Much needed weekend!

This weekend we went on the annual Snowbird weekend getaway. This weekend was a much needed getaway for me. I swear all the kids at school are on a 24/7 craziness, I can't wait to get out of school, I am already acting like I am out of school, binge. It's been a hard couple weeks. Usually I feel ready for Christmas about this time. I haven't even started shopping. Thank goodness for a husband that is willing to do most of the work this year. He has already started doing the wrapping too. I could not survive without him. I am excited for the short, week long break that Christmas is giving me. I am really excited to finally get to spend time with friends and family. Those whom I unwillingly neglect all the time. Love you all! Hope you have a great Christmas week!

It's a mad, mad world!

So I realize that it has been forever since I have written. It's a Christmakuh miracle that I finally decided to write. Maybe it's the spirit of the season. Which I can admit I usually loathe and hate. But because this is the first year I am not working retail, I might actually enjoy the Christmas season. Everyone knows I love Halloween season!!! Life around the Smith household has been absolutely insane the past couple months. Zac started school this summer and as usually studies his life away. He is loving his classes and really enjoys what he is doing and learning. Phew! I started teaching school in Aug at a middle school in Sandy. Teaching sucks up every single minute of my day. From the moment I wake up till the moment I go to bed I am studying, grading, preparing lessons, worksheets, tests, etc. I can honestly see why teachers deserve three months off each year. It is the most demanding, and most physically exhausting thing I have ever done. There are days when I want to quit because its just too hard and then there are days when students say things to me or leave me notes, and then I realize that it is all worth it. If you know you are making even a small difference in one of their lives, it can keep you going! Last week I was having a really hard day. I was just physically tired from everything that teaching involves. I came back into my room after school and this was written on my board.I almost started crying! I will take it. The kids are great. They are so hilarious. Everyday I laugh at things that they say and do. Last week we had "Decade Day" at school where the students and teachers were to dress in their favorite decade. I was a hippie. I realize that I really did look like a student that day. The principal even accidentally told me to get to class when he saw me from behind... Oh man.
This is where I spend my life. I wished it always looked this clean. Once you get 36 students in the room, things get a little crazy!
So needless to say we are surviving. So if you feel that we are lost and have fallen off the face of the planet, well so do we! We are getting excited for some time off over Christmas break to feel like normal humans again. Thanks for all your love and support and words of encouragement to me and Zac! God bless us, each and everyone!

Can I please get married again?

Just so I can do this at my wedding. Really freaking funny!



I realize I haven't posted forever and the last thing anyone wants to see is so random you tube video. But really... It's videos like this that get me through long days at work!

It's your party...

Happy birthday to my wonderful sister Cherstin and my awesome lil bro Luke. (I can't believe he is 18) They both celebrate their birthdays this week. There is so much about these two that I love. Cher is such an amazing mother. Her girls absolutely adore her. She is also one of the funniest people I know. I can always count on Cher to leave me messages on my phone where she pretends to be the munchkins from Wizard of Oz or Santa's elves. I save them because whenever I am sad i can listen to them and I know that they will make me laugh and smile. She is such a great sister and even greater friend. She has always been there for me through all the good and the bad. Love ya sis!. I can't believe my lil bro is finally turning 18. He has grown up so fast before all of our eyes. I can't imagine that he will be serving a mission one year from now. Luke is such a smart kid. I admire how hard he works at everything that he does. He is an amazing golfer and puts so much work and effort into becoming better everyday. I can always count on "Snoven Bovier" for a good laugh. I really don't know how he came up with the name. I do know that bovier came from The Simpsons. (Marge's maiden name) Happy birthday you two!

The three sisters

Zac & I also tended my niece Berkley this weekend. Berkie and Zac are such buddies. She just wanted to constantly be around him and play with him.

So Long East High!

I am official done with my student teaching at East High School. I had such a great experience here. I absolutely loved the student and faculty and I am so sad to leave. I really hope that they ask me to be in HSM 4! I even practiced my moves! Thanks for all the support through this crazy time in my life. I am so excited to find a job next year and to have my very own classroom!

Knock em down!

This weekend we put on a pair of these...

to celebrate His birthday...
We had a contest doing this....

And I'm pretty sure Zac won with this...

Then... since we couldn't get enough... We decided to do it again the next day with my family!

Happy Bowling!

Look Who's Two!

My adorable lil twin nieces turned two on Saturday. My sister aka "extrodinar" planned and executed the best Owl Birthday Party. She has this knack to just whip things up.

The proud parents!

I helped my sister design the invites and do the cake. We had a lot of fun! XOXO! Addie Muffs and Booey!

You say it's your birthday!

I wanted to send a little shout out to my husband Zac who turns 26 today... Here are a few of the practical things that I love about Zac.

