Life Update (January 2018)

We didn't send out a Christmas or New Year's Card this year (okay, well, we haven't sent out a card since our first year being married..that will happen when we have children. Maybe), so I wanted to give you an update of what's happening in our lives.

School: 

Tanner: is still working on his marketing degree and going to school part time this semester. He hates school (ha) and trying to plow through. I keep telling him he shouldn't have married a teacher because I value education far too much :). He is working hard and doing what we can to get that degree! 

Sierra: I, on the other hand, love school. I just started my master's degree in educational leadership part time. I am going to school to become a vice principal, principal, teach teachers' at a college level, or to become a TSA (teacher leader for new teachers). I have not decided what exactly I want to do with this degree, but I felt it was time to progress in my career and to open other doors. I'm not sure if I will be able to leave the classroom though! If that's the case, I will just get paid more (because, you know, teachers get such a large salary). 

Work

Tanner: is working at a digital marketing agency full time. Unlike school, he absolutely loves it. I have never seen someone get so many promotions in a year so quickly. I am proud of his hard work in his career. 

Sierra: I still love teaching Sixth Grade (I know, what's wrong with me?!). This year has been such a breath of fresh air! Even though it's been an adjustment and there has been a learning curve because I started the English side of the Chinese Immersion, I love both of my classes. Going to school and working definitely causes a little bit of stress, but I am managing my best to stay organized (which I actually love to do...Ha!).

Church
We finally graduated from primary! Haha. 

Tanner: Called to the Young Men's (the youth/boys). It's a good thing he's so "cool" ;) 

Sierra: I am the Cub Scout Committee Chair. Yikes. I basically have to help plan pack meeting and organization of paperwork for leaders and the boys. Fun...


Other
Tanner: Playing in a soccer league. He loves to run and play soccer for cardio! It's fun to see him learn a new sport!
I don't think I've seen someone as into sports as he is. Well, okay, maybe my dad.
Hunting and fishing, as usual, are included in his life. I'll take fishing, but I haven't been able to catch the hunting bug yet. Ha!

Sierra: I opened an Etsy shop of my nature photography cards! I don't know how much longer I'll keep it open, but it was fun to have people be able to see all of my photos and message me if they are interested. I am working out and continuously working on my stupid PCOS. Health issues are honestly so exhausting.  I am still hiking with Saylor a ton! I joined a choir called Utah Millenial Choir. It is so awesome (and so time consuming!). It is so awesome to be a part of something so musically powerful again! And, of course, it feels so good to sing again!

Both: We both have so much family here in Utah, (most of my siblings moved here!!) so we are spending so much time with both of families. It is fun, but definitely an adjustment for us! We have, this past year, become huge game people. We love strategic, funny board, card, and other games. We both still love to travel and have some fun adventures planned for the year. We both love to be outside enjoying nature with our Saylor doggy and watching some good quality movies at the theatre. We are trying to be patient for the next step of our lives to happen (cough, baby cough), but it just isn't going as I had planned (Stupid PCOS), which, if you know me, I do NOT like. I think I need to learn something. Alas, we have so much to be grateful for!

As always, follow Instagram for more updates!! 

Things That Make Me Happy.

via Instagram 

I absolutely love the quote that is posted above. I feel like it encompasses my view on life perfectly. More comfort does not bring more happiness. I have come to find that to be incredibly true. Right now, in my life, I feel like I am at a little bit of a crossroads. I am trying to figure out what the next step is going to be. A family, changing jobs, etc. I sort of, in a way, feel stuck. I don't want to go into too much detail because I'm still trying to figure out why I feel this way, this "stuck" feeling, but I think it's time for me to do a little soul searching to find out what needs to happen. 

With that being said, there are so many things in life my that make me happy right now. Because it is the month of Thanksgiving, I wanted to talk about all of the little (and big!) things that make me happy (I really need the gratitude bug right about now! Ha). 

-T Money. He just got a new job and is working part time and going to school full time. I love watching him do things that he loves and learning to "find his thing." He wants to do well and I am grateful for that. 

-My job. I love teaching sixth graders. I love all of their personalities, funny things that they say, and their insights into things. They are smarter than what they give themselves credit for, sometimes. 

-My adorable house. I cannot believe the amount of leaves that are falling on our house!!! We have so many gorgeous trees which is amazing for privacy and beauty, but the leaves in the Fall are absolutely terrible. We will spend 3 hours cleaning them up and literally one week later, our entire backyard is filled with leaves again. I'm avoiding it until it gets cold and then I'll just clean them all up before it snows. Ha. Even though home ownership is a ton of work, I am so grateful for my little home and my backyard and that I have a space that is mine! 

