Finals...crunch time :)

Well the end is in sight... actually the end is cruisin my way! I'm done 1 final and have 2 more left. This week just flew by.. probably because I was busy juggling work and school which was pretty intense! Work is going really well! It definitely is a job that will keep me on my toes. Last night I worked at the Meadowhawk home. There re 2 boys and 1 girl. The girl is 10, one boy is 9 and the other is 10 with a age 2-3 mentality. The 10 year old was gone most of the day, but when he got home... tensions started rising. He apparently has the tendency to pull his pants down and threaten to pee on the floor or on you... well this was one of those nights. He stood at the top of the stairs with his pants down saying "Funny? funny?"... then let it go... yup.. pee down the stairs. Thank goodness my team leader, Michelle, was there to handle it, cuz I just am not sure how I would've reacted on my own. We made him clean up his own mess after changing into some fresh clothes. Good times. The other two kids and I had a blast in the afternoon. They're super sweet!

I was supposed to work my first night awake shift tonight, but had a bit of an issue with an eye infection. I went to see the doc today after having some issues for a few days (even though my mama told me to go right away) and found out I have a pretty bad infection. So I have some eye drops now and I'm sure it will all be ok soon enough... well I hope!

Tonight I went to Geof Crebas' work Christmas party. We get to the building and there' s a table filled with jewelry boxes and aromatic reed diffusers. The lady goes "You can pick a jewelry box and whichever diffuser you'd like. The gentlemen get a gift card from the tree"... ummmm SWEET!!! I got some super cute earrings and a necklace and some yummy smelling diffuser! It was a pretty high class party and was fun to be a part of!

My plan for the rest of the weekend.. well studying for sure. Maybe do some Christmas shopping tomorrow. Hopefully finding a lil time to go to the new Harry Potter movie with Scott... and maybe get some chill time too! Then it's home time come Wednesday afternoon :) Whoo hoo!!!

A photo of an animal you wish you could have as a pet...

I have always thought that tigers are such attractive, strong, and confident animals. I love seeing them and I think it would be awesome having a pet tiger. Now, I know they can be quite dangerous, so of course my tiger would be declawed and would never attack me because he/she loved me that much! I think it'd be pretty cool :) (HINT HINT: Christmas is coming... trah la trah la... right daddy and mommy!! ) :)

Work, School, Gym, Eat, Sleep..

My title is a description of my life these past few days. I got a job at AltaCare Resources as a relief floater meaning that I will be working in the group homes. When a full-time staff worker is sick or on holidays, they give me a call and ask if I can come in... it'll be nice because it's flexible and I don't have to work if I am too busy with school or away. The only bad thing is not knowing when they are going to call, so I'm assuming it won't always be a steady income, still any income is better than none... so I'm happy. This week I have done the training for work Tuesday-Friday from 9-5. It's nice because we get paid for going to these trainings.. perfect time... right before I go Christmas shopping :) I have come down with a bit of a cold, which has added on to my exhaustion this week. I wake up every morning with my eyes close to glued shut with eye boogers and shuffle off to work for the day. I also have been kicking my own butt in the gym this week and haven't been this sore since I did the Jillian workout back in Korea last spring... so that has sure felt good too.

Last night I had Scott Leishman come over for dinner. I made some stirfry... my first time... and I think it was pretty successful. It's pretty hard to screw up with a bag of pre-mixed stirfry veggies and pre-cut chicken. The hardest part was trying to decide what sauces or spices to put on and being patient for the rice to be done cooking. Scott has two full plates, so I'll stick to assuming it was a success. Then we watched 'New Moon' with Michelle and Land. Scott pretends like he can't stand it, but secretly I think he loves the movies and is just as into them as us gals :) The 3rd movie comes out this Friday, so guess what we'll be doing Friday night!?!?!? You guessed it... watching 'Eclipse'. We have a 'Santa giveaway' Friday night from 7-10 where we bring any clothes or food we don't/won't use and take them around different families in need, so we'll start the movie after that :)

How important do I feel education is?

Well I grew up with the belief that school was one of my top priorities. Now this was not always the case in my life, but the stress and importance put on education has had a huge influence on the path I have taken through high school and college/university. I am in my 5th year of my post-secondary education and although I have never been a real lover of school, I do enjoy learning. I have found that when you are learning about something you truly care and are passionate about, it is a lot easier to be interested and put your whole heart into listening and learning in different classes. Not only is school education important, but I also think it is important to be well educated on a spiritual level also. I know that the more knowledge I receive and am reminded about with the church, I am more prone to live a happier and more motivating lifestyle and am able to share my beliefs and knowledge of the church with friends, family, and associates I am around daily. Education, in a broad sense, in important and can help us get a lot further in life in we use it in a positive and effective way.

Eat, Pray, Love.... yes please!!!

My family has been nagging me on my lack of blogging lately.. this should be an interesting one for ya'll. Tonight... well more this weekend, I decided to take some chill/me time. Kaitland decided to go home for a quick trip this weekend, so I had the room to myself. While I was in Korea, I gained a great respect for meditation/alone time. I will admit, it sometimes is not a good thing as I tend to push people away or alienate myself every now and then. I love being alone at times though. I love sitting in my room, on a park bench, in a garden, or go for a walk and just let my mind go wild. During this time, I'm able to reflect on many things... one of the more dominating thoughts being my life and what I'm doing with it at that time and what I plan on doing with it in the future. I remember many times in Korea feeling vulnerable. That vulnerability is what helped me grow so much in a place I was so unfamiliar in. I was forced out of my comfort zone. I was broken down so I could be built up stronger, happier, more confident. I learned a lot about myself and still have much more to learn. I miss that feeling.

