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Not a real post

2011-08-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

I am just checking something.

If you think...

2009-09-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

I am the worst blogger ever, then you are probably right. Sorry about that. I have mainly transitioned to facebook now. It is just easier for me to keep up. I hope everyone is doing well!

thank you il fornaio

2009-06-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

So I did not eat all day...busy...busy...busy...and just one of those days. I am starving and I am on my way from work to school. I remember that there is a yummy bakery in between the towers at my school. I had been there once (months ago) and got a really good sandwich. So I decide to stroll in again and I don't really know how it all works. So I look at the menu and go to order and the very nice man tells me they are all out of my sandwich that I want but that they have these other ones available. I look sad and confused so I just start looking around aimlessly when this other nice man comes out of nowhere behind me and asks if I would like this restaurant that is hooked onto the bakery to make me my sandwich. I am so confused now, and thinking in my head "huh?" but what comes out of my mouth is "yes, that would be great". He says ok and leaves. The original guy comes and tells me that they are making a sandwich just for me and it will be there in a minute. Literally, about a minute later I have a fresh sandwich that looks absolutely delicious. I pay and go to leave but I am locked in. What? you say. Yep...I was confused again too. Apparently, this bakery is a break-off of the restaurant and I walked in as the bakery portion was closing (never would have guessed because of how nice they were). Also, I guess you are supposed to pick out a pre-made sandwich. That is why they were all out of mine. But, no no, they took good care of me. All smiles on the employees, amazing service, and absolutely delicious sandwich (turkey, avocado, etc. on rosemary focaccia bread). Yum Yum! Where is this at? It is called Il Fornaio and it is a restaurant and bakery. Thank you so much Il Fornaio. I have been gone since 6:45 AM and will not be home until 10:30 PM tonight, and any little kindness really just makes my day that much better. I will definitely be back!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

2009-05-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mom! We love you sooooo much! We miss you and we are excited to see you soon.

Happy LOVEY Day!

2009-02-16T21:53:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day was wonderful for us. We started our day out at the temple. Next we went out to breakfast. Followed by a few hours at the beach to relax (and I got some studying done). Then we went out to eat at an Indian food restaurant, our favorite. Last, we went to see the movie, Confessions of a Shopaholic...it was hilarious. It is one of the most fun days I have had in awhile.

I love Valentine's Day. It is my most favorite holiday ever! I think LOVE is one of the best things ever to celebrate...all kinds of love...romantic, family, friendship, God, etc. I really believe love is powerful. Love has seen me through my life through times of joy and happiness and through times of tears and turmoil. I have watched love change my life and the lives of those around me. This is why I have celebrated love since I can remember.

The gorgeous gold necklace Brian bought me. I love it!

I got Brian some macademia nut hershey kisses (thanks Megh for the idea).

Then I got him personalized M&M's. They come in this nice box with 3 bags in it. They distribute the personalization stuff evenly among the colors. Pretty cool!

Yes...this is a picture of us on the M&M.

A couple of my cheeseball sayings. :)

Anyway, I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day! We sure did!

Birthday Boy...he is so cute. :)

2009-01-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

Joke of the Day

2009-01-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

I do Joke of the Day with my students. Of course I do the very corny, silly, basically I cannot believe you just said that because it is so dumb kind of jokes with them. It is fun and I love to get the smiles even if they are laughing at me rather than with me. :) Teaching is so much fun...it has got to be one of the best jobs ever (I am a little bias). So my latest favorite joke is this:

Why do crows never get hit by cars?

Because another crow always says KA-KA (car-car)

LOL. :) Hilariousness. Do you know any good jokes? I would love to know so I can share them with my students.

What do the temple, french toast, and social awkwardness have in common?