He likes to have fun and he knows how to relax. He is very patient with me when I try new things like snowboarding and mountain biking. I am glad that he wants me to participate in the activities that he loves so when can do them together.
It's kind of a joke in the family. But whenever we don't know where the kids are... all we have to do is find Zac. Zac is the one who always gets suckered into going and doing whatever it is they want to do. This usually entails going outside. We laugh about it, but I know it's because he loves spending time with his nieces and nephew. The absolutely adore him. He is truly the favorite person in the family that they love. Addison blushes everytime she sees Zac cause she loves him so much and whenever they call me on the phone the first thing they ask is "Where's Zac?" I know he will be an awesome father.

I just wanted to throw this in there because it's one of my favorite pictures. Zac & Greg kareokeeing on the family vacation. They were awesome!
We have so much fun together. He is my best friend and I am lucky to have married him! Thanks jamie and trent! I owe you forever!

Jordan needs...

I saw this on some friends blogs and I thought it was funny. You google your "name" needs.... and see what you get. Here are mine

1- Jordan needs a heart. (this is very true, since I have been teaching I am starting to feel like the Grinch
2-Jordan needs to get closer to where I want to be in life.
3-Jordan needs to step up the efforts to attract... that's all I got... (I'll tell you what I don't need to attract anymore of, 9th grade boys.)
4-Jordan needs to stop overreacting
5-Jordan needs nuclear power (damn right)
6-Jordan needs 4000 nurses by 2008.
7-Jordan needs to finish the job... (Hmm)
8-Jordan needs a comprehensive bird flu strategy (Of course... what was I thinking)
9-Jordan needs help.
10-Jordan needs more funds... (Oh my gosh. They must have known I was a teacher)
11- Jordan needs more prayers
12-If jordan needs a lift, it can bank on him.
13- Jordan needs to forget the mature... and last but not least
14- Jordan needs to get over herself.

They are all true... It doesn't help when your name is a country. Try it. I tag everyone who reads this.

We are here to stay!!!!

After waiting for what seems like forever with much anticipation we finally recieved word that Zac got into his graduate program at the University of Utah..... Yeah. The day Zac opened it I screamed, I even think I cried because I am so proud of how hard he has worked this past year to get into school. He works and studies harder than almost anyone I have ever met. I am so glad that we finally know where we are going to live for the next three years. I have to admit that part of me is a little disappointed that we aren't moving somewhere. I thought it would be an adventure to move away for awhile. But the other part of me is really glad that we dont' have to leave our friends and family. And I am so glad that we don't have to move again. I was really not looking forward to that again. Now we can really start planning our life. Thanks for all the love and support from everyone. We love you all!

So after continuous threats over not having a new post for over a month, I decided it might be time to share what I have been up to lately. 26 came! It feels much older than 25! The thing I love about it is being able to tell my students I am older than 25 but younger than 40. They love guessing. They are convinced I am 27... after weeks of repeatedly telling them that I am not 21. Oh well. Guess I still got it. Well... at least with ninth grade boys. I will take whatever I can get. Here are some pictures from the annual JCS birthday bowling bash.

Me and my wonderful husband!(OH and yes, I did bowl. Bum knee and all. And I got the same score as my four year old niece...and Sara. Actually. I think I beat Sara.)

My sister Erin took home the trophy this year bowling a 158! Way to go sister!

I am loving teaching and loving even more not having to work on the weekends. I finally got a calling in church! I am teaching the four year olds in Primary. I am convinced this is the best calling ever. Why? Because what's better than singing, coloring, and eating treats for the first two hours of church? Absolutely nothing. It's amazing how much faster church goes by. I am thankful that they have such huge hearts and that they love learning. It's not always easy to convince a four year old that Joseph Smith is not Abraham Lincoln. When I was four.... I am pretty sure that I didn't know who honest abe was. It's been about a month since my knee surgery and I am starting to finally walk like a normal person again. With therapy twice a week and a husband who loves bullying me with exercises at home I am slowing but surely recovering. We are still waiting to hear back from numerous schools about Zac's acceptance to graduate school. Right now... Bolivar, Missouri is looking like the only option.... Please, please, someone tell me that there is an H & M in Bolivar Missouri? Anyone, anyone... Bueller? As I sit and type this post, in my robe while I watch The Biggest Loser... I can't help but think... Am I the biggest loser? One thing that I cherish about myself is the ability I have to laugh at myself. I have had to learn to do this because if ever there was a "biggest klutz." It would have to be me. So knowing that, I caution all those reading the following story to please just laugh with me, and not at me. Because this may prove that I am not all there.

So yesterday morning I was in a hurry to get to school. I had gotten all dressed and I noticed that my pants had some wrinkles in them. Well... in my current condition (with the knee and all) it's not exactly a fast and easy process to just quickly take off my pants and iron out the wrinkles. So I decided why not just hurry and iron my pants while they are still on me. I mean, the iron really was not that hot.... Not until the puff of steam! Well, behold the consequence of this idiotic decision.

My knee looks like Marv's face on Home Alone. Yeah try explaining that to your physical therapist who looks at your knee weekly. I told this story to one of my friends yesterday. She laughed hysterically and told me that I should never tell anyone else. Well. I have no shame. I am who I am.