Tonight I decided to go rent a movie... as I walked through the movie store, I was drawn to the movie "Eat, Pray, Love" with Julia Roberts. I love Julia Roberts. I have had a few friends tell me 'Kris... you will love it, but once you watch this movie, you will just want to drop your life here and go travelling'. Silly friends... I don't need to watch a movie for that desire to come... it's a natural craving I have daily, but I will admit.. watching the movie definitely enhanced it tonight. I've always loved travelling. I've been blessed to have had the opportunity to travel to a few places already in my life: Mexico, Hawaii, Australia, China, and Korea being the farthest and most adventurous. Korea was really the only one I was able to dive into and really get a taste of the culture. Most of the other places I spent a week or two in and got an appetizer of these places, but I crave the opportunity to dive into the main course and dessert of the amazing foreign places places around the world we are so unfamiliar to. One part of the movie that I loved and craved was the way she dressed in the different cultures she was in. When you travel to foreign places, you tend to pick up different fashion trends within the country. In India, she wore a saree (traditional Indian dress)... I loved it. She had very few, simple pieces of clothing and the brand or cost was of no interest or worry. Her hair was normally worn in a bun or loosely down. Her make-up.. very simple and natural.

I've talked to my family about this a couple times, but every now and then, I have a breakdown about how I feel like this is not where I'm supposed to be. I feel like I should be experiencing that discomfort and adventure of being somewhere foreign, somewhere I am forced to be out of my comfort zone in, a place where I am constantly broken down so I am forced to look in a mirror and re-evaluate my goals and aspirations. In reality... I know it's easier said then done. I am in my 5th year of post-secondary schooling which means a lot of debt with student loans. I am in my first of two years of an amazing education program where I have met some truly inspirational people who have taught me great things that will help guide my future life and career. I am close to family and friends that love me and that I love to be so close to. So will my deep desire to get out and explore the world happen any time soon... probably not, but the passion and yearning I have to do it will probably never leave either! It will always be in the back of my mind... maybe one of the days, I will just pick up and take off for another adventure :) I hope it is sooner rather than later. We only live once and the freedom and time to do these things may not be around forever.

What's your favorite picture of your best friend?

This, my dear friends and family, is my best friend Kenzie (Sheen) Balderson. Isn't she beautiful!?!?!? That smile can light up any room!!!!! How did we become best friends? That's a great question... I'm not entirely sure. I can't name the specific moment we transformed from associates to best friends but this is how the story goes. We attended different high schools in small towns in southern Alberta. We played basketball against each other and I recently found out her parents (especially her dad) very much disliked me when it came to court play. I've heard that from a few friends' parents :) Must be my stellar defence :) We never hung out in high school, but she dated a boy that hung out with all my Cardston guy friends and one spring we went on the same group date. It was the date I talked about a few blogs ago and we all had a blast together... still there was no bonding that went on between Kenzie and I. We continued to run into each other in different social scenes, but Kenzie came into my life as more of a friend at a very critical time in my life. It was the summer before I moved up to Edmonton for my 2nd year up here. A close friend of mine at the time had some struggles in her life and decided to take most of her problems out on me. Kenzie saw this and came to my rescue. She proved to be the constant, true friend I had always wanted in my life. She was my friend I could ride the river with. We bonded instantly and she has been my best friends since that time. She has pushed me consistently to be better in many aspects of my life. She is an example in so many ways and I can only hope to reach her stellarness someday! She got married this past August and he is the luckiest man in the world! She is going to be such an amazing mother and I know she will continue to be my dear friend! I always miss her and love it when we spend time together! I will love her forever and will always give thanks for God blessing me with the most perfect best friend I could've ever asked for!

Plastic on the Windows... check

So Kait and I have been freezing in our dungeon the last couple days with the weather getting down to -25 and colder during the nights. Our roommate, Michelle, told us that we should be plastic up on the windows, which apparently helps keep the breeze from coming on... so tonight after spending most of the afternoon in front of our fire upstairs because it was too cold to hang out in our room, we decided to buck up and get the plastic up. It's still pretty dang cold, but we can definitely tell the difference with less breeze coming through the windows... I think the next plea for our landlord will be new windows downstairs and perhaps a vent in our room so we get some direct heat in our room. I can't imagine how it's going to be when it gets to -40 or -50 with the wind chill here.. I will most likely just take my mattress back upstairs and place myself right in front of the fire till it gets warmer out... hmmm I may just do that tonight!! :) Kait just told me she's wearing her gloves to bed tonight.. haha

Today was a pretty good day. I found out at 8 o'clock that my one class I have today was cancelled, so I went back to bed till 9:30... I had a good breakfast and then headed to the gym to meet up with Kait. Mr. Jermaine Bucknor just so happened to be there also which was a big surprise. Apparently his team was having some financial problems so they sent him home for a week and half and he heads back to Germany this Wednesday. It's always a treat to run into Jermaine. We met about 4 1/2 years ago and have developed a close friendship during this time. He has a great family who I love and have also grown very close with and I throughly have enjoyed spending time at their house playing games, eating delicious Jamaican food, or watching the Olympics day after day.

After working my hiney off in the gym I picked Kait up and came home to cuddle up by the fire for a couple hours before FHE. We played sock dodgeball for FHE and I just have to brag a little. I have the best FHE group. We have a good mixture of different personalities and it makes a super fun group. We have have one of the most competitive FHE groups in the ysa and don't take competitions too lightly. Yes, we did kick butt at team sock dodgeball tonight and I was exceptionally proud of my lil family!

We started doing a little challenge in our ward. We were given a calendar and are doing a 40 day fast for the missionaries in our ward. Each person is to sign up for a day within the 40 and fast for the missionaries to find and teach investigators and to have a little more success in the contacting. My day is tomorrow and I'm excited to be a part of this fun challenge.

Ok question of the day: Describe a perfect first date...

Hmmmm... well I actually have been on a date that I considered pretty close to perfect so I'll tell ya'll about that one. There were 5 couples. We were told to be up and ready to be picked up at 7:00 a.m. The boys picked us up and drove us to Cardston where they cooked us a delicious breakfast. Then we helped load up 5 quads, fire wood, coolers full of food, and a change of clothes. It was spring time, so it was quite muddy and a bit cool, but it was quite a nice day. We went mud-boggin as couples on the quads and got good and muddy!! It was a blast... after cruisin around for a while, we changed into some warmer and dryer clothes and the boys cooked us some steaks and potatoes over a fire. They brought drinks and vegetable snacks for us also. After giggling and chatting, we headed back to one of the boys houses.. rinsed off in the shower and jumped in the hot tub for a while... then we closed the night with a good movie. It was so much fun and definitely went down as my top date!!

