Mrs. Whitecar's Super Kids!

So, I'm about a month into school and all I can say is teachers aren't payed enough!! I have a super cute class but, super UNDISCIPLINED. What is wrong with parents these days? Do you just let your children run a-muck at home? Whatever it is there must have been something in the water in the year 2004. Thursday must have been a bad day for everyone because Bob (names have been changed) decided to pick up a dead spider and wipe the guts on Sally's pant leg. Frank thought it would be funny to tie Rebecca and Julie's backpacks together so at the end of the day instead of catching the bus home they spent 10 min. trying to untie them. Add in some slapping, name calling, and a case of lice and you've got a typical day for Mrs. Whitecar. I'm really starting to rethink this whole teaching thing...

Here is my lovely welcome back to school board. I think it turned out pretty darn cute if I don't say so myself!

We are bucket fillers! There is a book called "Have You Filled A Bucket Today?" Basically, it talks about how everyone walks around with an invisible bucket that contains their feelings. You can either be a bucket filler and fill each others buckets with nice things or a bucket dipper and take nice things out of peoples buckets by being mean. Apparently, this lesson did not work with my class. BUT we're still TRYING!

This is our reading strategy board. We will fill it up as we learn different reading strategies. If anyone teaches the Cafe and Daily 5 books by "The Sisters" are life savers!!!

And finally our Language Arts focus wall. This has our weekly spelling and vocabulary words and other things we are focusing on for the week.

Here we are at the Def Leopard/Heart concert. LOTS of fun!

How hilarious is this!!! Brandon as the "BUBBLE BOY" at the E.I.S.F. fair!

Summer 2011

Wow, has this summer flown by! The end of the school year was bitterSWEET. This was probably the most challenging year yet. It was a rough and rocky road and it feels good to have it behind me. I am so looking forward to a fresh year with fresh new faces to fill with amazing knowledge!

This is a picture of my class on our Biography Wax Museum Day. We had lot's of fun. Can you recognize any of the famous historical people standing next to me?

I have decided to do a superhero/comic/pop art theme in my classroom this year. I feel that this is a gender friendly theme and something the kids will enjoy. I had one graphic novel/comic book in my classroom this year and everyone ALWAYS fought over it. Needless to say, comics are like crack for kids but, a good kind of crack ;) This is my inspiration:

I already have my bb boards half way done. I must say they are turning out SUPER cool! If anyone has ever done this theme and has any ideas for me, send em my way! I want to do a post of the beginning of the year with my completed project just cus I'm so darn proud!

Brandon and I celebrated our One Year Anniversary in June. He surprised me with an overnight stay at the hotel we stayed in on our wedding night. It was a lot of fun to reminisce about that wonderful day! I cannot believe that a year has already come and gone. It definitely has been the most educational of years. We have learned so much about ourselves and each other this past year and I can honestly say I really do love him so much more than I did a year ago. I have put together a list of 5 things I have learned this year as a newlywed:

1. Figure out each other's love language and show them love through that. Most people give and receive love differently so it is VERY helpful to know which language your spouse is. There is a book out there on this called The 5 Love Languages. Brandon's love language is physical touch (go figure ;)) and mine is acts of service. All husband wants when he gets home from work is a big hug and kiss and all I want is for the trash to be taken out. ;) There is something about getting "taken care" of that makes me feel so loved.

2. Learn what pushes each other's buttons quickly and then don't EVER push them!

3. Always put the other first (this can be hard sometimes when you get a case of the "me" or "I want it now" syndrome). If you are constantly worried about the other person and they are constantly worried about you, then you will have two happy campers!

4. Go to the temple regularly!!!! This is probably the most important!! Whenever husband and I start arguing, all we have to do is plan an emergency temple trip and I swear we don't have another argument for weeks! It really does bless your life in so many ways!

5. Always work on your relationship. Husband and I recently started listening to some marriage counsel/advice CD's from the church. I can't remember the name of them but if anyone is interested I'll find out. They are AMAZING! And so entertaining! Because let's face it, no marriage is perfect! We all have our problems. These CD's have helped us communicate with one another so much better. They're great.

P.S. Our cake top was delicious! Who knew cake could last that long in the freezer?

Here we are at Mesa Falls in July. Such a pretty place. We also went to the cabin and watched the West Yellowstone fire work show. Always a winner. It's so quiet there that when the fireworks go off they sound 100 times louder with the echo bouncing off the mountains. We also got a double treat when a lightening storm started at the same time as the fireworks. Coolest sight ever! The Stadium of Fire wasn't too bad either!