2009-01-25T21:49:00.000-08:00

answer: me :)
This weekend Brian and I went to the temple in Newport Beach. It was so great...and so pretty. I love going to the temple. It is so peaceful and provides me with so much hope and comfort. It is definitely a refuge from the crazy world. Then we went to IHOP for breakfast where I was able to eat a long time deprivation favorite of mine...French Toast! I love French Toast and now I have only eaten it twice in about the last year or two. My kind and wonderful sis-in-law, Cassie, made some on Christmas morning and it was delicious and now at IHOP. I decided I need to make it more around the house. I used to make it every Sunday when Brian and I were first married...but I got lazy about it. It is time for a comeback...or atleast a little more often than twice every couple of years.

My life is pretty much back into full swing with work and school. Thus, at times I feel a little awkward in social interactions lately because my usual interactions are with high school students and with psychology books. So I am either talking like I am talking to high school students with all the drama, or trying not to analyze someone's psychological state. Oh well, what can you do when that is your life. I suspect it is similar to a new mom's interactions...possibly trying not to talk to others like you are talking to a baby? I don't know...I could be way off. Hopefully, when I am done with school this summer my social interactions will go back to normal. Until then, hang out with me at your own risk of drama. ;)

Oh ya and how great is this...my car accident from 8 years ago is finally settled...and yes...are you ready for this embarrassment...I finally after 5 1/2 years got my wedding pictures. Wha-hoo! It is a long and painful story but I am so relieved to have them. There is no official album but I do have the negatives and the proofs so basically I am going to get creative and make my own album...when I have time...hopefully by my 10th year anniversary (JK). All in all, 2009 is bringing me good fortune. I dig it.

P.S. Brian is so patient with me. I love him the most! :)

It's the little things...

2009-01-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

This morning on my way to work it was pooring rain. I was driving on a pretty fast road and then...yeeessss...I needed to turn right. There were not any cars around so I knew it was safe. I slowed down in a way so I could fishtail and hydroplane a smidge. It was so much fun! I could not help but just laugh out loud. As much as I do not like the coldness of snow, I do miss the fun drives in it. It really is the little things that keep us going through the storms. :)

Obama's Inauguration Speech

2009-01-20T16:17:00.000-08:00

It occured during 1st period today while I was teaching. I played it in class. I really enjoyed what Obama had to say and felt that many of his words were inspiring. One particular thing stuck out to me the most...and if you know me at all I love to take things in one context and apply it to the context of my life, so that is what I am doing here (which means this is not a direct quote)...Be known for what you can build, not for what you can destroy.

Anyway, I do have more thoughts on the day and topic but I don't have more time right now. I hope you all got to or get to watch it. :)

Meet our latest niece...

2009-01-18T14:42:00.000-08:00

Her name is Katelyn and she is so beautiful. Last Thursday, on the 15th, Katelyn was born to my brother Dave and his wife Sarah's little family. This is their 2nd child...and the genes look good. Hunter is their cute boy and is about 2 1/2. Sarah will definitely have her hands full. ;) Dave and Sarah are great parents who have so much love to give and share. We are so excited for them and we cannot wait to meet this cute little cupcake (katelyn).

We cannot even believe it. Brian and I now have 10 nieces and nephews (3 of which came within the last year). We love being an uncle and aunt and WE LOVE being part of such a big family. It is the best! We also look forward to one day being blessed with an angel too. Brian and I are still trying and have not had success yet (it has been about 3 years now). But we have faith in God that in his due time we will be blessed with children. For now, we just get to have fun being an uncle and aunt and a teacher of many children. We definitely feel like we are parents in training. :)

What have I been up to the last few months...

2009-01-02T22:56:00.000-08:00

The last few months I have been studying lots and teaching tons. This fall definitely brought its challenges, but with blessings from God and support from Brian I survived. I learned so much from going to school and from teaching school. My professors are amazing and provoke so much thought in me my brain goes into overload. I love it! Also, my students are awesome this year, which makes teaching that much better.