QUOTES:

'Success if not what you are doing compared to what other people are doing! Success if what you are doing now, compared with what you have done!'

'We ARE what we think about!'

Wicka Wicka Wow Wow

Well this past weekend was pretty good. We watched a couple Harry Potter movies, watched LC play MacEwan and went to a big birthday party. Church was great today followed by a long nap after church, then home teachers, and a ward potluck. We have big plans for popcorn and a movie tonight with Cars coming over to join the fun!!

This week is gonna be a busy week of school. I have a poster and a micro-teaching lesson due on Thursday and that is the end of all assignments for this semester... then it's study time for finals! Kait and I have officially began to listen to Christmas music and I am starting to get more and more excited to go home for the holidays.

Now for my question of the day: What is my favorite movie?

This is a tough question!! I LOVE watching movies. If it wasn't considered lazy and a waste of time when overdone, I could laze around watching movies all weekend!! A lot of the time it depends on my mood. I was thinking the other day about some old movies that Lynz and I LOVED when we were kids "The Last Unicorn", "Where the Red Fern Grows", bunches of disney movies... but some other movies that pop out in my mind are "Coach Carter', 'Remember the Titans', 'Blindside', 'Shawshank Redemption', 'TWILIGHT' (series), 'Charly', 'glory road' ... oh there are just so many.... I could go on for days!!! I used to watch pretty much anything, but my older sis and her hubby made a rule to not watch movies with certain swears and amount of content and they have been a great example at sticking to this and I'm super thankful for it. It's still a challenge at times, but I can tell how watching movies and listening to music with good content can have a huge influence on the thoughts and actions we have/do in our daily lives!

QUOTES:

'You rise or fall, succeed or fail, by the self-image you hold in your own mind!"

"The price of progress is the pain of change"

New 30

So first I'll catch you up on life... School is still very busy. I have been told this will be my busiest and hardest semester and I'm hoping that's true. The work is not TOO hard, it's just A LOT! I have a poster due next Thursday and also a micro-teaching lesson where I have to pick a lesson to teach our class (pretending they're elementary students) and do it for 15 minutes. I still have no idea what I'm going to do... so my goal for this weekend it to figure that out and get my lesson plan done for it.

This past weekend Cars, Kait and I drove home for the long weekend. We left Wednesday night and it was super nice to have a good long break! On Thursday, Cars and Dad headed out hunting so us gals got together with Granny Hill and we went to a movie and shopped around a bit. We had a blast together and shared laughter and fun! Later that night we met up with Dad and Cars and went to eat, Granny's treat, at Tony Roma's. Patti, Mark and Brett came along too, which was nice! We always have a good time with Patti around! It was nice to have a relaxing day with family our first day back.

Friday I went to watch my bestie, Kenzie's basketball game at the U of L. Both U of L teams struggled which was too bad, but it was sure nice seeing the whole Sheen crew again and catching up with them. On Saturday, Kait and I had breakfast at Karie Baldry's with Robyn Fairbanks and Brett (Baldry) Nelson. It was so fun catching up with the girls and coachy and talking about old memories and giggling like old times! Then Cody Pollock picked me up in Raymond and we headed to Waterton to meet up with a crew to go hiking. We met at Scott Leishman's cabin and then headed to hike to Crandel Lake. It was a cold, windy day, but we still managed to have some fun and work up a sweat! I sure love that place! Waterton never gets old. Sunday we had dinner and Cars and Kait headed back to Etown while I kept mom and dad company some more :) We, of course, settled down to some popcorn and watched 'Amazing Race'. Monday I had to get some documents for my job I'll be starting soon and then I was off to Edmonton on my own. It was a long drive and I really had no desire to get back up here, but Christmas is coming .... trah lah trah lah... only in a short month, so I think I can suck it up for a while. We got quite the snow dump last night and today. The roads were a lil slick and full of silly drivers, but this afternoon things cleared up and it would've been a perfect snowboarding day for sure!

Ok so I have been getting a lil bit bored with my other 30 day challenge... I just felt like so many of the last ones were a little bit depressing and repetitive... so I found a new 30 day challenge... and here it is:

Day 1 — Your favorite song


Day 2 — Your favorite movie 


Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date.


Day 4 – Your favorite photograph of your best friend.


Day 5 – How important you think education is?


Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet.


Day 7 – Your dream wedding.


Day 8 – A song to match your mood.


Day 9 – A photo of the item you last purchased.


Day 10 – A photo of our favorite place to eat.


Day 11 – What’s in your makeup bag?


Day 12 – A photograph of the town you live in.


Day 13 – Your favorite musician and why?


Day 14 – A TV show you’re currently addicted to.


Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without.


Day 16 – Your celebrity crush.


Day 17 – A photo of you and your family.


Day 18 – Something you crave a lot.


Day 19 – Most embarrassing moment.


Day 20 – The meaning behind your blog name.


Day 21 – A photo of something that makes you happy.


Day 22 – A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.


Day 23 – 15 facts about you.


Day 24 – A photo of something that means a lot to you.


Day 25 – What’s in your purse?


Day 26 – A photo of somewhere you’ve been to.


Day 27 – A picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?


Day 28 – Your favorite movie.


Day 29 – Something you could never get tired of doing.


Day 30 – A photograph of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days

So I will start with day 1... my favorite song... Well I have 2 favorite songs right now..by the same band. They titles are 'Beside You' and 'Good To You' by Marianas Trench. Cars showed me one of their songs on the way home last weekend and I just loved it, so when Kait isn't in the car (cuz she gets annoyed and my habit of playing songs I like over and over and over and over), I jam out to those two songs a few times before getting home from school :)

I loved my sis', Lynz', blog today. It was all about music and how much it means and impacts her life. We grew up with a father and mother who LOVE music. Mom more loves jamming out and dancing with us while singing the wrong words to songs haha. Dad... well I am eternally grateful to him for introducing me to artists such as James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel, and many many more! I LOVE listening to music.. sometimes too much and have been trying to cut back on ALWAYS have some sort of music playing wherever I am. Sometimes we need to quiet time to just ponder things, receive answers to our prayers, or just to have peace.

