Super Saturday

Yesterday, I was able to go to my Relief Society's Super Saturday.  Believe it or not, I had never heard of a 'Super Saturday' before.  In fact, when I mentioned that to one of my Visiting Teachers, she asked me if I was a convert!   Anyway, it was a lot of fun.  I got to meet some more sisters from the ward, eat some yummy soup and goodies, and explorer my inner crafter (pinterest would be proud!)  So here are just a few of my creations.  I can't display them all because some may or may not be presents for the future... :)

1.  Here is my spirited BYU post it cover.

2.  And here is my new 'MENU' board for the kitchen.  I already planned our meals for the week using a dry erase marker.  Brian is stuck with left overs for both Wednesday and Thursday because I have Parent Teacher Conferences and won't be home until after 8. :(

missing my long, brown hair

Warning:  The post below is totally self absorbed and a little vain.  Read at your own risk...

I am in a hair rut!  It's been a whole year since the last time that I dyed my hair a few weeks before my wedding.  Other than a few trims, I haven't done anything with my hair, and recently my hair has just been driving me crazy!!!  These days I rarely even wear it down.  Most of the time, I just throw it in a ponytail, crazy braid, a messy bun and call it a day.  It's in that terrible stage where it's not really long but also no longer shoulder length either.  I'm also not sure about the color.  I loved going brunette, but I hated the long process of going back to blonde and all the damage that came with it.  Basically, I have no idea what to do with my hair these days and just wanted to vent and complain a little bit.  I miss my hair looking like below... :( ...but my hair refuses to grow longer and hair coloring is expensive, plus a  it's kind of a big commitment for someone as non-committal as myself. ;)

P.S  On a happier note, how cute was our pumpkin snowman?!?!

My Gratitiude List: Part 1

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, this month I have decided to 1. choose to become a more grateful person 2.  actively recognize the little blessings I take for granted and tend to overlook and 3.  share some of my gratitude with the few people that read this blog.  So here it goes....

November 1 - Today I am grateful that we put Brian's snow tires on Saturday.  Now I don't have to worry so much about him driving down and up the canyon today in the snow.

November 2 - Today I am grateful that my brother Travis was born on this day 25 years ago.  What would life have been like without my only brother? I don't know...but I'm guessing just a little more boring, and we probably never would have gotten a boat. :) For the boat alone but also so many more good times and memories, Happy Birthday Travis...I love you!
 

November 3 - Today I am grateful for Netflix.  It has been such a life saver now that we don't even have basic cable television.  How cool is it that in 2011, we have the technology stream movies and TV shows live from the internet straight to our HD TV's?!?!?!  Who would have thunk back in the days of Oregon Trail, Word/Number Muncher, and VHS?

November 4 - Today I am grateful to look younger than I actually am.  One of my co-workers past me in the hall today, did a double take, and said that she had thought that I was one of the students. :)  I've gotten this a couple times from other teachers.  Now it could just mean that I need to stop shopping in the juniors section and stop wearing my hair up, but today I'm choosing to believe that it means that I still look 21 (because honestly there is no way I could really still pass for a 7th grader...)

November 5 - Today I am grateful for Relief Society.  Even though the sisters in my ward are all older than me and in different stages in their lives, they always go out of their way to make me feel welcome.  Go here to see some of the fun crafty things we did together this weekend.  P.S.  I am also grateful for daylight savings time...but only in the fall...

November 6 - Today I am grateful that my Bishop asked Brian and I to give talks on gratitude Thanksgiving Sunday....I knew their was a purpose for this blog!  I am also grateful for Sunday afternoon naps.

November 7 - Today I am grateful for a husband who wakes up extra early to shovel snow and start my car, so when I leave for work I don't have to scrape off ice,  and it's already warm and toasty.  And that this isn't just a one time thing because he does this every morning now.  I love you Brian!

November 8 - Today I am grateful for Cafe Rio salad dressing.  Seriously, where have you been all my life?  I can't believe I spent the first 20 years of my life without you.  More specifically today, I am grateful for this lady here for teaching me how to make you on my own.  I can't wait for dinner tonight!

November 9 - Today I am grateful for dishwashers.  After living without one for our first few months of marriage, I'll never take one for granted again.  I'm also grateful for nights like tonight when I come home from a long day of Parent-Teacher conferences and Brian has done all the dished for me.


November 10 - Today I am grateful to be a teacher.  On days like this where I have to spend from 8:00-3:00 away from my classroom in professional development unpacking my curriculum,  evaluating assessments, and writing enduring understandings and essential questions, only to return to my school for Parent-Teacher Conferences until 8:00 P.M, I have to remind myself that I actually enjoy teaching.  I love the 90 minutes a day that I get to spend with my students.  It makes all the rest of the "stuff" seem a little bit more worth it.

November 11 - Today I am grateful for the blessings of the temple.  One of my great friends Jessica is being sealed today to her husband Wes for time and all eternity.  I am so grateful that families are eternal and can be together forever.

November 12 - Today I am grateful for a clean apartment, stocked refrigerator, soup and grilled cheese on a snowy day, and for the warm oatmeal butterscotch cookies that Brian just made for us!  It's adding up to be a pretty great Saturday.


