IN-N-OUT in Orem! I was in the drive-thru for 1 hour, but it was worth it for taste of home.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Oscars 2009
The night we'd all been waiting for finally came. That's right, BYU 83rd Ward's third annual Oscars Night and my final activity as ward activities co-chair. A few people have told me that I saved the best activity for last as it went off without a hitch, with special thanks to the committee and Sis. Meservy, the Bishop's wife.
Oscars Night is an opportunity for members of the ward to create movies together and get to know one another's talents and share them. It is a semi-formal/ formal activity, with dinner, movies, voting, dessert, and dancing. We had a red carpet, paparazzi, and great music. The lights were low and excitement was high as we met together to watch and vote movies made by our very own friends.
This year we had nine movies turned in, which is the most we've ever had. These movies were also the best quality movies we've ever had. There was great competition for best movie this year and that was fun. Each FHE group was asked to make a movie that was no more than five to seven minutes long. People were also allowed to make movies separate from their groups. They turned the movies into me and I put them onto one DVD to be shown on Oscars Night. After the movies were shown, they were given time to vote for the movies in eleven different categories on papers provided at each seat. My committee and I tallied up the votes and announced the winners. We gave each winner a certificate and a trophy. The trophies were actually random stuffed animals and other objects from DI. My co-chair and I were the MC's for the night, so we were running around making sure everything went smoothly and it did! We did finally get to dance for the last hour of the night and that was really nice.
My roommates and I were involved in three movies this year. My FHE group's movie was called "The Hodgepodge of Horror" and that is exactly what it was. It was a collage of creepy and kind of funny horror-esk things. The more I watch it, the more I love it. The second movie was called "Der Erlkonig" and was based on a Danish tale about an 'Elf King' who's living in the forest whose touch is lethal to mortals. It was really fun to film. I was a minion to the 'Elf King.' The third movie was called "The Minefield"and was based on a comedy routine done by one of my friends. It demonstrates how dating is like a minefield. In this one I was the girl that got the guy out of the minefield. Too bad that hasn't really happened yet!
Here are some of my pictures. My roommate took a lot more and better ones, but I don't have them yet.
Oscars Night is an opportunity for members of the ward to create movies together and get to know one another's talents and share them. It is a semi-formal/ formal activity, with dinner, movies, voting, dessert, and dancing. We had a red carpet, paparazzi, and great music. The lights were low and excitement was high as we met together to watch and vote movies made by our very own friends.
This year we had nine movies turned in, which is the most we've ever had. These movies were also the best quality movies we've ever had. There was great competition for best movie this year and that was fun. Each FHE group was asked to make a movie that was no more than five to seven minutes long. People were also allowed to make movies separate from their groups. They turned the movies into me and I put them onto one DVD to be shown on Oscars Night. After the movies were shown, they were given time to vote for the movies in eleven different categories on papers provided at each seat. My committee and I tallied up the votes and announced the winners. We gave each winner a certificate and a trophy. The trophies were actually random stuffed animals and other objects from DI. My co-chair and I were the MC's for the night, so we were running around making sure everything went smoothly and it did! We did finally get to dance for the last hour of the night and that was really nice.
My roommates and I were involved in three movies this year. My FHE group's movie was called "The Hodgepodge of Horror" and that is exactly what it was. It was a collage of creepy and kind of funny horror-esk things. The more I watch it, the more I love it. The second movie was called "Der Erlkonig" and was based on a Danish tale about an 'Elf King' who's living in the forest whose touch is lethal to mortals. It was really fun to film. I was a minion to the 'Elf King.' The third movie was called "The Minefield"and was based on a comedy routine done by one of my friends. It demonstrates how dating is like a minefield. In this one I was the girl that got the guy out of the minefield. Too bad that hasn't really happened yet!
Here are some of my pictures. My roommate took a lot more and better ones, but I don't have them yet.
My co-chair and I
My roommates and I. I really didn't sit down all night... only long enough to take this picture.
Tallying the votes
Teaser picture for Der Elkonig
This is NOT real. This is a creepy part of our Hodgepodge of Horror.
And the Winners are...