Pictures!!

Happy Birthday to Brittany from my seminar group! I sure have grown to love these girls! I know we'll stay good friends for the next two years and hopefully longer after that!

Alright... so today I spent 9 hours straight working on my lesson plan that's due tomorrow. It's not too complex, but man does it take time. This one was a more detailed lesson plan... hopefully the rest will not have to be so stinkin detailed. Most classrooms are teaching with a Smartboard. It's a crazy new technological way of teaching. You can create lessons on line, post them on the Smartboard, and teach just by touching the board. It's hard to explain by typing, but a very interesting way to teach. They're starting to make us incorporate it into every lesson we do.

Carson looks like a pedophile.. we had to document!

This is our friend off the U of A team that we decided is Nash's dad... he tucked his warm-up jersey in.. lots of laughs for us.

Last weekend, we spent most of our time at the U of A basketball games, which was a lot of fun! it was nice to be at games again. I still could spend all weekend watching basketball games. Kait and I got some good pictures and had fun hanging out with some new friends. Scott Leishman, Cars, Kait, Brian Steed, and I all hung out at the games and had some good laughs. On Saturday, Kait and I attempted to be keeners and get some homework down. I was less effective than Kait.. surprise surprise, and then we got ready to head to the games again. We met up with Scott again and were joined with a huge group of ysa friends for the games and then out for dinner with a big group of us. We got sweet deals on pizza's because we did it in a group. Robyn Fairbanks, Kait, Scott and I all sat at a booth and played a straw game.. then Robyn, Kait and I had fun reminiscing about our days back in Raytown. It was fun to catch up with her and talk about some memories.

Just jamming in the car

On Sunday, we had stake conference which was great. I had a good nap after church and then we had a ysa fireside with Elder Ballard. It was an unreal fireside!! Ya'll are more than welcome to check it out on the lds.org website! It was just what I needed to hear and I'm sure there were a lot of other ysa members that felt the same way as me. After the fireside, I headed over to Shawn Elford's to watch Toy Story 3 and then came home to hit the hay. Today, as I told you, was a school write-off... and I am more than ready for this long weekend!

Kait and I have decided to wind down the night with watching 'Harry Potter 2'... I'm not sure if we will make it through the whole thing, but wish us luck.

Beddy Bye Time

Man... today I am just soooo exhausted and I'm not quite sure why. I haven't done too much today... maybe I'm getting a lil sick and I just need some catch up rest! Any hoosiers.. that's what my plan is tonight... to go to bed early!! Today was a pretty great day though. School was good. I went out for lunch with Cars and came home to get a few things done. Tomorrow I have an interview with Alta Care Resources for a therapeutic youth worker position. I'm not sure how it will work with my schedule, but it's a part-time job, so hopefully it will work with my school schedule. It would be great to get the job because they pay between $18-$20/hour, so wish me luck! I just found out tonight that I need to get two reference letters to take in too.. so I have been bustling around trying to find a couple people to write me one. So fun!!!

So tonight, I don't have much to tell about the day, but I did come across this wicked awesome video last summer and every time I watch it, I feel inspired and most times, I even have a tear or two join... so I wanted to share it with ya'll. Listen to the words please and thank you!!

This video leads me into my topic for the night....

Dear Person I Know Is Struggling The Most Right Now,

I think it's very easy for us to lose belief or hope in ourselves. If we are not constantly being reinforced by others or ourselves, it becomes easy for Satan to start prying away at that little crack until he has created a hole big enough to crawl into. The media and world today have set a standard for the ideal individual including body type, hair color, education, 'success', and many others and we are constantly haunted by these perceived standards that we are 'supposed' to live up to. Satan is a sly, deceiving being and so many of us have been brought down and manipulated into believing things that are not true. We MUST believe that we are GREAT!! Every time the thought "I can't do this" or "I'm not good enough" pops into our heads, we should watch this video, look in the mirror and say "IMMA SHOW YOU... HOW GREAT I AM!!!" I have felt power, motivation, comfort, confidence and love as I have done this. The words in this video have helped me get through some tough times and will continue to do so as I run into other trials throughout my life, but I will never give up... I was born a Comet and will always have that engraved in my heart. I will be knocked down many more times I'm sure, but just as I did in basketball... I will push myself up off that floor and rise more motivated, faster, stronger, and more determined to beat my opponent! I am great!!! AND SO ARE ALL OF YOU!!!!!! Believe in yourself and never settle for the depressing, hellish life Satan wants you to fall in to. He wants us to be just as unhappy as himself... but we are God's children and have been built to live at the CREST OF THE HILL where people can look up to us and where we can be examples to all those around us by serving and showing what true happiness is about!!!! Fight on and NEVER GIVE UP!!!

QUOTES:

'Declare a personal war with things as they are! People are champions because they think like champions and act like champions!'

'Most people settle for less than they want because they have never been taught the proven methods of success!'

'A person's mind once expanded to the dimensions of a new idea will never return to its former size!'

'YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE, AND WHAT YOU ARE, BECAUSE OF THE DOMINATING THOUGHTS THAT OCCUPY YOUR MIND!'