So, I just wanted to let you know I am still alive and in fact I am ABSOLUTELY LOVING LIFE right now. I am learning and growing a lot. I love my family and my friends so much and I am so sorry I am so neglectful these days. I will work on that. :)

A Fine Mixture

2008-11-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

I believe... And what do I believe in you say? Why the power of egg nog and Pepsi of course! What!? You've never heard of anything so preposterous as mixing egg nog and Pepsi!? Well, let me tell you nothing spells out the holiday season like egg nog and Pepsi. I prefer mine half and half. Others, one quarter to three quarters. However you take it, nothing brings visions of sugar plums quite like this fine mixture. I know Santa and his reindeer drink it, and I'm pretty sure, not totally sure but pretty sure, that it is mentioned somewhere in the Bible. So, this holiday season lets raise our glasses and believe egg nog and Pepsi will bring us closer together!

Trip to Utah

2008-08-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we headed up to Utah. It was packed full of fun. We got the following events in within 1 week: temple square visit, lagoon, hogle zoo, skatepark, playing games and tons of rockband, baby blessing, pedicure with the girls, an arbitration, visit to BYU campus, and of course some delectable cafe rio (my favorite). We had a blast hanging out with so much family and getting to catch up on the last years worth of events and reminiscing to the past. We talked and laughed A LOT. Family really is the greatest. We all ready miss them all.

I also had to say goodbye to my dog Mindy, aka "pete reynolds". She was in my family for 17 years. She and I were best friends. I love my Pete Reynolds. She was the BEST dog in the whole universe. Seriously. She began to get really sick though and it was time for me to let go. My family kept her alive until I could see her one last time this summer to say my goodbyes.

Courage is

2008-08-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

I love this song. I just thought I would share it with you. I will update soon what we have been up to the last month.

Earthquake! Ahhh....

2008-07-30T07:12:00.001-07:00

Quick update. There was a 5.4 magnitude earthquake in southern California yesterday. Did Brian and I feel it? Nope! We had left for Utah about 3 hours before it hit. I think we were just pulling up to my parents at the time. :) So...I dodged it again. That is the 2nd earthquake that people have really talked about down there since I moved 1 year ago. I have still not felt one. The first one I was in the temple and really into the session so I didn't even notice. And now the second one, I ditched out right before. I am sure at this rate I am bound feel one, but I am hoping it is not too big when I do. Ahhhhhhh! :)

Annual Vacation

2008-07-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

My best friend, Brookie, and I have a tradition of annual vacations together. We have been doing it for about 11 years now. This year, despite our crazy schedules, we found time for a couple of days in Vegas. We had a blast. We went to the pool, the strip, a movie, the spa for a massage, and of course we did some shopping...we bought many cute things...spent way too much money...and had tons of fun!

5 YEAR NEWLYWEDS - July 19th, 2008

2008-07-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

Brian and I have officially been married for 5 years now. Crazy I know. We decided to be adventurous and go on a segway tour along the coast of Santa Monica and Venice Beach. If you are not sure what a segway is you can see what one is in the video. Basically they rule! I love riding one. It is so cool how it works. You find your center of gravity and then the segway moves based on what direction you lean. If you lean forward, you move forward etc etc. The handles do not even need to be used at all really. And the ones we rode go up to about 13 mph. Pretty fast.

So, going along Venice Beach is a most interesting and very fun and very cool experience. There are a lot of fun vendors set up everywhere and there are street performers. We also saw a huge drum circle, And1 basketball, rollerskaters (that are dang good mind you), singers, guitarists, body builders at muscle beach, boxers, mini-tennis (little mini courts and you play with a paddle and regular size tennis ball), skateboarding, bmx biking, taggers tagging on a walls made specially for tagging, and a ton ton more. I would love to go back. We also got to go out on the pier, where in the very center there is an echo. Insane.

Our tour then took us to the canals and we learned about some of the history of Venice, and how is was founded by a man who wanted to bring Venice to America. Then we glided on over back to Santa Monica and checked out that pier also. It was really cool too. It had tons of rides and cool things on it. For some reason, we got no pictures there though. Weird.