Here are the krokay (spellcheck?) champs!

We went to a couple concerts this summer. Here we are at Journey. Holy cow was that an awesome show! They played Night ranger and Foreigner. We are also going to Def Leppard and Hart in a few weeks. I'm a sucker for classic rock and so glad I married a man equally obsessed!

Ok, who loves the movie "UP"? I know I bawled through the first 10 min. There was just something about that cute old man...here i am at the recreated UP house in the Salt Lake Parade of Homes. I must say I was extremely impressed. However, they totally should've put the balloons up the day I was there...

This house was adorable! And every detail was exactly the way it was in the movie. Definitely, a kid taker!

Here is a picture of my latest project. These are called Alfajores. They are Peruvian cookies and surprisingly a little time consuming to make, but they are sooooo yummy and different! I think mine taste pretty close to the real deal. I know hubby was impressed!

Things are going good for the Whitecar's. We just sent out Brandon's sister Makenzie on a mission to Ohio. She is doing well and we're so excited and proud of her. Husband is getting ready for a new semester at the U. I can't believe I only have a few more weeks until school starts! I've been hitting the back to school sales like crazy getting ready. I really want to start this year off with a bang. Ever sense I can remember, I have always gotten so excited about the beginning of a new school year. The brand new sharpened pencils and notebooks, the new bag, and clothes....I just love it! I even get husbands supplies ready for his new semester. I always feel like a kids again at the beginning of a new school year. I guess it's a good thing for me! I just pray, pray, pray, that this is a good year. I really need it! Wish me luck!

"School's out fo' the summer! School's out fo' eva!" Well almost...

All I can say is wow, it's been awhile since I've posted something on this thing. A lot has happened the last 5 months or so. Husband and I are no longer tenants for McDougal Funeral Home. THANK HEAVENS!!! We are now living in his great-gpa's basement apartment in northern Salt Lake. It's cozy. P.S. moving during the winter sucks. Don't do it.

Keep in mind this picture was taken in February. The weather has gotten a LITTLE better. Husband just finished his Associates Degree at SLCC. He is SOO excited to be done with generals and is looking forward to starting the Occupational Therapy program at the U. I am proud of my stud muffin.

Ever since Husband made a surprise visit to my classroom my second graders lovingly refer to him as "Muscleman" or "Mr. Muscles" and often ask for him to teach them how to be big like him.

I don't know why this picture is sideways. It wasn't when I loaded it. Weird.

I sneaked this shot in during P.E. This is one of the most hilarious times of the week. Sometimes I play with them, but ever since I literally knocked heads with one of them during flag tag I've opted not to. Now, I like to sit and just laugh at them when they fall down. It might sound a bit "Mrs. Trunchbowlish" but trust me, its HILAR and VERY entertaining! Most of the time kids don't cry or get hurt when they fall down. They dust them selves off and get right back to business. I think it's so funny to me because their little bodies are still a little uncoordinated so, they fall a lot and when they do it looks really awkward when they try to balance themselves out. My favorite is watching them line up for tag before I blow the whistle. All the boys stand their with their arms extended, in karate poses along with karate sounding noises beckoning for the other team to just "dare" to cross their line. It's so funny, sometimes I purposely don't blow the whistle for like 2 min. just so I can watch them put their best game faces on.

Here is Husband on his birthday. He got his first shot gun. He reminded me of Ralphie with his Red Ryder BB gun.

I am now currently a brunette. Just for fun.

Random tid-bit. Has anyone ever seen the show on TLC "Extreme Couponing"? Well, I have jumped on the crazy bandwagon. Or at least I'm trying to. The last time we went to the grocery store we got all this stuff for free using coupons! How sweet is that?! I have learned that couponing is quite the process but, not as difficult as one would think. Just a little time consuming but, if you have a supporting husband to help it's not that bad. ;) It can become very addicting though. I can't wait for my next "haul" and the next great deal I find. My sister thinks I'm one of those weirdo losers that hold up the check-out line now but, really people who save money aren't losers! AND I'm sure she'll be snacking on my sweet stalk pile soon enough! ;)