ok ok ok

I know... I've totally slacked off the last couple days! So here's the catch up. Last weekend I went to Calgary to catch up with some old friends and see some relatives. I drove down Friday after institute and went straight to my cousins, the Engens, house. They were having a Halloween party and I had some homework to do, so I buried myself in the guest room and did some homework while Lorena and Aaron partied the night away :) Lorena came into the guest room after everyone had left and we ended up chatting till about 2 a.m. It was great to catch up with her and chat about life. I gained some great insight and a lot of fun learning more about my auntie :) On Saturday, I went to the U of C vs U of A football game and got to meet up with my friend Brandon Strauss who is playing with U of C, but is out with a mcl injury so he got to sit in the stands with me and it was so great to see him and catch up with him. He just got back from his mission about 3 months ago and he is doing fantastic! After the football game, I chilled a bit and then went to Kenzie's game against U of C for basketball. My friend, Julie Bogle, came to meet and catch up and it definitely was one of the highlights of my weekend! We've always been the kind of friends that can go a year without talking, meet up at a restaurant and pick up the conversation from where we last left off. I learned that she was accepted into law and is really enjoying her first semester with that. We had a lot of fun catching up on life and chatting about old memories. Kenzie's team won the game and I ended up going to dinner with Kenz, Braeden, and Braeden's cousin and his wife and kid. We had fun chatting and eating some dinner. Then I went back over to Brandon's and did some more gabbing with him. On Sunday, I went to church with Brandon and was able to catch up with some other friends I hadn't seen in a while: Alida Young, Luke Sinclair, Cody Pollock, and a few other randoms. After church I went to Luke and Cody's and watched some football and then headed back to Etown. It was a fun weekend and nice to get away for a bit!! I may be doing it a couple more times before the year is over.

Today I had a big presentation and our seminar group did great. We met at the school early to make sure we had everything situated properly and it was a success. After class, I had a meeting with my mentor. He is a retired teacher who meets with a group of us each month to do reflections and help us through our student teaching. After the meeting a grabbed a quick subway sandwich and headed straight to the school I will be teaching at this year, Queen Alexandra. I observed my grade 2/3 class today and it was quite fun. I even got to help teach a math lesson. Because there are 2 grades that are mixed, sometimes that class has to separate into two separate lessons and it is much easier to do with 2 teachers rather than just one, so I think my mentor teacher was real happy to have me around. After teaching and reflecting with my partner teaching, I came home and started prepping for fhe. We did a bachelor/bachelorette lil shindig and it was a lot of fun! I was the mc with Spencer Bennett and we had fun together doing that. The whole night was a great success and everyone had a blast. We ended with some ice cream and treats. After fhe, I dropped Kait off at home so she could do some studying and I went to U of A to watch Cars play basketball with some other buddies. He, of course, killed it as he normally does. What a gifted athlete!!!

Ok so I charged and took my camera this weekend to take TONS of pics... I didn't take one... I'm getting really bad at that... but I promise I'm going to try my darndest to get better... Kaitland and I have big plans to get some fun pics very soon!!!

Now I know why I was putting off blogging.. I just check what my next topic is... :)

Dear Last Person I Kissed :),

I'm sure my family is all wanting to hear a name... but you just aren't going to get it, so just accept that now :) Whoever you may be... you studly man... you are a lucky, lucky man. I don't give them out like candy you know... well not anymore... just kidding daddy.. I don't kiss boys... not until I'm at the temple with my sweetheart ;) Ok on a more serious note... kissing.. hmmm.. well I guess you could say I have kissed a few in my days. I'll tell you this... since I went to Korea... a kiss means a whole lot more. I think that in our society, a kiss has become the new 'holding hands'... it's not considered a big deal if you kiss someone.. well depending on who you are. I'm totally ok with saving my kisses for someone special... someone that it will actually mean something with. Kisses should mean something... kisses should be special... holding hands should be special... it's the little things that count and if we abuse them to a point where we become numb to the butterflies and excitement to a first kiss, it's time to take a step back and re-evaluate where all those kisses are going to and why. So like I said... I'll wait till I'm at the alter... you all know I could do it if I really wanted to... well... I probably could... ok maybe not.. but they will be special... now more wasted kisses for this chickee :)

QUOTES:

"Two boys had polio. One ended up a derelict on the streets, the other was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. What made the difference?"

"All businesses grow to maturity, level off, and die-- unless they constantly feed in new ideas! The same is true with people!"

"Today's circumstances are the result of yesterday's choices. Tomorrow's circumstances will be the result of today's choices. Choose wisely!"

Cowtown for the Weekend

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I had a busy day at school and then grabbed some groceries on the way home. We finally got a guy to come fix our heater, so I met him at our house and it took him 10 minutes to fix whatever was wrong and cost $200.. not bad for a 10 minute job :) I decided to cut up my celery, broccoli, cauliflower and wash my grapes because for some reason if I don't wash and cut them up the day I buy them, I kinda forget I bought them and sometimes they go bad in my fridge before I can eat them. So they're all cut up and bagged properly so I can take them for snacks each day :) Then I cuddled up on the couch and watched biggest loser from this week cuz I missed it earlier. I picked Kait up from school just because and decided to go for a brisk walk before heading to bed. I went for about an hour and it felt great. I went down this huge hill and then turned around and went right back up it and my legs were burning a little bit by the time I hit the top. It felt good to get out and go for a mindless walk.

I've decided to go to Calgary for the weekend to see some friends. Kenzie is playing U of C on Saturday, so I'm going to catch her game and then U of C plays U of A for football too on Saturday afternoon, so I'm gonna hit that game too and meet up with Luke Sinclair and my friend Brandon Strauss too. I'm excited to get away for a bit and see some new faces. I get to stay at my auntie Lorena's, which is always a good time. They have been so great in letting me stay at their place if I ever need to, which is really nice. They have a beautiful house and I just always feel so comfortable going there! I'm hoping to meet up with Miss Julie Bogle too and hopefully we can catch up after a few years! Should be a fun weekend for sure!

I'm thankful today for whoever introduced me to frozen green grapes :) I just love love love snacking on frozen green grapes! Especially the big, seedless ones. Right now, safeway has really good big green grapes and I bought two containers yesterday to wash and freeze and I am just so excited to open a bag today to snack on. I remember last spring I went to Lynz' on my way home from Korea and she had some in her freezer and they were delicious. The key is making sure they're the big ones. The small grapes are good too, but no comparison to the big, crunchy ones. Mmmmm Mmmm good!!!!