Best Movie: Funkademic
Best Director: Lafe Peavler, “The Minefield”
Best Editor: Tyler Brinton, “Brett’s Game”
Best Actor: Brett Peterson, “Brett’s Game”
Best Actress: Savannah Woods, “The Hodgepodge of Horror”/
“Der Erlkonig”/ “The Minefield”
Most Creative: Funkademic
Funniest: Perfect Situation
Best Costume Design: The Hodgepodge of Horror
Best Soundtrack: Funkademic
Best Sound: Perfect Situation
Best Visual Effects: The Hodgepodge of Horror
Best Director: Lafe Peavler, “The Minefield”
Best Editor: Tyler Brinton, “Brett’s Game”
Best Actor: Brett Peterson, “Brett’s Game”
Best Actress: Savannah Woods, “The Hodgepodge of Horror”/
“Der Erlkonig”/ “The Minefield”
Most Creative: Funkademic
Funniest: Perfect Situation
Best Costume Design: The Hodgepodge of Horror
Best Soundtrack: Funkademic
Best Sound: Perfect Situation
Best Visual Effects: The Hodgepodge of Horror
Monday, October 26, 2009
My Best Friend's Wedding
This past weekend I had the opportunity to go home to California to see one of my best friends get married. It was awesome! She was beautiful and looked like a princess. Over the two days I was there, I had some time to reflect. Kristen and I have known each other since we were about 14 years old (that's about 10 years!). Our families knew each other, but we didn't meet until she started attending our ward. Our friendship really started one Young Women's make-over night where she reached out to me because I was shy. Since then we have shared many fun, special, and even sacred experiences together. We've also had our fair share of near accidents on the road together. We had our friendship tested, but we learned from those experiences and came out better as a result. Some of our favorite things to do together were bowling, eating mint chocolate blasts from Baskin Robins, taking weird pictures, eating food abnormally, and just talking.
Somethings I thought a lot about this weekend were a youth conference dance and sleepover we had where we shared with one another our hopes, goals, and dreams for the future. It's funny, and kind of ironic, how different our paths have gone, but how we are both happy all the same. Although our plans did change, we both accomplished what we wanted to. I tend to accomplish things about a year after she does, so we shall see if that is true about her accomplishment this time. :)
I am very happy and excited for her and her new husband, Bryan. I am glad that they are living where they are so I will still see them around when I go home again. It's not like here in Utah where when my friends get married I usually don't ever see them again except on facebook. Sad, but true.
Something I really enjoyed this weekend was staying the night in a hotel across the street from the temple with Kristen and the other two bride's maids. It was fun staying up to talk, do her hair, and celebrate her last night being single. It was very convenient to be staying across the street, too, because there was two hour drive with traffic for everyone else to get to the temple the next morning.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
True Blue, Through and Through
Who said college graduates can't still show school spirit and have some fun?!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Spelunking!
Spelunking is cave exploring. Me and seven of my friends went to the Nutty Putty caves last Saturday. It was my first time ever spelunking and I loved it! We were in the caves for about five hours. We came out sore and badly bruised, but it was worth it!
All the dust nearly destroyed my camera, but I still managed to take over 100 pictures and have it functioning.
This is the entrance to the cave after you go down a hole surrounded by rocks in the middle of no where. The gate to the cave opening is on the over end of this tiny opening.
Coming out of what is called the Birth Canal. It is a really tiny space, kind of like... a birth canal.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
From College to Preschool
Yep, that's right! The job search is over and I am going back to Preschool!! I am now officially a Teaching Assistant at the Mountainland Headstart Preschool in Provo. I feel very lucky to have this job. I know that it is a result of my hard work all summer, faith, and the recommendation of a friend who worked there already.
Way back in May I went on a hike with this friend that worked for Headstart and she highly recommended that I apply for a job there. She warned me that they take forever to hire people and the interview is intense. She was very accurate about both!! After I gave them my application, I called Headstart every week asking about the status of the process. My friend made one phone call and recommended me when she knew they were beginning to look at the applications at the end of the summer. Then they finally called me in for an interview. I am grateful I was forewarned of what it all involved because it gave me greater peace of mind going into it. The interview involved being asked questions by a panel, filling out an intense test-like packet, and reading a children's book to stuffed dolls while being recorded. I didn't think I did well on the packet, but a week later they called me and offered me a part-time teaching assistant position in the morning. Even though I would rather have full time and I had some other options that would make a part time afternoon position better, I took it. I am lucky that this position was at the Provo center, too, because there are 8 centers all over, including in Heber. This center is about 5-8 miles from my apartment, so I am not complaining.