Life is going great for Brandon and I. We are loving everything that has come our way. We are both excited for the summer. Especially me! The best and probably the ONLY perk of being a teacher is getting my summer vacation. Season-pass to 7 Peaks here I come! We have been making an effort to get to the temple more often which has blessed us greatly. I absolutely LOVE going to the temple. Each time I go I am so glad I did and find myself eager to learn more! It is the best place on Earth to be! I had a really neat experience a couple months ago while we were there doing a session. Towards the end, I had the most overwhelming feeling of the Spirit come over me. I have NEVER and I mean NEVER felt the spirit that strong in my life!! I could feel the excitement for the person I was doing the temple work for. She was so grateful to me and had been waiting a long time for that day to come. It was an amazing experience and I am so glad that I have been living (trying to) my life righteously so that I could serve her and make that happen. I am so grateful to have a husband who is always eager and willing to go to the temple. We are getting ready to celebrate our first year wedding anniversary. WOW! ONE FULL YEAR! It's so crazy how time flies on by. This has been one roller-coaster ride of a year but, I wouldn't change it for anything! Being married has it's challenges but, it is very rewarding and bursting at the seams happy. I love you B!

Happy Holiday's!

Thanksgiving came and went. We had a fun time at Aunt Jan's in Blackfoot. Lot's of yummy food and games as always. All my pics are on their cameras though. :( Christmas is an amazing time of year. I love the sights, sounds, and smells. This Christmas was extra special for Brandon and I because it was the first one as a married couple...

Here is Mrs. Whitecar's 2nd grade class making gingerbread houses. We had a blast but, I don't think I'll be doing this again next year. It was a LOT of work!!

So, Brandon comes home one day and says, "Hey babe, I bought a Christmas Tree tag. We're going to go cut down our own Christmas Tree!" So, off we go. We had a map and it didn't look too far away. Wow, were we wrong! 2 hours later...we finally get to where we think we're supposed to be. It was a horrible map! So, here we are in the middle of no where, past Tooele, and there are no Christmas Trees!! I'm talking none, zip, nadda. We traveled all that way for nothing!! Then to top it off, we were in the Lebaron slushing and spinning through snow, ice, and mud covered roads. Needless to say, it was an unforgettable, disappointing day.

Our next stop was to our local Christmas Tree lot right by Savors in town. We found the perfect tree.

Brandon was such a man by strapping the tree down to the hood of the Lebaron! Now, I don't think I've talked about the 1980 somethin Chrysler Lebaron yet...this is Brandon's pride and joy. Pros: No payment, soft comfy seats, power windows and locks, etc. Cons: a lil musty smellin', coming down the road from a distance, it often looks like a piece of rolling poo. But, hey, we LOVE the Lebaron! I told Brandon he gets a new car for a graduation present just like I did. You gotta earn it!! I honestly think this man would be fine driving the Lebaron for the rest of time. I really do love this simple man. He's awesome!

Not to toot my own horn but, I think our Xmas tree turned out amazing!! And the smell of pine is wonderful!!! Definately the best Christmas smell ever!

For Christmas Eve, we went to the annual Whitecar Christmas Eve party at Brandon's Uncle Ricky's house. It is a tradition to do a white elephant gift exchange. It seriously was one of the most hilarious things ever! Everyone brings a gift and we put them all in the center and sit around them in a circle. No one knows which present is whos. We each draw a number and then go in order for choosing the gifts. When your number is up you can either steal someones gift or open one in the center. It was so much fun and we got a LOT of laughs!

Christmas morning with my new husband was so much fun! I was really worried that I'd have this weird empty feeling with it just being the two of us but, it ended up being awesome! Brandon kept rolling over in the early morning hours asking if I was awake yet. FINALLY, at 8:30 I forced myself out of bed haha!! I'm the worst morning person ever, even on Christmas! He was way cute and made sure that Santa came! We had a lot of fun opening eachothers presents. I will say we had a really good Christmas and spoiled eachother maybe a little too much. It was smart to start saving months ago.

After presents, we went to Brandon's Mom and Dad's house for brunch. We ate a yummy pancake spread. It was an awesome Christmas!! I did miss my family back home in Idaho. I wish we all lived really close together but, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!!

My Mom and Dad took us to a Jazz game the week after Christmas. It was fun to see them. New Years was fun but, talk about a freezing blizzard! BRRR! We had some friends over for a lil F and F (food and fun).

Things in Utah are great. It was hard to go back to work after being gone for so long but, it is good to get back into the swing of things. Something exciting...Brandon and I just put an offer in on a house!! We are so excited and nervous at the same time!! We've been looking for about 4 months now and finally found the perfect house for us!! It is a short sale though, which means that the process is going to probably take awhile before we hear anything back which, is a bummer. But, we are really hopeful and hope everything works out. We are really anxious to get out of the funeral home. It's been a great opportunity but, it's really started to wear down on us. We're excited for a new adventure and our first home yay!!