Yes mom... I will work on getting some more pictures of me on here!! :)

Dear Person I Want To Give A Second Chance To,

I decided to take this one a little on my own path and it's actually giving this individual a one hundredth chance :) In all seriousness... as I was pondering this one, I thought 'well I would love to give everyone a second chance', so it was hard to come up with one person, but I started thinking back to my junior high and high school days and my old friend, Shantel, popped into my head. Shantel was one of my best friends growing up. She wasn't a member, but her grandma Jo was and she came out to a few activities with me and even came to a young women's camp where I remember her baring her testimony and I remember feeling the spirit so strongly when she bore her testimony. Shantel ran into some rough patches at a young age though. She started hanging out with the wrong crowd and started doing some things she shouldn't have. In grade 12, she started dating an older guy who introduced her to crystal meth... it all went downhill from there. She ended up going through rehab programs, got pregnant, had an adorable little boy, and is still struggling to get her life put back together. She hasn't just had to deal with overcoming drugs, but has also lost some key people in her life. In junior high, her boyfriend was killed while drinking and driving, her grandma Jo died when we were in grade 11 which really affected Shani cuz her grandma was a huge help with their family as Shantel's mom has had some medical difficulties, and her older brother was killed in a driving accident a year after we graduated. Shantel was an amazing athlete and is a BEAUTIFUL girl!! I have tried reaching out to her many times throughout the years, but she has just pushed me away or won't respond to my attempts. I wish I could just kidnap her and have her live with me so I could help her daily. I wish I could slap some sense into her and help her realize how amazing she is and the potential she has to do anything she put her mind to. I wish I could help her realize the love God has for her and the happiness and comfort she would feel if she would open her heart to the teachings of the gospel. I wish I could have my old friend back!! I will never give up on Shantel, but it has gotten to the point where I have to focus more on my life and the friends I have, but to always continue to be an example to Shantel and if an opportunity comes up where I can reach out to her again... I will because I still love her very much and miss that spunky, beautiful girl I grew up calling my best friend. I will keep praying for my friend Shantel and hopefully someday she will give me a chance to be there for her like I've always wanted to be. She is a child of God too and deserves all the happiness in the world!!

QUOTES:

' Each person is unique! In all creation there is no duplication. There never has been and never will be-- another you. If you don't develop your talents and abilities, who knows what the world will have missed."

'The average man never uses over 10% of his actual potential. If you had an automobile performing at 10% capacity, what would you do with it?'

'The greatest discovery of my generation is that men can change their circumstances by changing their attitude of mind" - William James

'Don't play the person you want others to think you are! Play the person you really are because you are proud of the person you really are!!'

Paying $220 To Live In An Igloo

Ok, so first I'll explain our title. I woke up this morning freezing and apparently our heat isn't working, so Mich said she fixed it this morning. Well I get home tonight after a long to to a freezing lil igloo and want to cry cuz I soooooo cold. Hopefully we can get this figured out cuz it's not even that cold outside yet, but it is sure freezing inside! I'm gonna have to start having sleepovers at friend's places if this keeps up. I'm going to sleep in my parka tonight and maybe snuggle up to Kait too :)

Today was quite a busy day. School was good. After school my seminar group and I decided to buck up and try to get our seminar material all figured out before the Halloween weekend. We got to Brittany's house at 1:30 and I didn't get home till 9:00. It was a long afternoon, but we had a lot of laughs and good times together. It was nice to get to know the girls out of the classroom. We have a few more things to tie together, but we got most of it all done. We present on Monday and I think we will do very well!

Dear Person I Judged By First Impression,

I think most of us make judgments by our first impressions. That's why we're always told to make a good first impression. I have had many girls that I've played against that have met me in ysa and they say "wow, you're really nice" and I say "uh, well thanks" and they continue by explaining "well I always thought you were so mean from playing against you in basketball". If I was judged by everybody on the way I played basketball, I probably wouldn't have too many, if any, friends :) I think that a lot of judgments are made on how people look rather than who they really are. I know I've done it a lot. It's almost a natural thing for me to see someone wearing a certain type of clothing or wearing their hair in a certain way immediately I link them to a certain group. I don't like being judged in that way, so really it's not fair that I do it to others. I'm trying to work on this and keep my mind open. The saying 'you shouldn't judge another till you've walked a mile in their shoes' says a lot. I think most of the time, we don't have all the facts about what's going on in another's life and it really isn't fair to judge people so quickly when we don't know what's really going on in their mind of lives at that time. This judgment also has a negative impact on ourselves too. When we think negatively of others, I believe it makes us naturally think more negatively of ourselves also. Even if we don't especially like someone or they look REALLY odd, we should try to find something positive to say or think about them... it's amazing what this little act can do to our own attitudes.

QUOTES:

'Brigham Young once said, "Hell is when the person you are meets the person you could have become."

'Our purpose i life is to realize our full potential!'

'Take advantage of the infinite abundance that lies within you!'

Sweaty Mess

So the first and most exciting detail of my day is that I finally attended my first hot yoga class. It was awesome. I guess I didn't eat close enough to the class because I kept getting dizzy and seeing black dots, so I'd have to sit or lay down for a minute or two and then try to stand up and try again, but I really enjoyed it! It was challenging, but wasn't exhausting to the point that I didn't want to go back. I will definitely be taking advantage of my cheap month of hot yoga and i'm sure I will miss it in the months after because it is just too dang expensive to keep up while I'm in school. I wore spandex and a tank top and after the class it felt as though I had jumped in a pool with my clothes on... I know kinda gross, but it sure felt good :)

Yesterday I went and met with my coordinating teachers at Queen Alexandra Elementary. I will be working with a kindergarten class and a 2/3 class. I also learned something really great this last week. I always thought that with an ed degree from Concordia, I would only be able to teach elementary... BUT I recently found out that with my degree I can teach kindergarten -grade 12... which is great, because I really feel that I would rather work with older kids. My views may change in the next year and a half, but for now I'm aiming for junior high or high school.

