I'm getting married! for alll the people who read my blog... well... I don't even know who does, but I have been engaged now for three days.
Since you must all be dying to know how it happened... let me tell you.
So, I had been seeing Jake since the start of March (and before you all cringe at how fast we became engaged, let me say I knew him longer, for he is a friend of a good friend).
So... he was flying out here for school, and it was a VERY long two weeks in between the time I had seen him last (I have no idea how the summer is going to feel let me tell you).
I was waiting for him at the baggage claim and he gave me a huge hug and kissed me, and then said, "So, airports are kinda special to us yes?"
Yes...?
:first time I ever met you was in an airport: (true)
Yes...?
:first time I ever kissed you was in an airport: (true)
Okay...?
:so you think the next thing should happen in and airport:
and he got down on his knee and whipped this blue box out of his pocket and and asked me to marry him.
and I was so surprised at the whole thing and so.... well... so flustered and aware that tons of people were watching... and suddenly I realized he was still down there and I had to answer.
So I said yes..
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Baltimore and Back
Okay, so now that I have been home long enough to thoroughly digest my trip to the east coast. So... I wish I had pictures to post, but I FORGOT my camera. I know. Lame. Lame Lame.
The trip however, was not lame. Koodos out to my wonderful Mr. Jake Ortiz who made it all possible.
As a preface: Jake and I started seeing each other at the beginning of March (ish...). And, he is starting school out here in Utah this May. Yay! But, we had to do the long distance thing for a while. I really wanted to see his home territory, and I really wanted to see him. Solution?.... You guess it-- a rather long flight across the country to the beautiful (an rather dynamic city of Baltimore, Maryland).
I might also preface with this new discovery: I LOVE the east coast. Oh, beautiful OLD houses around every corner, streets that make you so lost, rolling green pastures, cobbled streets, narrow roads with quaint little fences, beautiful old trees, and ... did I mention the cute little old houses that are literally everywhere?
We spent that first evening off the plane at the inner habour in baltimore. Gorgeous, and delicious. The little boats all moored in their, and even the larger traditional ships that were anchored there just for show. There was evidence of a rich artistic culture everywhere, and the buildings were a unique combo of old and brick, with all different sized windows and wooden doors, and new with odd angles and lots of modern lines and glass and metal. In short, the effect was simply breathtaking.
The next day was also one that was a lot of taking in all at once. We took the metro from Rockville to DC... right to "the mall" where the smithsonian museums were. We went to two of them-- the art museum and the museum of natural history. There was a gorgeous live display of the most lovely and fragrant orchids in the museum of natural history. I loved it. Not to mention all of the gemstones and diamonds and beautiful ancient jewellry there, or the elephants and cheetas and pandas and whale bones. The art museum was quieter, a bit more refined, and a LOT less dirty. Jake bought me a simple porcelain crane--it looks like and origami paper crane, but made out of glass-- all white. It is so beautiful. I still don't get tired of looking at it.
DC was a little mucky and very full of people. It didn't stop raining while we were there, but it did stop by the time we had made it to the DC temple.
A moment on the temple: Set on a hill, and so tall it could be a fortress, the golden spires reach toward heaven like the simple majesty of a child's faith. It is unadorned and without pretense, but so pure and white and simple that it somehow captures your attention and makes you look again. The only color to be found is on either end of the center spires-- beautiful stained glass windows that carry the colors of light toward heaven. At night, the light from the inner rooms glow out of these thin windows like a modest young girl whose appearance might ask you look, and see, and wonder, but would never force your gaze. But once you look, you can't stop your eyes from travelling back and looking again, and again, and again. And every time, your appreciation of the loveliness before you somehow makes you wonder how you never saw her in the first place. Such is the exquisite effect of this house of the Lord.
That night, we made it back to Jake's home early enough to meet his family-- such a good and comfortable environment. I loved it. But I was also super tired, and so it was no surprise when Jake, his brother William, and I all fell asleep during the movie we put in.
The next day was calmer-- slower. We both needed it. But we went to Frederick-- to a lovely place downtown with painted bridges. The bridges look like the are made of stone, but they are only painted that way, and many stones have pictures "carved" into them. There were about four bridges there, and each one was different. I think my favorite was the one with the wrought leaves and flowers-- all black, with lanterns on the ends. It was very pretty.
The other events of the trip I think I would rather keep to myself. I will say it was worth the time-- and hopefully Jake thought it worth the money. It really was a whole different America, one that I wouldn't mind seeing over and over and over again. Simply lovely.
The trip however, was not lame. Koodos out to my wonderful Mr. Jake Ortiz who made it all possible.
As a preface: Jake and I started seeing each other at the beginning of March (ish...). And, he is starting school out here in Utah this May. Yay! But, we had to do the long distance thing for a while. I really wanted to see his home territory, and I really wanted to see him. Solution?.... You guess it-- a rather long flight across the country to the beautiful (an rather dynamic city of Baltimore, Maryland).
I might also preface with this new discovery: I LOVE the east coast. Oh, beautiful OLD houses around every corner, streets that make you so lost, rolling green pastures, cobbled streets, narrow roads with quaint little fences, beautiful old trees, and ... did I mention the cute little old houses that are literally everywhere?
We spent that first evening off the plane at the inner habour in baltimore. Gorgeous, and delicious. The little boats all moored in their, and even the larger traditional ships that were anchored there just for show. There was evidence of a rich artistic culture everywhere, and the buildings were a unique combo of old and brick, with all different sized windows and wooden doors, and new with odd angles and lots of modern lines and glass and metal. In short, the effect was simply breathtaking.