Halloween the Horrible

I LOVE Halloween. I always get excited about what to dress up as and what we're going to do. BUT this year was horrible. Just horrible!! First, we had to be on call all weekend at the funeral home. Second, I got sick. And when I say sick, I mean SICK. I spent all Halloween weekend puking my guts out in the bathroom. How lovely. But my amazing husband spent the weekend nursing me back to health. We watched scary movies and ate yummy soup. I'm lucky to have such a good guy. AND mother-in-law who made us the soup haha ;)

Before the horrible Halloween we went to the farmers market and picked out pumpkins to carve...

Then it was off to Gardner's Village for the "Witches Weekend" which is a MUST. So fun!!

Here is Brandon at College Game Day for the Utah Utes. No, I did not get up at 5 in the morning to join him :)

Oh, what a happy boy! ;)

I'm beginning to understand that this football/basketball thing is here to stay. I've tried getting into it but, I just don't get what all the excitement is about a ball being passed back and forth. I'm glad my hubby has something that he's obsessed about though. Like me and my decorating/crafting.

Life is good. We are excited to go home for the holidays. Work is good. I get way stressed out sometimes but, the kids dialogue is what keeps me going. The other day a little boy in my class told me that I looked, "Beautiful and romantic". The other kids looked at him like he was a weirdo but, it was so funny. It makes my day to hear things like that. For Halloween, we made masks, watched Charlie Brown's The Great Pumpkin and passed out candy. It was fun and the kids had a lot of fun making their masks. I took a picture but for some reason can't get it load. :(

One day my husband and I got into a disagreement that actually ended up lasting a lot longer than it should of. I was in class teaching away when the best husband in the world walked in with my favorite flowers (Calla Lilys) and a card saying he was sorry. I'm lucky to have a guy like him who cares.

Something cool that has happened to me this last month is I have lost a total of 20 pounds!! I have been on the HCG diet. Which is a miracle diet but, the hardest thing I've ever done!! I am a food lover so, having to give up my sweets and starches was way way hard but, totally worth it!! It is an interesting diet...you take drops of a hormone under your tongue 3x a day. It is a hormone that is found in pregnant women and when put into someone who isn't pregnant somehow has a reverse effect on your fat burning process. You are put on a VERY STRICT 500 calorie day diet for 26 days. YEAH, only 500 calories. The first week I was STARVING! But after that the hormone kept me full and it actually became quite easy. Especially, when I saw the scale number down each morning and putting on once too tight now very loose pants. After 26 days, you are put on a 3 week maintenance phase which I am on right now. You go back to eating normally (except sugars and starches). The idea is to help get this new weight stabilized. I've been on this phase for almost a week and haven't gained any weight back so, I think I'll be ok. I do want to loose a little bit more so, I'm planning on hitting the gym hard. I'm embarrassed to say that when I began the diet I weighed 145 pounds. For being 5 feet tall, that is a little much. I now weigh 125 pounds!! YAY!! I'd like to loose another ten pounds. So, I've got a little work to do. I have never stuck to a diet/exercise routine so, I am way proud of myself that I stuck this one out! It was way hard but, I'm so glad I did it!! I am excited to get off the maintenance phase though. I really want to be able to eat potatoes again! haha. It's actually kind of funny, I haven't been craving anything that much but, I am excited for Thanksgiving dinner. Go me!!

Fall is in the air...

Fall has to be my favorite time of year. The weather is great, the colors are wonderful, and the smells are even better!! If anyone is looking for a yummy new candle scent, I bought Creamy Pumpkin at Bath and Body Works today and it smells amazing!! When Brandon walked into the door today he asked me what I was baking and when I told him it was the candle he looked a little disappointed but, loved the smell ;) Another great thing about fall is the holidays. I absolutely LOVE Halloween!! Here are some of my smookies (Halloween decor):

I can't take all the credit though. I found most of my ideas online. White pumpkins are really in and I think they are so cute!! Everything was really easy to make and didn't cost too much either. I don't know if being married now has made me more crafty but, I find myself thinking about all sorts of crafty things to do lately. I really want to get into sewing so, I hope Santa brings me a sewing machine this year. I find so much joy in making a "house" a home. Plus, you save a lot of money on things when you make them yourself. Fun fun!

