Life is rollin' by

WOW. Can I just say that this has been the craziest two weeks?!

Last weekend Kyle had a music conference in Mesa, so we were able to go down and stay in the Marriott in Mesa for absolutely free because the school paid for it! While Kyle was at classes all day long Friday and Saturday, I was able to go hang out with my parents and I was able to see one of Derek's soccer games which was really fun! I don't really get to go to things that Derek is apart of so it was really fun to be able to go and watch!
We came home late Saturday night, and Sunday I was called to be the Sunbeams primary teacher.. which is kind of an exciting calling! I had the same calling in Buckeye when I was still living with my parents, so I feel like I'm one step ahead of the game with that!

One of the major things that has been going on was the opening of the George Gardner Performing Arts Center which is the new High School Auditorium. Kyle's Dad, George, had put together (with the help of many people) a play, about 20 years ago, which is called "Holbrook" so they asked Kyle if he would take a few of the scenes from the play and direct them for the opening concert. Its a brand new auditorium so they were trying to figure out all the sound and light equipment so for the past two weeks Kyle has been at the Holbrook HS until at least 10:30 every night helping out to help the entire program go smoothly. This past week I was able to go over and help with phone calls and making sure all the little odds and ends were taken care of, so that was fun to get to work together with Kyle and not sit and wait for him to come home :) It sure made for week full of late nights, along with school and working.

Last night was the actual performance, and it was amazing. The play was only a portion of it, they had Indian Dances, Mexican Dances, and a number of different talented artists. Kyle's brother Brent was chosen to write a song about their Dad, and it was amazing. You could feel the spirit so strong when he was singing. We were all a little nervous about how the entire show would be, but they really pulled it off- it was so good. I'm really proud of Kyle and how good he did.

This weekend was the first time that I had ever been with Kyle's entire family together at once. It's hard for them to all get together when one lives in New York and another lives in Oregon, but they were all able to be here for the dedication. There were a lot of laughs and good times.
We are really excited for March to come along, Kyle's mom invited us to go to New York with her to go see Brent, Jodie, and their kids. I've never been anywhere other than the states that touch AZ (minus New Mexico) and Hawaii, so I'm really excited to be able to go somewhere! We are pretty positive we're gonna go to The Lion King on Broadway, and I couldn't be more thrilled!

Goals

Today as i was reading through some of the goals that I wrote as a missionary I read something that really made me think. President Bowen (my mission president in Barcelona Spain from 2000 to 2002) taught us a new way to write goals for our lives. He invited us to find 6-7 Christ like attributes that we would like to improve or emphasize and write a goal from the perspective of what people will say about us after we die. But in first person. Then fins a scripture that shows that quality.
One of the quality's that I wrote was virtuous and one of the lines that I wrote said: "My words and actions are never such as to offend the spirit, even when that might offend others."
For some reason that really impacted me today and as I am writing my new years resolutions it is becoming a theme. I need to remember that all I do in this life is for one singular purpose, "...to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Moses 1:39" and everything else is just a vehicle for this purpose.
I hope everyone has a happy new year and whether you are a "new years resolution" type of person or not, best wishes in all you hope to accomplish in 2008.

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Merry Christmas

WEll it's official, Christmas is over. It was definitely a fun, and interesting Christmas this year!

Last week, Kyle was very busy with Christmas concerts and school, and I was very busy with.. well.. nothing, so I decided to come down to Buckeye a little earlier than we had planned. I came down Thursday morning and spent the rest of the day shopping with my mom and dad for last minute food and christmas shopping. Friday, we went tot he mall (which was CRAZY, we seriously had to park in like thee very last parking spaces in the very very back) and finished shopping for Derek. While we were at one store, my dad got a phone call that his speaker on Sunday wouldn't be able to be there because of a family crisis.. so he quickly asked me if I wanted to speak...even quicker i replied "Kyle would LOVE to!" so I called Kyle and let him know :) That's what a good wife is for right?! Kyle came up later that day after a Christmas Luncheon for work and we hung out the rest of the night.

Saturday, Kyle had the fantastic oppurtunity to go Christmas shopping for.. ME! I told him that he shouldn't have procrastinated, but he quickly informed me that either I could have gotten something from Alco or Safeway, or he could wait.. and I decided that was prefectly fine for him to wait 3 days before Christmas :) While he was out and about, Mom, Dad, and I did some MORE shopping and my dad took me to In and Out- oh how i love that place.

