"Gonna rise up, find my direction magnetically." --Eddie Vedder

day 4. a photo of the last place you went on holiday

Remember that time my husband and I went on an impromptu road trip to the Oregon Coast? That was the last place I went on holiday. And it was amazing.

We thank thee, O God

Day 3. a photo that makes you happy.

This is the late Gordon B. Hinckley, who was the prophet and president of the Church from 1995 to 2008. He is the "prophet of my youth"...the man who was leading the Church when my testimony truly took root and began growing. Aside from being a wonderful man and incredible representative of Christ, who did so much for the Church, he also had a great sense of humor. And, as the above picture makes clear, he was pretty classy. His smile was the one of the most endearing and contagious I have ever seen. I think this photo captured that well.

Day 2

Day 2: a photo of yourself a year ago

We were made for each other. Don't you think?

Thirty-thousand words

Hi everyone! A blog entry on the Zombie Apocalypse will be forthcoming, but in the meantime, I wanted to get this project started. 

Because I like this idea. They say a picture's worth a thousand words (or something like that), so I commence this little photo project inspired by friend Julie's blog. Thirty days and thirty pictures. So here's Day One:

day 1. your facebook profile photo

(I feel like my skin looks overly-purple in this, but I'm a brunette at the moment! That's fun.)

Do you have your 72-hour-kit ready? You'll need it on Thursday.

This week, people. I am really excited about this.

A reminder

Self-quips

I don't hang out with friends enough and the "blogger world" is making me a blog-snob.

Also, I don't know how to write chemical reactions, but apparently I'm supposed to for my Foundational Science class.

I'm tired of homework. Give me the footlights.

The Primary Chronicles, Installment One

Today was Jacob and I's first day as TRUE primary teachers! We were called to teach the 5-year-olds in Primary, and last Sunday was technically our first day, but we spent the whole time practicing for the upcoming primary program, so it was more like crowd control than teaching. We also had an activity Saturday morning, rehearsing the program, and it was fun. We've got a big group of kids, and from the limited interaction we've had with them, we adore them already. I want to tell you about them, but in order to protect their identities, I've come up with a few nicknames. Meet the girls first:

Brown Eyes - Quiet, and often in her own little world. Well-behaved, but mostly because she's too busy just observing and thinking to cause any mischief. But she's got a colorful little personality when she does speak up. We also discovered today that she's a creative and talented color-er.

QT Pie - The little darlin' of the group so far. She's usually got a purse and/or a trendy headband and/or jewelry, and all this makes her sound prissy, but she is the exact opposite. Mature and friendly, she's a real sweetheart. She can be a goofball as well, it just takes her a while to warm up. Her unafraid and open heart make her the ring-leader of the girls, and she's the first to offer her hand when walking to and from class.

Miss K - QT Pie's right-hand girl. They can usually make each other giggle, but never really get too disruptive. K can also be pretty goofy, but she's a good friend, just like QT.

Tooey - A little unsure about her new teachers, but she seems sweet. She tends to get antsy sitting for a long time, and usually ends up twirling/standing/twisting/waving just to get her wiggles out. One of the most articulate speakers of the group, she is usually one to speak up and answer a question, and her pronunciation makes her sound precocious, but she's just being her sweet self.

Queen Anne - We just met her today, but she's QT's other right-hand girl. She's probably the quietest of the group, and since we just met her, she's a little unsure about us, but seems to be warming up. She's happiest when giggling with Miss K and QT Pie.

And for the boys:

Kid B - Determined from Day One to despise us, and would downright glowered whenever we made eye contact for the first little while. But he's decided that we're okay now, and he's the catalyst for much hilarity. He's got a lot of energy, and sometimes it's hard to get him to sit still. He's not TRYING to be bad, he just doesn't see the point of reverence. But we're getting there.

J Town - Pretty quiet and shy, so we still don't know him very well yet, but he seems like a good kid. Well-behaved, and eager to help. He prefers to watch from the sidelines, and sometimes dislikes the insanity of being a part of a big, rowdy group. But he listens well and is a great balancing force to our class.

D Dog - A little shy, but still your fun-loving 5-year-old. On the first day we were in Primary, he got a little too enthusiastic jumping up to sing "Follow the Prophet," smacked his face on the chair in front of him, and cut open his gums. But with a hug, a few swishes of water, and a moist paper towel, he recovered well.

Ace - Still getting to know him as well. I'm really grateful that I'm taking a class on Exceptional Students and Learning Disabilities right now, because it's helping me recognize and deal with any difficulties. I think Ace might have some hearing deficiencies, based on the way he talks. He can be hard to understand, but he always cheerfully contributes, whether you understand him or not. It takes him a little while to warm up, but once he's there, he has a blast.

