waffle for the whole world. So annoying. And to top off the perfectness of our hotel, it was within walking distance to this little gem! A super W--and who would have ever thought that a Super W would have a clearence! I tell you. Magic.

We spent a little time in St. George seeing the historical sites like the Tabernacle, Brigham Young's winter home, and the temple grounds. The historian in me was in love with it and to my advantage, Lauren is quite the history buff herself so didn't mind the detour. We then spent Sunday in Zion National Park amidst the beauty of the red rock and ample tourists.

We hiked up the Emerald Pools Trial. Lauren is a definate trooper as I think that bag around her shoulders was equal to the weight of another person. She still trooped up that hill with no problem. The views were amazing, the conversation delightful, and the company splendid! Couldn't have asked for anything better.

How I love vacationing with Lauren. She and I seriously think on the same path. I'm pretty sure she finished my sentence several times as well. We enjoyed good food from Chinese to Pizza to a very european Cheese and crackers and fruit buffet. Let me just tell you, it doesn't get any better then her! We have already made plans to return to the city, specifically for another play at the Tuachan because it was that good.

Today I...

--picked up a bagel at Vons on the way to work. I love morning fresh bagels with delightful Cream cheese. EXCEPT: my bagel was NOT fresh, and they didn't have the cream cheese flavor I wanted. And I think that OJ is overpriced.

--realized I haven't had more than 16oz of water the past 3 days. So I'm trying to correct that by overdosing on the bottle. I now have a hard time getting through the class period without having to excuse myself.

--have our 3rd day of "Senior Me" photos. Its hetic. This year in the yearbook the Senior class will get a "personality" shot next to their senior mug shot. Such a simple thing has created such confusion. Of the 750 Seniors, we only have 100 done. This could be bad news in the end. I suppose since it IS the first year, it will take a season to get it off the ground. Next year will be more popular.

--was offered an additional period to teach. Teachers here are contracted to teach 5 periods a day with 1 conference period. To help the master schedule, I have been given a 6th period class in lieu of my conference period. They start tomorrow! Wow. I haven't taught a last period of the day in 5 years! That was the year I almost quit my job. This will be interesting. Bonus--I get paid an "overtime" hour everyday!

--am super excited for my Holidate episode where the girl flat out tells the guy she isn't going to give him the plane ticket to see her; and to watch ANTM which recorded on our blessed DVR last night!

--am going Grocery shopping. I still love doing this. And I'm pretty sure Mark and I have been living off cereal and leftovers for about 10 days now. And I thought it was going to get better after marriage. Nope, we still eat lamo dinners. At least we set the table. That counts.

Wednesday Night

I feel I have so many things to blog about! I've been getting so far behind. So to start, the Disneyland Basketball League play has begun again. Mark has been playing basketball on Wednesday Nights for as long as we have known each other. In fact, our first date was to one of his Disney League games! With the new League started and a possiblity of a second league in addition, basketball League season has hit the Morrell household full swing.I "borrowed" the yearbook's amazing Rebel camera for these shots and I must admit I am completly sold on a necessary purchase for our own! So much fun to snap away!

Mark in Basketball Action!

So in case you're curious, this is what we'll be doing Wednesday nights for the next while.