Kyle's talk went VERY well on Sunday, I had a lot of people let me know that i had a very good husband (I completely agree). Because my dad had to work Christmas, My Aunt Steph, Uncle David, Amber, Jenni, Grandma, and Grandpa, and Ben came later that day and we had Christmas Dinner (Ham, Potatoes, mom's famous rolls, green jello salad. etc.) that night, which was AMAZING, and Chris, Kati, and the Boys arrived to mom and dad's around 10:30 that night.

Monday, we had our morning Christmas routine. We all woke up.. waited.. waited some more.. and went and woke up mom and dad. Mom had to put the "Pancakes for a Crowd" (really yummy breakfast casorole) in the oven, and then she had to go get ready before we could open presents. Kyle did a VERY good job- he got me a really cute heart bracelet, 2 movies, and Enchanted for my Nintendo DS (I've been playing it non-stop since Monday) . Kyle got a football, socks, a George Forman Grill, and a book that he really wanted. Between those and presents from Family, it was a very good and useful Christmas. We spent the rest of the day playing and enjoying families company.

Tuesday, Christmas! Santa brought my little cousin Ben his presents, and Kyle, Derek, and I got our stockings. Stockings are always one of my favorite parts. I love the little goodies and toys. Since we did all our Christmas stuff the morning before, most of our extended family had gone- so about 2:30 we decided we should go see a movie.. even though we were meeting the Carrolls at 6:30 to see National Treasure. We hopped in the car and went to Harkins and saw I Am Legend. I have heard mixed things about the movie, but overall I really liked it. National Treasure was pretty good too!

Today- We're planning on meeting up with Chris and Kati and Steven and Meghan and playing soccer.. and Steve and Meghan are supposed to come later to get their presents and stuff.

It has definitely been a long Christmas... since we did everything we usually do in one day- in three! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

And I thought college was rough

When I was in college I always looked forward to Christmas break with great anticipation. Well that was before i became a full time music teacher. I think I am looking forward to this upcoming break more than ever. I have been so busy and I still have an elementary concert, Senior Orange sales deliveries and auditions for the Holbrook Musical this week. The jr/sr High School Christmas concert was a success last week. Again, I think the biggest compliments are how long the concerts have been because both have been exactly an hour and 15 minutes long. I also redesigned the music web site which has been a lot of work but that was my own fault. But I really like it. Check it out (www.myjcsmusic.com). I am looking forward to going to Buckeye for Christmas from what I hear we are going to celebrate like the Jews over a multiple day period. :) Adam Sandler would be proud. Kyle and Alli not a jew! haha Don't tell Alli but I have to go pick out her present Saturday :) Plenty of time right. I think that Helzberg commercial fits me just right "because your not that guy"
I haven't really been in the Christmas mood the last few years I guess Alli and I need to have kids so I can get in the spirit again through them. My students at school definitely are in the mood they decorated my office this morning.

Well the ceiling at least. Well that's enough from me but if you are really bored check out the video that I made back in college.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7CJuHEpsoc

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Holidays begin!

Kyle seems to keep this pretty updated with all his school jazz- so I think it's my turn to keep ya updated on our other lives :) Two weekends ago we were able to go do to Tucson for my nephew Wesly's 3rd birthday, I can't believe he is already three! We had a total blast hanging out with the family and Kati's family. We went to the park and played kick ball, football, and watched the bottle rockets go off. It was nice to get outside and play for a little bit. Then we went back to Chris and Kati's house and had pizza and amazing pumpkin rolls and we played a very exciting game of spoons.. man those Pike kids are rough! :) I held my own pretty well though.
Two days after we left Kati had the new baby.. Nathan Douglas, I haven't been able to see him in person yet, but in pictures his just as precious as the other two boys :) I'm excited for Christmas to see him.
This Thanksgiving we spent with Kyle's family, and I was so super excited when I found out Stormy was going to come over too! The food, of course, was amazing! I was a little sad that we didn't have the green jello salad, but that must be a Carbonneau thing :) After we ate, we went to the Sand Dunes... which I wasn't excited for what so ever.. my stubbornness kicked in and I decided I wasn't going until Kyle's mom told me I had too.. can't fight with that :) I'm glad I went though, it was really fun. When I think of Sand Dunes I think of the ones in Buckeye.. it's just sand what's so special about that? But this is like the finest sand EVER and it's in a HUGE hill so you like jump of the top and roll down in the sand, it's really fun! I pushed Stormy a couple times and we had a little sand fight, and there wasn't a piece of clothing that was on me that wasn't filled with sand.
We put our Christmas tree up! We got everything at good ol' Alco.. it's like a walmart but Holbrook style. We didn't have anything to go on the top so we made something from construction paper, but hey i think it looks pretty good! This Sunday Stormy and her new bo Mr. Josh is coming over and we're gonna make gingerbread houses (one of my favorite Christmas crafts!) and that will be REALLY fun, I'm excited! I have two weeks left in school till finals, so wish me luck! We love you all!