The next day was also one that was a lot of taking in all at once. We took the metro from Rockville to DC... right to "the mall" where the smithsonian museums were. We went to two of them-- the art museum and the museum of natural history. There was a gorgeous live display of the most lovely and fragrant orchids in the museum of natural history. I loved it. Not to mention all of the gemstones and diamonds and beautiful ancient jewellry there, or the elephants and cheetas and pandas and whale bones. The art museum was quieter, a bit more refined, and a LOT less dirty. Jake bought me a simple porcelain crane--it looks like and origami paper crane, but made out of glass-- all white. It is so beautiful. I still don't get tired of looking at it.
DC was a little mucky and very full of people. It didn't stop raining while we were there, but it did stop by the time we had made it to the DC temple.
A moment on the temple: Set on a hill, and so tall it could be a fortress, the golden spires reach toward heaven like the simple majesty of a child's faith. It is unadorned and without pretense, but so pure and white and simple that it somehow captures your attention and makes you look again. The only color to be found is on either end of the center spires-- beautiful stained glass windows that carry the colors of light toward heaven. At night, the light from the inner rooms glow out of these thin windows like a modest young girl whose appearance might ask you look, and see, and wonder, but would never force your gaze. But once you look, you can't stop your eyes from travelling back and looking again, and again, and again. And every time, your appreciation of the loveliness before you somehow makes you wonder how you never saw her in the first place. Such is the exquisite effect of this house of the Lord.
That night, we made it back to Jake's home early enough to meet his family-- such a good and comfortable environment. I loved it. But I was also super tired, and so it was no surprise when Jake, his brother William, and I all fell asleep during the movie we put in.
The next day was calmer-- slower. We both needed it. But we went to Frederick-- to a lovely place downtown with painted bridges. The bridges look like the are made of stone, but they are only painted that way, and many stones have pictures "carved" into them. There were about four bridges there, and each one was different. I think my favorite was the one with the wrought leaves and flowers-- all black, with lanterns on the ends. It was very pretty.
The other events of the trip I think I would rather keep to myself. I will say it was worth the time-- and hopefully Jake thought it worth the money. It really was a whole different America, one that I wouldn't mind seeing over and over and over again. Simply lovely.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Lately I have been reading this book for one of my classes that claims to be a handbook for empowerment. I don't know if that is the case of not, but one of the ideas that the author gives is that if you really want something, you do wheatever it takes to get it. Everything that gets in the way fo you doing whatever it takes is really more important than your goal. That troubled me. Yes. I want a degree-- are there times, though, when I skip class simply because I don't want to be there, or I put off studying to do things with my friends? But then I thought about it-- it is true, I do put these things higher. I love my friends more than I love school. It has always been that way. I love my sanity more than I love class. But-- is it selfish? That is where I am confused. Is every choice I make a choice of priority? Like, if I choose to eat a brownie, does that mean that I am really not health conscious after all? That eating brownies is moe important to me than keep my blood glucose levelo down?
It was a strange idea, and one that made me feel quite strange about many aspects of my life where I make specific choices consistently. I suddenly feel this disconnect between me, and the the me that I think I am.
It was a strange idea, and one that made me feel quite strange about many aspects of my life where I make specific choices consistently. I suddenly feel this disconnect between me, and the the me that I think I am.
Friday, April 1, 2011
I am an English teaching major. Yes. I want to teach high school.
Lately, I have been working on a final project for one of my classes, only to be met with despair. I know people can always get down on their abilities, but I feel like people don't credit their teachers enough for how much work they put into teaching. Good teachers don't just stand there and talk at you, and show you things. Good teachers prepare lessons, and plan every detail, and rack their brains for hours to come up with an effective fifty minute class period. The lesson must be fun, but productive. It must be interesting, but follow the state core. It must engage all students, and move them forward into the next lesson. Every teacher has set rules-- the picture the puzzle is supposed to make. However, they not only have to put the pieces together, they have to design the pieces themselves. It take tons of brainwork, time, energy, effort, and often-- even after all of that-- it still isn't successful.
Add to that the kids that don't want to learn, that don't appreciate the sacrifice, that destroy your books, and talk back, and never do their homework-- and their over protective "how dare you give my child a B" parents.
So then, why do I want to teach?
Because. I learned to see their faces. I learned to relish the challenge. I learned to see challenges, not as weeds, but as roots waiting to grow into beautiful flowers. I learned to trust that some teachers can make a difference.
Waiting for superman... meh. We don't need to wait. Superman is in every single student. They just need sunlight to fight the kryptonite.
Lately, I have been working on a final project for one of my classes, only to be met with despair. I know people can always get down on their abilities, but I feel like people don't credit their teachers enough for how much work they put into teaching. Good teachers don't just stand there and talk at you, and show you things. Good teachers prepare lessons, and plan every detail, and rack their brains for hours to come up with an effective fifty minute class period. The lesson must be fun, but productive. It must be interesting, but follow the state core. It must engage all students, and move them forward into the next lesson. Every teacher has set rules-- the picture the puzzle is supposed to make. However, they not only have to put the pieces together, they have to design the pieces themselves. It take tons of brainwork, time, energy, effort, and often-- even after all of that-- it still isn't successful.
Add to that the kids that don't want to learn, that don't appreciate the sacrifice, that destroy your books, and talk back, and never do their homework-- and their over protective "how dare you give my child a B" parents.
So then, why do I want to teach?
Because. I learned to see their faces. I learned to relish the challenge. I learned to see challenges, not as weeds, but as roots waiting to grow into beautiful flowers. I learned to trust that some teachers can make a difference.
Waiting for superman... meh. We don't need to wait. Superman is in every single student. They just need sunlight to fight the kryptonite.
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