Dear Person I Wish I Could Be,

Hmmm... an interesting question for sure. I think this is something I have and will continue to have to work on daily. No one on the earth is perfect, so we all room for improvement. I think the key is to not get too comfortable with where you are. I think it's very easy to start slipping down the slope to mediocrity and we should be focused every day on the goals that will help lead us to the person we want to become. I want to be the kind of person that when someone hears my name, they think of positive things. I want to be the kind of person that was known for being adventurous, charismatic, spontaneous and fun. This is something that is sometimes a challenge for me. I mean I've done some adventurous things like going to Korea, but when I hear my dad say "Kristen, you need to get a backpack and just go camping and exploring for the weekend", I get shivers because it sounds like so much fun, but actually doing it hasn't happened quite yet. I think the reason I want to do these things is because I want to be able to do them with my family in the future too. I want to be the kind of person that is known as a daughter of God whose actions and words reflect Christ and His perfect example. I want to be known as a great friend. I want to be the kind of person that has an organized home where people feel welcome and loved upon their first step in our door. I want to be the kind of person who is positive and happy and is able to spread my optimism to those I am surrounded by. I want to be known as an amazing individual that never gave up through the mistakes and challenges life sometimes threw. I want to be the person that God created me to be... GREAT! I think I already hold a lot of these characteristics, but keeping them consistent still remains to be a challenge and will be something that I will passionately be working on for the rest of my life!!

QUOTES:

"Each man is a corporation. He is the president, his wife the treasurer, and his children the stockholders! What are you doing to insure this investment?"

"Nothing on earth can stop a person backed by persistence, determination, and total commitment. A dedication to personal purpose that refuses to be governed, by conditions, or what other people think!"

"Opportunities never come to those who wait! They are captured only by those who dare to attack!"

Motivation COME BACK!!

This last week of midterms, papers and presentation took a hit for me. I guess that's what I get for being out of the school game for a couple years. I'm ready for Christmas vacation... bring on Whitefish and chocolate making (or chocolate making watching in my case :)) The sad thing is there is no down time for me now either... I have a unit plan due Tuesday and another big presentation next Monday... so back to the grind. I don't know why they can't just throw us in the classroom and say good luck... I'd totally be game for that and not have to write any more essays or exams :) I'd say that's the best idea I've had all year!

Today was a great day. Church was wonderful as usual! I saw my old friend Tyler Willoughby there and ended up making dinner with him after church which was fun. It was good to catch up with him. I came home to find Kait STILL studying... my goodness that girl is a keener. I wish I were half as keen as her! No wonder she does so well in school! Props to her! Now it's time for bed to prepare for a busy week of school and activities. Tomorrow for FHE we've planned to do a Halloween heart attack, which is when we cut out a bunch of heart in Halloween colors and write lil notes of love, motivation, inspiration and so on.. and tap it to someone's door without them catching us. It should be very eventful and hopefully a big success! Tuesday will be my official start for hot yoga seeing as I chickened out on Saturday and am hoping to get 3 sessions of that in this week AND I also have my first meeting tomorrow at 3:30 with the teachers and classroom I will be observing and teaching later on this year! Hopefully they're great teachers and classrooms!

Today I am thankful for my car! It's so nice to have a car. I mean the extra costs definitely add up, but to be able to jump in the car to drive across town to a friends house is so awesome rather than having to mooch a ride or jump on a bus that takes double the time to get there. Plus my car is kinda pretty and I like to think I look kinda good driving it too :)

Dear Childhood Friend,

I have a lot of lil childhood friends that I loved, but today when I was pondering old memories, I remembered when I got babysat by Jeanie Stone and was the best of friends with her son, Ben. I remember playing nintendo with him.. a mixture of mario brothers and the duck hunting game that we both LOVED! I also remember his favorite disney movie to watch was '101 Dalmatians' and we watched it hundreds of times. I loved hanging out with Ben and remember calling him my bestest friend all the time. I loved our little cul-de-sac we lived in with all our little friends. We went on bike rides and played house and ran around all day long. We didn't hang out really in high school, but when I think of ol Benji, I still smile because of the cute little memories we had getting babysat together!

QUOTES:

'A man's success if the result of what he is, and NOT the result of what he says or does!

' You are where you are and what you are because of that is where you really want to be!

'The slight edge principle. Only inches separate the champion and the 'also ran' in all phases of life.'

GOSH!!!!!!

Today I am thankful for big bowls of popcorn, movie marathons, and sister roommates!! Ok so we haven't even started yet.... but it's going to be good! We're going to make a huge bowl of homemade popcorn, big glasses of water, a pile of movies that we will continue to watch until we can't stay up any longer (which may be 10 or 11 o'clock).... oh it's gonna be a party of a night!!! I have always been a huge movie lover and could seriously do movie nights every night, which probably would not be too beneficial seeing as most nights I am busy with school, FHE, or other activities, but having a movie night every once in a while (or a few times a week) never hurt anybody. Might I add that having a big bowl of popcorn just seals the deal! I LOVE going home to Raymond for Sunday nights because my mom always makes a huge bowl of homemade popcorn while we all settle down for a lil tv night.

Dear Person Who Pesters My Mind,

Hmmmm... let me just start with... why do you have to belt out random words during the night and wake me up... I worry about you... whoever you may be :) Now girls... let me show you how it's done... once you finish eating your food, go to the sink.. rinse and wash and stick it in the dryer rack... I know it's an extra 5 seconds of your day, but I promise our house will smell better and you wont' have to worry about me yelling "DO YOUR DISHES" every Saturday morning :) hugs and kisses... Excuse me good looking, but would you please read the Book of Mormon already and get baptized... I promise it will bring much happiness for you... and me in the long run :) Oh my friend... you're going to do what you're going to... but please remember when this backfires on you that I was the one that told you.. she ain't worth it and you're just be another boy on her list. Woman... I love you to bits, but for the love... give me some room every once in a while.. or I'm going to have to play 007 around Edmonton. TC5G.... you pestered me a lot this summer, but talking down to my sister was crossing the line... you got to see the wrath of KHill and I'm SURE you will never want to try going down that road again... don't mess with family... it won't go over well with me.. This was more of a venting blog... Kaitland helped me think of what direction to take it in.. thanks KHill junior :)

QUOTES:

" Our creator did not create one person to succeed, and another person to fail. The seeds of greatness are within every person. Just water them and watch them grow."

"YOU CAN'T GET BIG by thinking small!"

