vic-tastic!

So today i had a small victory to some but to me it was truly a miracle!
One of my students is about on a preschool level due to learning disabilities. Usually all i can get them to do during their short time with me is draw pictures or read books while everyone else works on assignments. Today as a class we played spelling-tac-toe, basically tic-tac-toe with spelling words instead of x's and o's. Well I told this student to practice spelling 'headline' on their whiteboard since that'd be the word I'd give them when it was their turn. Surprisingly they went right to work studying it. The game was on an edge since the one team only needed to spell one more word correctly before they got a spell-tac-toe it was Student's turn, they needed to block the spell-tac-toe by spelling a word correctly. Student had studied well and they took their time thinking and spelling out the word. The whole class was shocked and amazed that So-and-So got it correct! Even more amazed was So-and-So. The class all cheered as Student spelled it correctly. It was mind-blowing for me! I couldn't stop smiling the rest of the day.
WOW!!!! It was a great reminder as to why I wish to teach.

first week

The first week is over and i just survived my first second Monday.
The first week was full of good stories. For example:
Story 1: One of my students has behavior medications that wear off around noon. His parents have been busy and haven't had time to get the school the proper papers saying we can give him the drugs he needs. Right before lunch one day he went to his backpack, pulled out a big canister of pills, holding them above his head he said in a loud voice "so my mom DID put them in here!" I confiscated them and turned them into the office. I'm watching him a lot more closely now. He overdosed last year just because he was curious what would happen if he took 5 instead of just 1. He's a great kid though and I have to tell myself not to laugh at his antics since that will only encourage him.
Story 2: I asked the students to tell me how their families came to Utah, as we discussed Utah history. I was expecting to get some Pioneer stories instead I got several stories about cramming into vans and hiking in forests to get over the Mexican border.
Story 3: Along the same lines as the above story. I asked my students who the first people to come to Utah were and got the answers "Christopher Columbus, Abraham Lincoln, and Davy Crockett.

There you have three of my stories about the first week goodness.

Miss D

So my students will start school this Monday (july 27) CRAZYBUS i know! I'm not sure I'm ready but then again I doubt I'll ever really feel ready so bring it on!

Here are some pictures of my classroom. Remember that I'm a first year teacher so i don't have anything and no money to buy it so it's pretty empty but I like it! I'm rather proud of my brag wall. I made those frames outta the clear page protectors and construction paper.

Enjoy

I can't believe that I'm all done with school. I got my diploma in the mail on wednesday and it just felt unreal to be all done while all my friends have at least a year more. SUCKAS! ;) But I'm sure my blog will get a lot more interesting now that i'll have crazy student stories to share.

Savvy;)

The bucket list

Things you have done during your lifetime:
(X) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
(X ) Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
(X ) Been to Mexico
() Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawai
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
(X ) Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
( X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
( X) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
( X) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain-naked
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
() Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
(X ) Gone snowmobiling
(X ) Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(X) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
(X) Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
( X) Been to Disneyland
( ) Been to Disney World
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer
( ) Been in a rain forest
( ) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(X) Been water-skiing
(X ) Been snow-skiing
( ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
( X) Swam in the Mediterranean
( ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Been to a National Soccer (football) game

I love how i've done most of them.

Yes my life got interesting...FINALLY

So here is the latest and greatest story of my life.

On Sunday my lil sis and I drove down to Hanksville to meet up with my Pa who had gone to a family reunion earlier that weekend. We got there and all jammed into his truck and took off for Lake Powell. We arrived at the parking lot and decided to just camp in the camp ground since we don't boat on Sundays. We fixed a stealer dinner of steaks. As we sat around the table talking about life my dad discovered that the spiderwebs he'd been playing with with his bare feet was actually home to a HUGE black widow. So I ran and got the camera and Marie fully freaked out and my Dad attempted to kill the spider.

After we were sure the spider was in fact deader then dead we all went to bed.