November 13 - Today I am grateful that in a little over a month church will start at 11 instead of at 9.  I'd go to church no matter what time it started, but I'm not going to lie I'm excited for an extra day to sleep in.  Maybe I'll start actually doing my hair for church again...


November 14 - Today I am grateful for my health.  I went to the doctor today for my annual physical and everything looks good.  That combined with all the Grey's Anatomy I've been watching recently has really made me realize how awesome my healthy body is and how frequently I take for granted the miracle of good health. 

let it snow...?

I guess now that it's November that means goodbye fall...or at least I think that's what Mother Nature is trying to tell me...

Here are some pictures from the windows outside my classroom.

Happy 11/1/11!

Happy Halloween!

This weekend we got to celebrate Halloween by going to a barn costume party in Provo with the Mootes on Saturday. Then on Sunday we were able to carry on the tradition of the Jones family "Spook Dinner"  celebrating not only Halloween but also my brother Travis' 25th Birthday!  I got him a copy of "The Hunger Games"  so that he can read it before we all go see the movie in March.  We also decorated pumpkins!  Thanks Whitney and Alex for having us all over!

Tonight, Brian and I are going to sit back, relax, and watch some of this in honor of Halloween.

One Wedding and a Football Game

This weekend was filled to the brim with good times.  Thursday and Friday were dedicated to the wedding of one of my best friends Kim.  Thursday - we got our nails done, rehearsed the wedding ceremony, and enjoyed a delicious rehearsal dinner.  Later that night we put together flowers and decorated cupcakes until Kim, Renae, and I had all become delirious. :)  But in the end all our efforts were rewarded.  Kim made an absolutely gorgeous bride!  As can be seen in the following pictures.

In other exciting news, after a mini miracle, Amy and Lorrin were able to make it to Utah, and Amy was able to be a bridesmaid with Renae and I.  We had so much fun together and loved seeing Amy's definite baby bump.  Hooray for babies!

Former roommates Jenny and Cherish also made it to the wedding.  Weddings tend to make great reunions.  Cherish is also expecting a healthy baby boy!

Saturday, we met up with Renae and Robert again for the BYU vs. Idaho State football game in Provo.  I haven't been to a game in SO LONG!  It was a lot of fun.  We won. And it made me feel like a young college student again. 

Today was our regional Stake Conference, and it was such a spiritual boost.  Elder Bednar spoke about testimony and conversion and the character of Christ in such a powerful, clear, and simplistic way.  Testimony is the knowledge we know to be true as witnessed by the spirit, but it is not enough for us to endure.  We have to be converted to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Conversion is CONSISTENTLY living what we know to be true.  As we gain a testimony and become converted, we are promised that we will never fall away because living a converted life helps align our character with the character of Christ.  Pretty amazing doctrine!  So basically it was a great, but exhausting weekend.  UEA break went way too fast, and now I'm a little bit bummed that I have to go back to work tomorrow.  It's ok though because wonderful memories were made and shared with good people.

Kim's Bridal Shower

Last Saturday, Renae and I through a bridal shower for Kim with the theme: I've Fallen For You.  It was a lot of fun, and I wish I had found time to take pictures (Kim took a lot, but she's kind of busy these days...so I'm probably not going to see them any time soon.)  Kim is going to make such a beautiful bride!  I can't wait for the wedding on Friday!

Here are some of Kim and James' Engagement Pics

I'm kind of really proud of this invitation...

I don't get much more creative than this! 

(The cards on the favors say James and Kim: The Perfect Mix)

And thank you pinterest for this idea!

Now it's time to start planning baby showers...

benifits of the stay-at-home-husband

This week Brian is on fall break.  At first I was incredibly jealous that he would be able to sleep in and relax and do whatever he wanted all day long, while I had to slave away all day at work.  But I have since grown to appreciate the many benefits of my stay-at-home man....

1.  Who wouldn't love to come home to a homemade meal like the one above?
2.  My apartment has never been cleaner.
3.  Yesterday when I came home, all the laundry was finished and folded.
4.  The sink faucet and bathroom door have been fixed.
5.  I have a super relaxed husband who isn't stressed out about homework all the time.
6.  I've got 2 back massages so far and it's only Wednesday. :)

Hooorrrayyy for the stay-at-home man!!!!!!  Too bad it ends on Friday...

running update...

As promised, here are some pics from my last run!  We got our new running watch too, and it's pretty legit. So some of the pics are actually from my camera, and some of them are thanks to Garmin's amazing GPS technology combined with the powers of Google Earth.  I'm not going to lie, this new watch is basically 99% of my motivation to go running right now.  I'm kind of in love...

Where my back yard meets the trail.

2 miles in +

500 ft incline +

and 2 miles down =

4 miles!

The latest Moote family project...

Our landlord told us we could paint if we wanted to and not have to worry about painting anything back when we someday move out.  Exciting, right?!?  Anyway we decided to start (probably finish) with our little bathroom.  Here are the final results...

We painted the walls light blue and the baseboards a cream color.

Brian and I had a lot of fun putting it all together...but we are mostly just happy that it is all done!