"People are always looking for security! The only real security is within ourselves, our own talents and abilities. A job is only a symbol of security!

Surprise surprise... I sprained my ankle :)

So tonight I played my first basketball game with the women's league team I was invited to play on. It definitely showed that I haven't played competitive basketball for 2 years :) but I had a blast!!! We are playing division 3, which is... chill :) but still competitive enough that I still got 3 fouls in a short amount of time. I LOVED playing with Robyn Fairbanks again. She's just one of those players that you love to have on your team and would hate to play against! I did tweak my ankle, but walked it off and kept playing... welcome to the basketball life of khill :) I got some good blisters from my new basketball shoes too.. gotta work them out a lil more I guess :) I'm definitely looking forward to playing our next game on November 1st.

I'm also starting up hot yoga tomorrow morning which I'm excited, but nervous about. Should be very interesting. I've always wanted to sign up for a yoga class, but they're always so expensive. I got lucky this time and logged on to the website on the one day they had a special offer for students. The deal is unlimited one month for $25... normally a month is $140... so I decided to take advantage of it. The hard thing is gonna be if I end up loving it and not being able to afford to go back... but I'll deal with that when it comes... for now, I'll enjoy the cheap month and make it well worth my $25.

Today I am thankful for good music. It's amazing how one song can change the way you're feeling. I grew up surrounded by great music. I've always loved jamming out to my daddy's music and still love to hear the eagles, fleetwood mac, doobie brothers and others jam out on my computer or in my vehicle. Of course, I've gained a few other types of music that I enjoy and have learned to respect and enjoy all kinds of different genres of music. I like switching it up now and then and I think it keeps life driving to and from school interesting... I never know which type of music is going to pop up on my ipod. Music has offered a lot of comfort and joy in my life. There are songs that I love to work out to, songs I cry to almost every time I hear them, songs that make me smile, songs that make me laugh, songs that I can't help but bounce and dance to and songs that I can't help but belt my lungs out singing to. Im thankful I grew up in a house with music around and have grown to appreciate all kinds of different music!

Dear Person in a Different Province or Country,

Well I have a few friends that live in different provinces and countries... and I kind of feel bad for them. You see I grew up in one of the most beautiful places.. southern Alberta. Yes, I am biased... but I think there are a lot of aspects of this place to back me up. Of course, Waterton is a highlight. I was able to take a trip there in the spring with my mom one day and it turned out being one of the most perfect, beautiful days I have ever spent in Waterton. I love the mountains, lakes, canyons, prairies, coulees, and many other beauties of southern AB. If there is one thing I do not enjoy so much about southern Alberta, it would be the wind. I have thought many times, if only it weren't windy... it would be the perfect place to live :) As for Canada vs. everywhere else.. come on now... BC is gorgeous with mountains, lush trees, wildlife and more, Alberta.. like I said is stellar... and the rest of Canada.. well it's good too... but the west side is the bombdiggity.. :) I hope someday you come to your senses and move to the best place in the world!!!

I have also decided to stick a lil power thought in my blogs every day, which will help me remember to read them daily and something that can give ya'll and myself a boost daily too if you decide to use them :)

THE MAN WHO THINKS HE CAN

"If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don't.

If you like to win, but think you can't

It is almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've lost.

For out of the world we find,

Success begins with a fellow's will --

It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are.

You've got to think high to rise.

You've got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man,

But sooner or later the man who wins,

Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!!"

One Down... One to Go

Well I downed my first midterm today and it went pretty good. I have another one tomorrow and it's going to be an interesting one. It's open book with 2 long answer questions. You'd think that'd be easy, but it's not that simple. It's covers a wide range of the School Act which is hundreds of pages long on specific topics we've covered in class and each answer is supposed to be between 2-4 pages... yiza! But in 12 hours I will be done it and moving ton to preparing for my 2 seminars I have due in the next two weeks! I love school :)

Today after class, Carson and I went to the gym and shot around for while. We were both pretty hot at the beginning, but I was brutal by the end. I have some work to do before playing women's league or potentially playing for the college again :) We both agreed, it can't hurt for us to shoot around like that a few times a week :) Institute was great tonight. I love going to that class... gives me such a boost during the week and before this year, I've never really gone consistently... sure wish I had made time during basketball seasons for institute! It's amazing what a difference and influence one class a week can have on an individual!

Today I'm thankful for yummy smelling cologne. There's nothing like walking past a guy who smells delicious. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about the guys that drench themselves in the cologne to the point that you can't breathe when they are near, but when a guy has the right kind and amount of cologne on... it definitely brings a smile to my face! I've had a couple guy friends who have chosen to wear a yucky smelling cologne and I wish so badly I was close enough with them to tell them... that scent is a no-no, but I guess for now I'll just have to suck it up and hope to run into a heavenly scented man!

Dear Person I Miss the Most,

This one I wasn't too sure what or who to put. I mean on certain days I miss certain people more. I miss my parents when I'm away. I miss the Tolman family in Portland. I miss my close friends. I miss my grandparents. I miss some relatives. I miss some coaches. But as for today... I really have been missing my Korean kiddies and the Rogers family back in Korea. I LOVED my Pooh Bear class and every time I go back and look at pictures of my kids in Korea, I get a smile on my face and a little sad because I wish I could see them still every day. They were all such a blessing in my life. I tried hard not to have favorites, BUT Annika and Camilla made it so hard. They were just too cute and too fun!!! I miss them sooooo much!!!! If you followed my blog while I was in Korea, you will remember that the Rogers family were my family in Korea. I spent most weekends at their house acting as though they were my own family. I babysat, did the girls hair on Sundays, helped cook and clean, played games, celebrated my birthday, Easter, Christmas, and other holidays all at their house. The Rogers family played a significant part in my experience and growth in Korea. PJ and Lori always were giving me great advice and putting me in my place when needed. They were honest, bold, loving, caring, and truly became my Korea family. I miss the little girls so much and even miss lil Cooper even though I didn't get to spend very much time with him as he was born shortly before I left. There are many days that I wish I could just hop on a jet and fly over there to spend a few days with them every month. I miss having them in my life and can't wait to see them all again!