Monday morning we got up and launched the boat around 10am. While my pa was parking the boat Marie and I were sitting in the boat when I realized it was over heating so I turned it off. When my dad appeared on the ramp we turned the boat on and went and got him. It continued to over heat so my dad thought it'd be a smart thing to force water into the engine by going fast. This plan in fact backfired and caused the engine to hydro-lock (meaning nothing in the engine would turn). At this point my dad looked at Marie and I and told us to get our life jackets on and swim the boat the mile to shore. We did.


By the time we got to the shore it was about 11am. My dad tinkered on the engine for several hours. We had lunch and Marie and I sat in the sun for a bit, played cards, read Harry Potter and helped my dad out. After lunch my dad realized he didn't have the proper tool so he took off for a mile hike to the store on top of the hill to buy the tool. Around 3pm my dad had decided he fixed the problem. So we pulled out from the shore and got about a mile out when the engine started to sputter and it in face died. So once again Marie and I jumped in the lake and swam the boat another mile back to shore. My dad once again tinkered for about another two hours and then we tried again. We went out around 5pm. This run was going well. My dad was doing all the proper tests and the boat was passing them.
For the idle test I asked my dad to drop me off at the bathroom. When I came back the boat once again sputtered and died. So guess who swam it in another mile. Yup Marie and me. Marie and I are now on our 3rd mile of swimming the boat to shore. We were a bit tuckered out at this point.
My dad tinkered some more. AFter another two hours (its 7pm now) my dad gave up and we decided to swim it back to the ramp. The ramp was at this point two miles away. Marie and I jumped in the Lake again but this time the wind was against us. We were able to hold the boat steady with our swimming but we didn't make any progress. My dad decided we'd have to walk the boat around the shore. So Dad and I got on our sandals and strapped up. Marie didn't have any sandals so she just had to bear the pain of the rocks. We walked it 2 miles around the shore going through sand and rocks, and big bushes full of HUGE spiders. It was probably the worst part of the whole trip. The sad thing was no one offered to help us. Tons of people watched the three of us struggle with the boat. One boat actually drove right next to us not saying a word. That is very unusual for Lake Powell.
Anyway we got the boat on the trailer around 8:30pm. We packed up quickly and drove back to Hanksville to grab some Stan's Shakes before camping out that night.
We arrived home Tuesday afternoon.

Pretty sure it was the most memoriable and shortest Lake Powell trip i'll ever go on.
I'm glad to be in the family I'm in tho. We all remained smiling and laughing at the ridicuoulness of our situation. We never yelled at each other or got real upset throughout the whole ordeal.

Chicken Nuggets

I was told to write a blog on chicken nuggets...so here it is.

I think that although chicken nuggets themselves are so disgusting and sick when you think about what they are...I mean chickens don't have nuggets and if they do i don't know where they are...thus QUESTIONABLE! Yet I love to eat them every so often. I must say the best chicken nuggets are found at Chick-Fil-A (however you spell it) since they look the most like real meat. But Wendy's comes in second just for their cheapness.

But really the big question i have is do chicken nuggets actually have chicken in them? hmmmmm what do you think?

Spring Break

With our spoils....Enoch got more :(
Classic hiding spot
"Lets Dance"
Moab!




So since I'm doing my student teaching I get a spring break unlike BYU who thinks it doesn't exist. ;)
I had a short day on Wednesday and then I had Thursday and Friday off. It was pure inspiration. On Thursday I was able to go down to BYU to take a class from Brother Draper (my teacher from Jerusalem). That was so fun to go and see him in a normal classroom instead of at the JC pointing out the big windows. As I was driving back home to South Jordan I decided that I needed to get out to de-stress and prepare for my last week of student teaching. As I was driving home thinking of where I could go by myself, since everyone else already had plans. A miracle happened. Ryan Stubbs (a family friend) called my dad and offered to take Marie and me to Moab with him. Marie didn't want to go due to lacrosse parties but I jumped on that ball. We drove down Thursday night and just talked and caught up with each other. I haven't seen him since I was 16 or17 and so we had a lot to discuss.
Friday we went and did a couple trials as well as hung out on Potato Salad Hill. I can't believe how much I've missed going to Moab and jeeping altogether. I can't go another 5 years without going down there.
On Saturday we did Metal Masher, one of my favorite trails. It Moab hasn't changed at all since I was last there. It was the perfect amount of fun and adventure.
The Stubbs were great for housing me and feeding me and keeping me entertained. I was at their mercy but I knew I'd be well cared for they are like my second family.
On Sunday Marie and I went up to the Davidson Easter Egg Hunt and dinner and it was spectular like always.
I love how the eggs are always hidden in the same spots yet we always have a blast. Then after all the eggs have been found we steal them back from the little kids and hide them again. Its a vicious cycle that goes on for about an hour. The Davidson's know how to have a good time! It's never dull with them.