Kyle In Real Life

So this last week has been crazy to say the least. Tuesday was the George Gardner Memorial Show Choir Festival and I took my Audition Choir (Voce) to that that. I was very proud of them they did awesome. I would say we were the Second best group there but of course I am a little biased. Snowflake was hands down the best but I think in a couple of years we can be as good as them. :) I have already talked to Mindy Flake (the snowflake director) about bringing my choir up to work with hers I figure if we want to be the best we need to surround ourselves with the best. The choir had a good time hitting on all the girls and guys there. 3 of the guys even went to breakfast with the snowflake choir. They were loving that. We also were able to spend a couple hours that day just playing games like Dippity Dippity Dip and Kye, I even learned a new one Called Chicken Taco that was a lot of fun. Then when the Voce performed our last song is called Voice Dance and Kellie did an awesome job of giving us some fun tribal choreography and made us some cool rip away skirts. So I let the guys go without shirts and just paint their body's in white "war" paint. This was done under the black light so it had a really cool effect and for any of you who have ever been to the Show Choir Festival you know who got the loudest cheer of the day. :)
I thought I was tired after that but I was wrong because the nest day I took 19 Jr. High students to the their regionals in Round Valley. This was a lot of fun as well because I got to see my Mentor Teacher Mrs. Turley who was the Choir Clinician. I taught my choir one of the warm ups she always did about Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies and we bought her a package of Nutter Butters and did the warm up for when we first got there, she loved it and my students got to connect with clinician right from the beginning so it was good. During the lunch break we played all the games again that we did the day before I have a feeling before long I am going to get pretty god at these games. Its fun though and it seems my groups are the loudest ones at all these events haha who would have thought. Its ok though we are friendly and invite anyone who wants to join in. The groups sounded really good by the end of the day and everyone had a great time. The next couple days were catch up days for me.
Friday though alli and I decided to go to flagstaff and go to dinner and a movie. We saw "Dan In Real Life" It was a great movie we thought, of course I have to confess I am a huge Steve Carrell Fan. I think he is the greatest actor alive right now haha. Then after we went to Garcia's I haven't had the Pollo Fundido in a long time so it hit the spot.
Well Next up Christmas concerts so hopefully I have a little time to catch up.

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The days or our lives... continued

You heard the days of Kyle's life- so he handed me the computer and said "ok your turn" :)
The past 3 weeks I've been in a kindergarten class.. what a treat :) I have 18 kids constantly saying "Teacher Teacher, Teacher Teacher" but they are so fun.. they are mesmerized by the simplest thing.. for Halloween we did a bunch of stuff w/ pumpkins and they were amazed that a pumpkin could float- they are too cute. At the end of the day I'm definitely ready to come home- but they are pretty fun :) School has been going really well... for the most part. I am really enjoying my Excel class and I am learning so much that I didn't know I could do with it. I have a Biology class that I am so ready to be done with.. my teacher is a real piece of work and I'm really excited that I only have 5 more weeks left with him. I can't believe that it is already November! I am pretty sure I'll be attending NAU next semester and finally work toward my BA.. I'm really excited to get into the teaching classes and be done with these classes that I feel like are a waste of time.

This last week I don't think there was a day that Kyle and I had more than an hour together before we went to sleep.. he's a pretty busy guy- and his mom said it only gets worse :/ I'm not excited for that, but he loves what he does and that's what matters. I'm trying to talk him into building me a house this summer- and I'm pretty sure we can do it, but we'll see what happens :). Zeus is doing good (he's our puppy) he's home a lot by himself and that makes me sad.. and I think he's jealous of Kyle, they other night kyle kissed me and Zeus like jumped on me and started licking me, and then he would glare at kyle and then lick me again- it was pretty halarious. He's getting neutured this coming Saturday- so he's really excited about that :).

Kyle ratted me out- I'm super duper baby hungry :) and we'll keep you updated on that when there's something to update :) Well it's time to get ready to go for the weekly Sunday dinner at Kyle's moms- I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween and hope everything is going well!

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