Although the position is called Teaching Assistant, I usually tell people I am a preschool teacher because I WILL be teaching 4 days in a row every 4 days, excluding Fridays and weekends. Pretty much I'm a teacher without being responsible for filling out all the paper work like the teachers have to do. There are other things they do, too, but that is the main difference. When I teach I am responsible for deciding which activities are available to the kids to do. I really wish I new more about what that involved, but I don't yet. When I am not teaching, I am responsible for getting the snack ready and observing the kids and writing down how they are meeting our developmental goals that we have for them. I am really excited for this experience. The funny thing is that I still don't know exactly what I will be required to do because I haven't been given a job description yet. They are a bit slow with paperwork stuff at Headstart... I should get it next week during pre-service training, hopefully.
This class is a full day preschool, meaning the 4 year old kids stay from 9:30am-3:30pm. In the middle they are put down for naps. :) I work from 8 am- 1 pm and then another part time teaching assistant comes in. We also have a classroom aide who is responsible for developmental activities with the kids and not teaching. The way the schedule is set up, I will be doing the most stuff with the kids and the other assistant mostly helps at lunch and puts them down for their naps. It's a little sad because she has been a teaching assistant and teacher before, but it's okay. She has a baby of her own and that is why she chose to be only part time now and she is why I am not full time.
The best thing so far as been running across toys that I remember loving to play with when I was a child. Colored shapes, Lincoln Logs, colored bears, a brown Fisher Price house, rubber band board, etc. I have to be honest, I am pretty excited to play with those toys again. :)
My first week was full of boring meetings and starting the set up of the class. This week we went on "home visits" where we meet the kids and their guardians and get an idea of where the children our developmentally. The kids I've met so far are really good and so I am really excited to play with them and teach them. We have a few kids who will be turning 5 years old this fall so they are much more advanced than the others, so it will be interesting... and fun! We are still working on setting up the room. We have to have it done by next Tuesday when we have an open house for parents. School won't start until Sept. 15th. Next week we have MORE meetings where I hope to be given more instruction so I know what I am doing. :) I am just really grateful to have a job and a car to get me there.
Way back in May I went on a hike with this friend that worked for Headstart and she highly recommended that I apply for a job there. She warned me that they take forever to hire people and the interview is intense. She was very accurate about both!! After I gave them my application, I called Headstart every week asking about the status of the process. My friend made one phone call and recommended me when she knew they were beginning to look at the applications at the end of the summer. Then they finally called me in for an interview. I am grateful I was forewarned of what it all involved because it gave me greater peace of mind going into it. The interview involved being asked questions by a panel, filling out an intense test-like packet, and reading a children's book to stuffed dolls while being recorded. I didn't think I did well on the packet, but a week later they called me and offered me a part-time teaching assistant position in the morning. Even though I would rather have full time and I had some other options that would make a part time afternoon position better, I took it. I am lucky that this position was at the Provo center, too, because there are 8 centers all over, including in Heber. This center is about 5-8 miles from my apartment, so I am not complaining.
Although the position is called Teaching Assistant, I usually tell people I am a preschool teacher because I WILL be teaching 4 days in a row every 4 days, excluding Fridays and weekends. Pretty much I'm a teacher without being responsible for filling out all the paper work like the teachers have to do. There are other things they do, too, but that is the main difference. When I teach I am responsible for deciding which activities are available to the kids to do. I really wish I new more about what that involved, but I don't yet. When I am not teaching, I am responsible for getting the snack ready and observing the kids and writing down how they are meeting our developmental goals that we have for them. I am really excited for this experience. The funny thing is that I still don't know exactly what I will be required to do because I haven't been given a job description yet. They are a bit slow with paperwork stuff at Headstart... I should get it next week during pre-service training, hopefully.
This class is a full day preschool, meaning the 4 year old kids stay from 9:30am-3:30pm. In the middle they are put down for naps. :) I work from 8 am- 1 pm and then another part time teaching assistant comes in. We also have a classroom aide who is responsible for developmental activities with the kids and not teaching. The way the schedule is set up, I will be doing the most stuff with the kids and the other assistant mostly helps at lunch and puts them down for their naps. It's a little sad because she has been a teaching assistant and teacher before, but it's okay. She has a baby of her own and that is why she chose to be only part time now and she is why I am not full time.