Shout out to Cousins EVERYWHERE

But mostly on this special day of days... my cousin HEATHER!!!



To commemorate this day of days I will write the ten things I love most about Heather

10. You're name is an alliteration. I remember when I first found out I had a cousin named Heather Heywood... I remember saying to myself "self, her name is an alliteration mine isn't...i wish it was."

9. You love HSM and so we get along great!

8. You blog like no one else's business

7. You are my cousin...thus instant love to ya

6. You are now an official teenager the big 1-3 yo!

5. You own a wiener dog named George

4. You live in Arizona...always hot!

3. You used to love Tarzan, Harrison Ford and the Phantom!

2. You always make me smile whenever you're around, your happiness is contagious!

1. two words JONAS BROTHERS!!!


But in all seriously you are pretty RAD! I'm so lucky to have a cousin like you and all this great technology that allows me to get to know you better. Drink your milk, eat your veggies, Stay on the path of righteousness.


Love Savvy;) and a little help from Marie

Elder Parker!

So my cousin is in the MTC at the present moment and we have so much fun on Saturdays. I lead him on a St. Patty's day hunt but he couldn't figure it out so I had to let him cheat and just give him his prize.
He also loves to make a big deal about how we're family so he can hug me and talk to me. Its so much fun, he cracks me up. He'll give me a quick hug then step back and announce to the cafeteria "I'm so glad I can give my FAMILY a hug" then he'll make a small show of hugging me again.
He's gonna be a great missionary! I know cuz he's my cousin.
Savvy;)

MTC of GREATNESS

I love my job. On Saturday I work at the MTC (missionary training center) and I love it. It's so much fun and I get paid. Anyways my cousin Parker is currently in the MTC getting ready to embark to Montana shortly. I got to see him on Saturday at Lunch and Dinner. He's doing great. He is certainly thriving in the MTC. He is in a threesome companionship since one elder got sent home already and he seems to be getting along great with the companions. One is from California and he seems very chill and fun. The other is from somewhere back East and he is a little bit different. He's just awkward to put it in one word. But Parker is able to deal with him just fine. On Wednesday I am planning on leading Parker through a Leprechaun hunt in honor of St. Patties day. If anyone knows of some great cheap goodies to put in the pot of gold let me know.

This week was crazy busy and I love it all. I love teaching my 2nd graders and coaching my girls. I'm just ready for it to become a routine instead of stress. SOMEDAY i'm sure.

Savvy;)

Mama Mia

I'm listening to the soundtrack right now....thats the only reason for the title.


Family is the greatest thing since LIFE (take that Spencer). I can't believe how wonderful it is to have the family I do. I can't imagine going throughout life without the love and support of my imediate family as well was my extended family. I am truly blessed in the fact that both sides of my family get along so well and enjoy doing things together. I love all the wacky traditions my families have. The Davidson's are always a hoot when they get togther. We just like to laugh and tease each other. But then we can turn around and in a blink of an eye give the comfort needed and shed tears together.

The Heywood's although several hundred miles away still play a huge roll in my life. They're support isn't physical but it is still there just the same. I love going to Jackson Hole and doing the exact same thing every year and never getting bored from it. It's so true we do the exact same things ever year...the river, the BarJ, the Old Time Photo, Mountain High Pizza, The Toy Shoppe...and yet I love it ever time.
Savvy;)

Family isn't it about time...as corny as that is i Love it!

i just wanna dance... I practiced

the title you ask.... just a line from my fav. disney movie can anyone name it?