-Saylor the pup, of course. She's the best doggy. Even if she does need a bath right now. 

-The crisp Fall air. Even though it's hot right now, I love the crisp Fall mornings, where it's not too cold to do anything, but it has that chill in the air. 

-Ice Cold Dr. Pepper. Duh. That's all I have to say about that. 

-Hikes.

-Photography and taking gorgeous photos of nature!!! 

-the gym (so I can get strong and skinny! haha). 

-My amazing bed. 

-When my student brings me cups of just plain pebbled ice because he knows I love it. 

-Laughing so hard playing cards with friends the other night that I *literally* almost peed my pants. 

-Sunday naps 

-New downloaded music. 

-Well written books. 

-Crunchy fall leaves. 

What are some of your favorite things? 

Little Notes (Fall 2016)

Hi, friends. It's been awhile since I've written one of these letters. I have had a crazy few months. I've been overwhelmed with my sixth grade classroom and it seems to have taken over my life. I'm aware that my life is wonderful, I'm just trying to get a hold of it! Haha.  Because I have so many photos on my phone, I wanted to share with you a glimpse into my life via my phone and Instagram with my little letters. Without further ado, here we go:

Dear Fifth Year of teaching: Where did time go? I began my school year teaching sixth grade and you would think that I have never taught before. I was stressed, overwhelmed and completely exhausted from the 33 students. I missed the gym way too much. I can't get wait to get back into the routine (yes, after 2 months of school) and get strong again.




Dear Elaine Dalton, Thank you for incredibly wonderful and life-changing fireside. Your words were exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you for your candidness and goodness. Thank you LDS General Conference for affecting me positively and telling me things that I needed to hear.

Dear Coldplay, you had me crying when you sang "Fix You" and dancing the entire night. Thank you for being the best live concert that I've ever been to.



Dear Swiss Days,
This was one of the first years that I did not want to go back. I love all of the cute shops, but I could not handle the heat. However, it was a fun day with my sister in law and mother!



Dear Utah Fall, are you for real? You are seriously so incredibly gorgeous and I cannot stop taking pictures of you.

Dear Saylor, you are not supposed to lay on Kaydie Jo's hair, silly dog. 

Dear 2 year old Sierra, you are a piece, man. That scowl can move mountains. 

Dear 26 year old Sierra, you were cuter when you were scowling at age 2. 

Dear blogging events, I have been going to quite a few of you . I love meeting new friends and other bloggers at this event. Thank you for the outsource and wonderful world that I get to be apart of.

Dear Me,
Take a deep breath. You get the opportunity to teach wonderful sixth graders, write a great blog with amazing reader, read a ton of books, be in lots of clubs, an enjoy your physical exercise. SMILE. Also, get rid of that cold that is overtaking you. Have no fear though.. IT'S FALL BREAK!!!

All photos via Instagram. 

What little note would you write to yourself? 

I Am Enough.

via Pinterest

The past few weeks, I overviewed my blog year in review. I talked about how I didn't really make any new resolutions, but am rather just continuing some pretty huge emotional, physical, and mental goals that I made back at the beginning of October. As I was driving up the canyon the other day, I realized that I hadn't chosen my "Word of the Year." Even though my New Years Resolutions are not exactly cookie-cutter, I have made some internal goals that I really am trying to work on. I am constantly trying to improve my self in all facets of life and I hope that others know that I am trying. I am not perfect, but I am trying to be the best person I can be. That's all we can really hope for, right? So, on this drive, I thought about some words that I need to work on: homemaker, peace, patience, etc. But none of those really fit. Then, finally, I realized that I wanted a phrase that encompasses all of the things that I strive to be and want to improve.

I Am Enough.

I am choosing a mantra instead of a word to help me in 2016 year.

I am enough, even though my body has changed and it is not perfect.
I am enough, even though I struggle to be confident in my teaching ability at times.
I am enough when it comes to my relationship with the Savior, even when I screw up and questions my religion and try to defy everything! Haha.
I am enough and have value, even if others don't see it sometimes.
I am enough, no matter what mistakes I make.

I am a confident person naturally, already. However, I want that confidence to be turned into true belief that I am enough. I am enough and I want to my confidence to help me spiritually, emotionally, mentally, socially, and physically.


I have loved reading all of your phrases and words for the year. They have been inspiring! 
What are your words/mantras/phrases for this year? 

SUP.