The best thing so far as been running across toys that I remember loving to play with when I was a child. Colored shapes, Lincoln Logs, colored bears, a brown Fisher Price house, rubber band board, etc. I have to be honest, I am pretty excited to play with those toys again. :)
My first week was full of boring meetings and starting the set up of the class. This week we went on "home visits" where we meet the kids and their guardians and get an idea of where the children our developmentally. The kids I've met so far are really good and so I am really excited to play with them and teach them. We have a few kids who will be turning 5 years old this fall so they are much more advanced than the others, so it will be interesting... and fun! We are still working on setting up the room. We have to have it done by next Tuesday when we have an open house for parents. School won't start until Sept. 15th. Next week we have MORE meetings where I hope to be given more instruction so I know what I am doing. :) I am just really grateful to have a job and a car to get me there.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Reality
I can't believe how fast this summer has gone by. It feels like just yesterday I was stressing out about how to take the technician calls at APX and here I am training someone on how to take those very same calls. It has been a great summer for me. At the end of last summer I decided that I needed to move on from being an EFY counselor and finally get a "big girl" job. APX isn't what I call a "big girl" job, but it was a start. I thought that not doing EFY this summer would be really difficult for me, but it turned out to be just the right thing for me. I will never regret my decision. The experiences I've had this summer have given me the opportunity to make new friends and learn more about myself in ways and places I wouldn't have if I had worked EFY. Don't get me wrong, I love EFY, but I see now why I needed to move on. I have made many great memories from this summer that I am so grateful to have.
In the next couple of weeks my roommates will return and start school again. I am incredibly excited about this because I've really missed having them around. Right now I still feel like I am just on summer break, but then reality hits and I realize that I now have to make my way in the real world. Yeah, now that I am graduated the world is open to so many possibilities... but this is hard to see when faced with reality.
I'm starting from scratch, literally. I know that I can make something of myself and accomplish many great things in my life if I work hard, trust the Lord, and do my best. I can dream big and do anything I set my mind to. Yet, here I am, in a situation where I feel like everything is out of my control and about to crash at any moment. Deep down I know everything is going to work out and things will be fine, but in the mean time it is scary and, at times, even depressing. The long and short of it is that I need a job. I was blessed throughout my college career to be completely supported by my parents, and I will be forever grateful for that. However, I want to begin being financially independent from them; I can do that if I have a job. The problem is that I don't have a job after the summer and my parents are in a situation now where they cannot help me even though they want to.
I KNOW that everything is going to be okay and it will all work out for my good. I KNOW that I will still meet my goals and do great things in my life. Starting from scratch isn't a completely negative idea. This is just a rough spot and it's a time to prove to Heavenly Father that I can endure things well. I still have so many things in my life to be happy and smile about. For one, I am surrounded by such great friends who I know love me and will help me through this difficult transition into the adult world.
So, my focus right now is applying for secretarial and preschool jobs in the Provo/Orem area. I'm still not sure what I ultimately want to do, but I am hoping these could help me get the experience I need for whatever job I do figure out I want. In reality though, at this point, any job would do.
In the next couple of weeks my roommates will return and start school again. I am incredibly excited about this because I've really missed having them around. Right now I still feel like I am just on summer break, but then reality hits and I realize that I now have to make my way in the real world. Yeah, now that I am graduated the world is open to so many possibilities... but this is hard to see when faced with reality.
I'm starting from scratch, literally. I know that I can make something of myself and accomplish many great things in my life if I work hard, trust the Lord, and do my best. I can dream big and do anything I set my mind to. Yet, here I am, in a situation where I feel like everything is out of my control and about to crash at any moment. Deep down I know everything is going to work out and things will be fine, but in the mean time it is scary and, at times, even depressing. The long and short of it is that I need a job. I was blessed throughout my college career to be completely supported by my parents, and I will be forever grateful for that. However, I want to begin being financially independent from them; I can do that if I have a job. The problem is that I don't have a job after the summer and my parents are in a situation now where they cannot help me even though they want to.
I KNOW that everything is going to be okay and it will all work out for my good. I KNOW that I will still meet my goals and do great things in my life. Starting from scratch isn't a completely negative idea. This is just a rough spot and it's a time to prove to Heavenly Father that I can endure things well. I still have so many things in my life to be happy and smile about. For one, I am surrounded by such great friends who I know love me and will help me through this difficult transition into the adult world.
So, my focus right now is applying for secretarial and preschool jobs in the Provo/Orem area. I'm still not sure what I ultimately want to do, but I am hoping these could help me get the experience I need for whatever job I do figure out I want. In reality though, at this point, any job would do.
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