The tour was overall really great. I highly recommend it. I originally saw a segway on the show Arrested Development a long time ago. A character, Gob (pronounced jobe) rides around everywhere one on. He is my favorite character and I just thought it was so hideous yet awesome to see him ride a segway. Ever since then, I have been dying to ride on one. It was well worth it!

After our tour, we went to dinner at Olive Garden, the place we ate at the night we got engaged (but not where we got engaged). It was delicious. Oh and as for our gift exchange, well we always stick to the traditional anniversary gifts and this year is wood. So you can see what I made for us in the video. It turned out pretty cute and I like the saying.

The past 5 years of marriage have been amazing. My mom always teases us that we are still like newlyweds. It is kind of silly, but we hope it stays that way forever.

New Uncle Brian and Aunt Kimmy

2008-07-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

Isn't she absolutely beautiful? Her name is Riley (so cute). Brian's brother, Scott, and his wife Cassie just had their first little baby girl early this morning. Congratulations Scottie and Cassie! You will be amazing parents. We will have the opportunity to visit her in two weeks. We cannot wait. She is so perfect. We love her all ready and we have not even met her. Welcome to the world little Riley. Hooray!

Inspirational

2008-07-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

Brian went to P.F. Changs for lunch yesterday and he got the following fortune in his fortune cookie. It was such a beautiful message that I just had to share it with all of you.

We were laughing so hard when we read it. Hopefully it will inspire you, or at least give you a little giggle. :)

Longest post ever

2008-07-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome home Kevin! Wahoo! We got to go up to Sacramento and visit Brian's parents, Krissy, Paul, Brayden, and Kevin (who got home from the Des Moines, Iowa Mission on July 4th).

Thats what happens when you do bike tricks...oh wait, that was just a joke. Those teeth are so not real.
Back on drums ASAP. Kevin is an amazing drummer. Seriously. Check out Brian singin away, and Paco on guitar. ???
Look at the new Uncle with his incredibly cute nephew. He's a natural. We got to stay with Krissy and Paul for a couple days. It was fun. We ate good, played games, and I even bought a book called, "What your poo is telling you". It is great. :)

As you all ready saw above. We joined the Wii force. Brian and I finally got a Wii. It is so fun. Thank you Scottie and Cassie for introducing us to the Wii. Mom Sonico and Paco bought Rockband for it, so that will stay at their place in Sac. Thanks Nik and Jessica for contributing to the thoughts of getting Rockband. It is like the funnest game ever. We traded off being each member of the band. I even made a complete fool of myself singing. Its ok to do in front of family though, isn't it?

We, Mom, Paco, Brian, Kevin, and myself, went on a Rock tour and we unlocked at least 40 songs. It was really fun and very addicting.
While Brian and I were up in Sacramento we got to go river rafting too down the American River. It was sooooo fun! I don't have any pictures though. :( We went down rapids doing 360's, we freestyled up a huge rock and then went down the rapid backwards (on purpose), we jumped into rapids and rode them without the raft (again, on purpose), we jumped off a huge rock, we ate yummy food, we spun the raft on a dime and I fell out pulling Bri with me. It was a blast. I really want to do it again. We also played games, in particular, our own made up version of Password. It was a fierce competition. All in all, our trip was a lot of fun.

Right before Sacramento my brother Steve came down to California for a fun visit. We went to the beach, Brian and Steve went skateboarding, we went shopping, and we went to the San Diego Zoo. We had a lot of fun together!

Me with a Koala, cause that is the animal that I am. What animal are you?

Killer bird! This bird tried to attack us at least 3 times and bit a lady in front of us. It was such a thrill walking passed it. Ahhhhh! I made us keep walking passed it. Hehe.

One of my favorite moments...a giraffe taking a dump. It was funny. I actually video recorded it, but I will spare you and just give you a pic. Did you know they dumped pellets?