Here is something fun Brandon and I did a few weeks ago:

Here we are at the finish line of the Dirty Dash. Yes, I ran a 10K. Well, I made it half way. I made it running 3 miles THROUGH THE MUD, up hill, over fences, and under tunnels. It was a tough day but, ended up being a lot of fun. I have to apologize to my hubby for not being a happy camper in the beginning about it but, I'm glad we did it. I learned something the day after this event when every inch of my body ached in agony with pain....girl, you are out of shape! It's time to get down to business!

Class happenings: We have a discipline system at our school where students get 2 stop and thinks, and then a stop and go. If you get a stop and go, that means you've been extra naughty and have to have mom/dad sign a note with what you did written on it. I give stop and go's frequently (aren't I mean and nasty?) and on one particular day a student brought back one signed by what he said , mom. When I was looking at this stop and go it was obvious that he had forged his mothers signature. There were erase marks and everything. I asked him several times if his mom had really signed it or if he had and he denied everything. So, I decided to get someone else involved....he works with the social worker a lot at our school so, I called her down and asked her to visit with him about it while I continued to teach class. Recess came and along came her with the little boy. She said that he had something to tell me and with tears in his eyes admitted to forging the signature and said he was sorry. When we finished our conversation, I sent him outside and continued to talk with the social worker. She then told me that she had him write his mothers name on a different piece of paper to compare the two handwriting's. She said that before he wrote her name down he said a little prayer praying that the signatures wouldn't match. :) Poor boy! I thought I would share that because I thought it was so funny! School is going good. It was good at the beginning of the year and then got really bad, but now it's back to being really good so I'm loving that. Teaching is just such a really challenging/stressful career I'm learning the longer I've been doing it. Teachers really do deserve more pay haha!

Something significant that happened this last week was my Grandmother Coffman passing away. She suffered from cancer for many years. While I will miss her very much, it is such a blessing that her pain is gone. I'm grateful that I have the knowledge that she is in a better place and I will see her again someday. Her funeral service was absolutely wonderful. She was such a neat lady and had a huge impact on so many lives. She was extremely loved by many. I couldn't help but wonder if my funeral service will be the same. I think it's a good wake up call to live your life in a way that you will be greatly remembered for your talents, acts of service, and unselfish love for others. We love you Nana!! One thing I'm a little distraught about is not being there enough for my own mother during this sad time. I wished that I could have helped out more. Living 3 hours away and having the type of job I do doesn't make it easy to get away. I have a lot of respect and admiration for my mother for going through this and holding her head high. I am extremely blessed to be related to such admirable women. I think the dust is now settling and we are all getting back to our normal lives, which are such good and blessed ones. I love my family so much and hope we can get away from Utah more often to be with them! It's hard being away from them. Only those of you who live far away understand!

Things are going good though here in the Great Salt Lake. Brandon is working hard to get through school. I am always so amazed at how hard working he is. I was looking for some cute way to show him how much I love and appreciate him so, I've been leaving love notes in places where he can find them. I also bought a set of shower crayons. They are so fun and a great way to keep the romance alive! A really great blog I am loving right now on this subject is the http://thedahlingdatingdivas.blogspot.com Check it out! Life is good!

E.I.S.F.baby!!!

For you non Idahoans out there, that means Eastern Idaho State Fair. I was so excited that we got to go up to Idaho over Labor day weekend. We had so much fun at the fair with my family and ate way too much! I've gotten Brandon hooked ;) It was so good to see old friends and family. Everyone needs to get food at Creamy Creations!! It's my Aunt Jan's booth and it's right in by the front gate next to the corn booth.

While we were in Blackfoot we borrowed my Uncle Ron's cool vintage truck and took some family photos.

It's so good to go home to Idaho. However, we have started to build a good home here in Utah. It's not so bad ;) Brandon is doing good jumping back into the school and work routine. I think sometimes he gets a little burned out though. Don't we all? I'm in my third week of teaching second grade and so far I like it a lot better than fifth. The kids are a little too talkative and wiggly though. We have lots of exercise breaks. ;) Something kind of funny happened last week. Well, it was more sad to me than funny but, one day I sent my kids to lunch. Here I am munching away, checking my emails, when the intercom sounds, "Mrs. Whitecar can you please let the office know where you are." Turns out I sent my kids to lunch an hour early! HAHA. I have no idea how but I misread the clock. They were out there for 15 min. before anyone realized. I felt so stupid but I guess it was pretty funny. I have some really cute kids in my class and am looking forward to a much better year than last!