Hi, guys. It's been awhile, eh? How are you?
My life is so good. I have been very busy with my health plan and working/teaching 6th grade full time. This two things keep me quite busy and I am grateful for them, but sometimes, after these long days, the last thing that I want to do is write, ya know?
Sometimes it is good to just write an update on our lives. I don't journal as much as I used to. Okay, well, I haven't journaled since June, but you win some, you lose some. So sometimes this blog becomes a journal. A less "personal" journal, that is.
Side note: I never want my children to read some parts of my journal. There are some deep, not-so-kind, sad moments in there. Before I die, I want to rip those pages out so they don't have to read those. I want my children to read my spiritual moments, read the happy parts, and perhaps, even some of the challenging posts. But there are some things written in there that I don't want anyone to read. Does that make sense?

Anyway, UPDATE TIME.
(all photos: my instagram)

Currently:


Obsesssing over: Snow capped mountains in Utah. No, I do not love winter. When one has to swim oneself through seasonal affective disorder, winter can be challenging. But, I LOVE the cozy feeling that my home gives me during the holiday season. I don't love the cold. I don't love the cloudy, snowy, rainy days. But I LOVE the views of the snow on the mountains. Look, I'm being positive about winter. Aren't you proud?

Working On: MY HEALTH. Update on my health plan. I am down three inches in my waist and one inch in the hips. THREE INCHES, GUYS. This is awesome. I was a little discouraged because I am only down 12 pounds in two months, but when I measured the other day, I realized that my body is altering. It is gaining muscle and altering the overall look. I notice that my clothes fit me better and that is way more important than my weight (at least I need to keep reminding myself that!). It hasn't been easy. I have had some serious down days. I thought that the weight loss was going to move a bit faster, but it is working. Slowly, but surely. And I am working hard and doing what I can, yes, even with a few slip ups. That's what's important, right? (Also, Saylor has FOMO and wanted to be in the picture.)

Thinking About: How grateful I am for this hunk, T Money. How grateful I am for many things in my life! I hate that we aren't as "well off" financially as we could be, I wish we had more money in our savings account. But I am so grateful for my hardworking, loving husband.

Anticipating: THANKSGIVING AND THE BREAK. THE BEST. NEXT WEEK. SO SOON. NEED IT NOW. Also, decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving! Huzzah.

Reading: Well, I am currently reading/listening to FOUR different books right now. I don't know how I do this. I have a huge list of books to read and not enough time. I am in the middle of "The Martian" by   Andy Weir, Go Set a Watchmen by Harper Lee, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and "I am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai.

Watching: How To Get Away with Murder (live),  The Voice (live), Jane The Virgin (Netflix), and White Collar (Netflix) with T Money. Also, I am watching Saylor attack her poor teddy bear. Poor bear. But look at cute #saylorthepup is. Love her. Also watching BYU Basketball. The season has begun. My favorite sport!

Listening to: "I am Malala" by Malala Yousafzi (what an amazing woman!), Christmas music (I JUST STARTED TODAY. DON'T HATE ME! It snowed this week and it's freezing. How can I not? Plus it puts me in a good mood). I have been listening to General Conference talks and LDS music on my way to and from school and I have noticed a huge difference in my demeanor. Sometimes these uplifting words help my attitude. Also, hello Adele and Carrie Underwood's new albums. So good.

Making: My students stay inside for recess (and blocking the clock so they stop looking at!). My sixth graders have been "on one" recently. This always happens during the holiday season, but it has started earlier than I was expecting. Yikes. It's been a rough couple of weeks with attitude and chaos and loudness. We all need a break, I think. It helps when I get emails from past students' parents with notes like these. Sometimes I need these kind of reminders to reiterate that I am doing a career that I love! I still love those kiddos. :)

My life is so good. Not too much is going on except for a rigid health plan and a rigid sixth grade teacher ;). I am so happy and content. I LOVE the holiday season and I am so grateful for all that I have in my life. I think I need to do some more of these posts. I enjoyed writing this.

K BYE.

What are you grateful for? 
What are some of your updates? 

"So, Like, What's Been Going On?"

A friend tweeted me the other day… "So, like what's been going on? I haven't read a post from you in forever and I miss your words."
Sigh.
I mentioned yesterday that there are a plethora of reasons for why I have been MIA from the blogging world. But, I guess, in all reality, it doesn't really matter, does it? I am now posting and that's the important thing, you could say.

Update on my life. Wow. Where do I even begin?

