Would You Rather

Would you rather complete a language sample analysis or drink a gallon of sour milk?

Would you rather write quarterly reports or be trapped in a room full of angry bees?

Would you rather score and write up a preschool classroom observation or fall onto a cactus?

Would you rather write lesson plans or get sprayed by a skunk?

Would you rather complete a narrative analysis or only be able to walk backwards?

Would you rather administer, score and write up evaluation reports for several assessments or drink 40-50 shots in a week?

Now I don't want to create any bad karma, but with all of the things that I have do this week the second options really don't seem so bad. Only 7 more weeks until the end of semester 2, I can do this!

All Things Ostrich

Today I attended the 23rd annual Ostrich Festival with my friends
Tasha and Erin from school.



We learned some fun ostrich facts.


We watched ostrich races.
These ostriches all started out with riders on them, but apparently ostriches don't like people to ride them.

Seeing people ride the ostriches reminded me of Swiss Family Robinson. I have always wanted to live in an amazing tree house, ride an ostrich, and build a grenade out of a coconut because of that show. In a small way I feel like attending the ostrich festival brought me one step closer to those dreams. Or maybe it helped me realize just how impossible it will be to fulfill those dreams, either way I really want to watch the Swiss Family Robinson now.

And of course no ostrich festival experience would be complete without ostrich burgers, kettle corn samples, pig races, and a sea lion show, so we did all of those things as well.

Mystery Castle

Yesterday I went with my friend Rob to see one of Arizona's finest creations, the Mystery Castle.

Apparently in the early 1900's a man lived in Seattle with his daughter and wife. They often went to the beach and built sandcastles. The daughter was always disappointed when the water washed the castle away, she asked her dad to build her a castle that would never break.

A short time later the man was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was told that he wouldn't live much longer. Instead of burdening his wife and daughter with this horrible news he vanished.

Fifteen years later the wife and daughter received news that he died, and they were given instructions to go to Arizona because he left something there for them.

When they arrived they found a castle.



Underneath this trap door was money, gold, and the deed to the castle. The wife and daughter moved into the castle and lived there the remainder of their lives.

Interesting story, very interesting castle...

Inside there is a wedding chapel that contains a bookshelf full of shoes with a sign that states, "In the chapel if the bride leaves one shoe, then forever will the groom be true." I would like to follow up with those brides to see how accurate this is.

The castle was full of so many unique items such as life-sized dolls and rocks painted like animals, just to name a few.

I am always up for unusual and unique experiences and the Mystery Castle did not disappoint!

Winter Wonderland

I am trying to take full advantage of the winter weather in Arizona.

On MLK day I went hiking with some guys in my ward
on the Peralta trail.

When Aubrey came down to visit we hiked the Hieroglyphic Trail.

Like a Dream

While I was home in Utah for Christmas break it seemed so normal and natural to be there, almost like I had never left, almost like the past 4 and a half months in Arizona were only a dream, a hellaceous dream, but still just a dream.

I was able to fully embrace many of the fantastic things that Utah has to offer:

• Kneaders
• Zuppas
  
• Staff Lunch
• Good Radio Stations
  
• Snow
• Sledding
• Temple Square
  
• Gingerbread Waffles
• Mountains
• Driving through the River Bottoms
  
• SoJo Rec Center
  
• Harmons
  
• Real Christmas Trees
• Amazing Friends
• Wonderful Family

It was so nice to be home, surrounded by all that is familiar and comfortable. Being away from home has definitely made me appreciate it for so many reasons!

Now that I am back in the AZ and back in school I realize that Christmas break was truly like a dream, an exquisite dream. And now it is time to wake up and face reality.

Expect the Unexpected

My first week, or so, in the AZ has been filled with many unexpected surprises....

• I did not expect to watch so many shows on Hulu
• I did not expect to drink so much water
• I did not expect to sweat so much
• I did not expect to listen to so many Christian Rock radio stations
  
• I did not expect all of the adds on my fb page immediately change to Phoenix adds
• I did expect it to get dark so early at night
• I did not expect a cat to hiss at me
• I did not expect to spend so much money
• I did not expect my geraniums to still be alive
• I did not expect to drive all over the area without any problems only to get lost in my own neighborhood
• I did not expect there to be so many sweaters and boots for sale
  
• I did not expect my classes to start this week
  
• I did not expect multiple people to invite me to go to the temple with them in one day
• I did not expect a bug to make a loud buzzing sound all of the time
  
• I did not expect there to be so many bright pink and orange flowers
  
• I did not expect a 55 gallon container of soy sauce to be in the garage
• I did not expect to meet so many people and to feel so welcomed in such a short period of time
  

Done and Done

Well it is official, I am a college graduate AGAIN! I recently got my diploma in the mail. After three long years of online classes it is nice to have something to show for all of that hard work. So, here's to no more online classes and no more bachelor's degrees, from here on out I will be sitting in a classroom and earning a graduate degree!

I also recently finished my first project with my new (or not so new, anymore) sewing machine. I made a rag quilt for baby Aubrey. I cut out the fabric before she was born, 16 months later it is finally finished. I think it looks great and I learned lots while working on it.


When I spread the quilt out to take a picture of it Aubrey immediately sat down on it. I will take that as a good sign.