I've been inspired by my dear cousin Heather to do better on my blog. Thanks Heather.

Anyways life has been wonderful. Today I had the day off to work on my TWS (The dreaded Teacher Work Sample) and did I do any of it today...um NO! I did get a lot done tho. I went to BYU and took care of all the lameO fines and fees they tacked on my account. Then I came home just in time for lacrosse practice. Practice went well but not as well as I wish it did. It could've been so much better but dang I'll get them tomorrow. Then I came home to find my dad cooking Spaghetti and after eating we had scriptures and now I'm helping my little sister plan out her entire life. ;)
See what a productive day.
Another thing I did was I bought the Student Manual for Old Testament just for my own benefit. I'm excited to use it on my own to learn more about the OT. I mean ever since going to Jerusalem I've fallen in love with the Bible and can't learn enough about it. I've also come to better understand the OT and how it shows God's love.
Anyways I'm excited for my new book. Am I a nerd or what?

Savvy;)

Student teaching!!!!

OH MY HECK!!
Student teaching is way more work then anyone ever admits! But boy is it fun. I'm now fully in charge of the class, my teacher is gone the whole day. But it's so much work.
Today my kids just went crazy, so tomorrow we are going to have a class meeting and discuss who is in charge and what it means to be the teacher and student.
But it is very rewarding. today one of my students wore her older brother's cleats the whole day for no apparent reason.
It made me laugh

Happy Inaguration Day!

Today was a Teacher Work Day so we didn't have to teach today. All the BYU student teachers in Jordan District met for a seminar on teaching instead of going to our schools. We took time out of the seminar to watch the Inauguration events. What an amazing experience. I don't think I've ever seen one live. President Obama sure knows how to speak to people. As teachers we talked about how it is our job to honor the office of President even if we don't agree with what the office holder is doing. The job as President is such a hard job it deserves respect. I am excited for Obama's presidency. I have never really understood or cared for politics but as I move into the big real world as an adult I think I need to change my thinking and get involved and educated on what is going on in Washington. This is my country after all.

PS if you want a silly children's book to read about the job of the president read THE KID WHO BECAME PRESIDENT. It is hilarious and my students all love it.

some pictures

Jerusalem Christmas Party.
(Lauren, Me, Tanner)
Bachelorette Party for Ana Maria
My Birthday Dinner
A Hard Day's Work

New Year....New Life?

Happy New Year-yo!

So I am starting 2009 off right. I got a great job and I've started Student Teaching.
My new job is wonderful. I really love it. I am the activities' director at a nearby assisted living home. I basically just play dominoes, BINGO, and do nails all the while making sure my residents don't kill each other. They sure get heated up over their games. If you don't do it right they let you know and if anyone goes out of turn or covers the wrong number it can be detrimental to one's health. My first day was very scary. I've never been around the Elderly (and my residents are very Elderly) besides my Great Grandma Marie (who was gone before I really got to know her and she scared me when I was younger). Anyways my first day there I asked Virginia if I could do her nails and Virgina looks as pale as a ghost and isn't able to communicate verbally. She mumbled something then swore at me. After just a couple days I am now very confident about my ability to plan fun activities for these wonderful people. It makes me terribly sad to think of them as babies but that is really what they are capable of. During those brief moments when they are present they are full of amazing stories about their lives' and the world they grew up in. Those moments are incredible but also short-lived. I am overjoyed with the opportunity to spend time with these people who are so close to heaven's gates. Also they are pretty funny in the things they do and say.

Another big deal that happened today was I started my student teaching. I will be working in 4th grade which will be nice since that is also the grade my dad teaches. I just started today so I don't quite know all my students or what is expected on me. But I am so excited to start teaching next year. This is the final stage before real life begins and I'm ready to jump into it.

2009 will certainly be interesting!

Savvy;)