Christmas Break was fantastic. I did exactly what title of the holiday entailed…I took a definite break. I checked out from anything that I, essentially, did not have to do. I did not go into my classroom, I did not blog, and I did not grocery shop of any manner. Ha! I spent a wonderful week sleeping in, going to the gym, finishing up our Christmas Cards, and spending quality time with my puppy and T Money.  In all truthfulness, I was sort of recovering from my play and teaching the whole break. It was nice to not have rehearsal every day! Haha. My Christmas Break was very low key. We went and looked at lights, saw movies, and did fun, easy, cheap Christmas activities.  It was my first Christmas away from my family and with the in laws. I have to admit, I was a little sad. I wanted to be home in Oregon, with what was familiar, but Christmas with my in laws was actually wonderful! It just so happens that T Money's family does a lot of similar things and traditions as mine. I love my in laws so much, so it made the transition a whole lot easier.

all photos in this post via instagram. 

I didn't make New Years Goals this year. Not because I don't have goals, but because I always make them and never keep them. So I made one blanket statement and word that entails all of my little goals.
Happiness. 
I want to do what makes me happy. 

As many of you know, I have struggled with clinical depression since I was 14. This is not something that defines me or even tears me down anymore. I have learned how to process, deal and cope with it. There are definite days when I still struggle with it, but I know what helps me and what doesn't. I know when to see signs.
 I have spent too much of my life trying to do what makes others happy, or my parents happy, or what the church thinks that I should do to make me happy. I am doing what I know will make me happy. And let me tell you, in the past few months that I have done that, I have felt SO MUCH HAPPIER. I love where I am at in my life and that, to me, is what the whole point of this journey is, right? To enjoy it and embrace it and love it and savor it. And that's what I'm doing.

Some of these things that make me happy and that I want to continue to work on and change are:
-Going to the gym & exercising outside when I can. Yes, I want to lose weight. And thats a definite goal of mine, but more importantly than that, working out helps  with my depression and anxiety and stress. I love the endorphins that it gives me. I go to the gym because it makes me feel better. I will try to go to the gym often.
-Blogging when I want to. Sure, that may affect my numbers, but I felt way too much anxiety putting a deadline or a definite date on things. Who cares? I want to have quality posts and if that means only one post a week, then so be it. I am so sick of all the drama and mean words and stress that blogging brings. The second a hobby turns into something negative, it is not healthy.
-Do something once a day to improve myself. If that means, taking a bath and dealing with my stress, going to the gym, taking the dog for a walk, reading my scriptures, taking a nap, watching a show, reading a book, going out to lunch with friends, writing on this blog, etc. I want to remember that if I want to help others, I need to take care of myself. I want to continue to be spontaneous and fun and continue enjoying life. Along with this is involving myself in the Be Better Movement for Kenya Keys. Many of you know that I lived in Kenya for a few months in 2011 through an education program called Kenya Keys. Every week, I am, with the help of many other women to improve myself physically and mentally with one challenge a week. For every challenge I participate in and post on social media, money is donated for a child's education in Kenya. I am very passionate about these things: health, education, and my love for Kenya. I am excited to participate in it so that my loves in Kenya can get an education. This is improving myself and them. Look for the #bebetter52 hashtage on my instagram!
-Continue My Relationships and Serve Others. I don't have a lot of resources like money or tons of time, but I do have the luxury of having lots of people I love close to me. I want to continue to reach out to old friends, make new friends and serve those around me. I I have so many good people around me and I want to continue those friendships and relationships, because those people and that time is something that makes me happy. It sounds so cliche, but service really does bring happiness.
-And, of course, grow as a Teacher, Daughter of God, Wife and person. 

Life: My life is good. I have many things to be grateful for. The past week I have been really sick with a horrible cold, cough and sinus stuff. I am just now starting to feel better.  Tanner and I are thinking about buying a house and that's a little stressful, but it's definitely something we have started looking into. It's note definite, but something we are pondering. We are enjoying our time together and are excited for some possible trips this summer!! I am working like crazy and swamped with science fairs, testing, observations and parent teacher conferences. I am loving working with my young women and talking to them often. They are such funny, beautiful, awesome 14-15 year olds. My mother came into town last weekend for a visit and my brothers birthday. It was good to see her. Hard, just like it can be whenever family is around, but it was good.


And, that, my friends, is the way the cookie crumbles.
(That doesn't relate to this post at all, huh? That phrase doesn't work, huh? Whatever.)

Oh here are more pictures of life recently. Thank you, instagram. IG seriously saves my life. I really need to start using my nice camera.