Of course, working with 5-year-olds has some pretty memorable moments. Exhibit A:

Last week, Kid B noticed that a boy sitting in front of us had pants that were riding a little low. Kid B's got some trouble with his l's and r's (they're all w's), and he turned to me and said "Guess what?" (the way he starts all his stories) "His pants awe fawing down and he isn't awaew (aware)."

Also, Saturday, I was sitting next to Brown Eyes on the stand as we practiced for the Primary Program, and we had the following interaction:
Brown Eyes - (pointing to a few people leaving the chapel) Where are those guys going?
Me - I don't know. Maybe they're going to the bathroom.
Brown Eyes - (with a sudden look of surprise and concern) I have to go to the bathroom!
Me - Can you hold it?
Brown Eyes - (vigorous head shake) Uh-uh.
Me - Okay, let's go!
It was as if she didn't realize that she had to go to the bathroom until the subject was brought up, and then it was a desperate situation.

Today's primary program went splendidly, by the way. All the kids remembered their parts, and Brown Eyes and Kid B effectively destroyed the hearing of half the congregation with their enthusiasm at the microphone.

The other funny thing that happened to day was during Closing Exercises. The kids did well in sacrament meeting, so we all got to sit on the floor and eat snacks and color for the last half of Primary. In his short trips to get a different colored crayon, Kid B was stomping around like Godzilla. He was making noises too, but because his mouth was full of food most of the time, I didn't realize what he was saying for a few minutes. Then I finally made out, with a Godzilla stomp on each syllable, in a deep and throaty Godzilla voice: "I can fowwow Deejus Cwist!" ("I can follow Jesus Christ!")

At least he's enthusiastic about it.

Re: Carrie, or "Autumnal Angst"

In response to Carrie's recent "Fall is awesome" post, I have this to say:

Dear blog world,

I am about to rain on your squash soup recipe/cute leaf-based crafts/darling fall boots parade. Here's why.

I hate autumn. It's the end of summer, which season I do not hate. Autumn signals the death of all living things, people. Including sunshine. Don't get me wrong -- I dig colorful leaves. I dig carving pumpkins. I dig sweaters.

But, Carrie. "Blustery days with no sun"? How is that "happiness"? That means being cold and having Vitamin D deficiencies and not having picnics because you won't be able to feel your fingers by the end of the meal.

Perhaps I was just born with lemonade and the Pacific Ocean in my veins. I love to be barefoot and outside and communing with nature. But when being barefoot and outside and communing with nature is causing me to lose circulation in my extremities, our friendship tends to get a little (pun intended) chilly.

Here's the thing. Autumn leaves really are pretty spectacular. Autumn has its merits...scarves are fun, and woolen hats, and hot chocolate. I enjoy a walk in the crisp air, crunching leaves beneath my feet and admiring the Jack-O-Lanterns on various porches. But I love all of those things if the sun is still out. And in Rexburg, is that often? No. No, it's not.

So, I cling to summer, with everything in my lemonade, West Coast heart. And when I can't hold on any longer, I grab a book, close my eyes, and wait for the sunshine to return. If I could wave a magic wand and make autumn and winter last only last one month each, I would do it. But, as Carrie said on her own blog recently, "I can't be a wizard. So I'm a blogger."

(Valerie, if there was a way to "tag" you in the blog world, I would with this post.)

Dinner dilemmas

I was really good at making dinner for Jacob and I for the first month of our marriage. But I've kind of lost steam a little bit. Already.

But it would be much easier to plan exciting and interesting (and even consistent) family meals if I wasn't the PICKIEST EATER IN THE WORLD.

Los Cielos

This week in my online science class, we're studying the universe. (Not, like...ALL of it...just the basics of the Big Bang Theory and the history of the telescope and the nature of galaxies and stuff.) Anyway, I just watched one of the required Nova documentaries. I'm so humbled and amazed by the scope and scale of the universe, and by our minuscule understanding of it.

There are some things that I cannot find adequate words for. There's something that my mom always says...What if, just if, in all of the enormous immensity of space, ours is the only world like this one? What if there's no other planet in the billions of galaxies, each of which contain billions of stars, that is similar to our earth? 

What a unique and incredible place. What a blessing to be here on it. There's so much that we don't even understand...I'm so astounded by the beauty of God's creations.

"This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made; And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand. And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings; Which alight proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space..." --Doctrine and Covenants 88:7-12

Our generation is now so used to computer-generated images of space...from the first Star Trek original series episodes to Saturday morning cartoons. But when you realize that these are REAL--as if someone with a Kodak sauntered to the edge of the galaxy and snapped a few shots--it's just astounding. The following are images from the Hubble Telescope. More can be found here.