One of my favorite new animals...the Hippo.
Yet another reason why I don't eat seafood.
Look at how stumpy her legs are. It cracks me up. I love hippos.
Then there were these crazy monkeys.

And this flamingo was trying to decapitate us. It was insane!

I got some good gorilla stance practice.

Right before Steve came Brookie came to visit. Some more fun with my best friend. I got to see her new niece. Soooo cute! We went to Applebee's again. :) Yummy! Then of course we went to Target. And we ended our day with a manicure and pedicure. It was very fun.

Summer lovin...

2008-06-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

School is over at the end of next week for me. I am excited. It was a good 4th year of teaching. I learned a lot. There were of course hard times, but also really great times. It doesn't get much better than an Algebra 1 student telling me she calculated some discriminants just for fun while she was watching desperate housewives. Or when students tell me they are excited for notes and that they love this class. The most rewarding though is when students who have been failing math for several years and never passed a math test all of the sudden get it and are really successful in my class. I love my job! It is one of the greatest jobs out there. :) (so I am a little biased)

I also just got my hair cut a couple days ago. I cut almost 4 inches. Ahhhh! I love it though. It looks so healthy and I feel ready for summer. I also got my highlights, which is the best because it makes me feel so much cuter. ;) Hehe, girls you know what I mean.

Anyway, Hooray for the summer! It is approaching fast.

What a week!

2008-05-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

Wha-hoo! I got accepted into the Graduate School of Education & Psychology at Pepperdine University! I am so excited. I will begin this fall. I will continue teaching during the day and take classes at night. This week has been really great for me. I got official notice that I get to keep my job, I got a new-to-me desk at work, and I got into Pepperdine. I love it!

Malibu Campus of Pepperdine - where I will graduate

Irvine campus of Pepperdine - where I will attend

The important paragraph of my acceptance letter.

My new-to-me desk at work! I'm movin on up. This desk makes me want to stay at work longer! :)

My old desk at work. Very small and you can barely open the drawers. We have had good times together and we have been through a lot and that is why I will keep it at the back of classroom still.

What is B up to?

2008-05-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

Is that the karate kid, Daniel son? No silly, its my Brian. He does look a lot like him though. Brian went on an 80's cruise with Deloitte a week ago (it is just for a few hours). He had a good time as you can see. They ate food, played games, and mingled, all while cruizin the Peninsula.

Brian has also been surfing quite a bit lately. He found a surf buddy and they go early in the morning during the week, like 5:30 AM, and on saturday mornings/afternoons. They go about 2-3 times per week. AND...last week he made the camera on Surfline. I tease him it was his big debut. It was cool though to see him on the website. Surfline is "THE" website to check out what the surf is like and a bunch of other things. Anyway, he loves to surf and is very happy to be back in the habit after several years of college away from the ocean.

B is also skateboarding by night. He just got a year pass to our local skate park, where everyone is required to wear pads and a helmet. He looks so cute. I don't have a picture yet, but I will get one soon and post it so you can see for yourself. His old board is pretty hammered so he also just got a new skateboard that he is pretty stoked about.

Brian is really enjoying his free time, and does not waste a minute of it. I love to go watch him do all of his things too. The skate park is very relaxing and they have little bleachers for me to sit on, so I watch the skaters and read my book. The beach is always wonderful to go to as well. I may try and get back out in the surf too, with Brian's patient teaching skills. He is a very good teacher and he is so patient with me. I tried it out a few times a couple of years ago and I really liked it even though it was really hard. He only has short boards so that is what I was learning on. But I am ready to try it out again. The water is warming up and school will be out in 4 1/2 weeks. Hooray! I will let you know when I try.

By the way, we did have a bit of a scare with my job recently. I received an email a couple of weeks ago and was notified that my job was not secure for next year. The district had to place all tenured teachers first and then could place me. Well, I found out today that I AM KEEPING MY JOB! I was ecstatic. It is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders to know I have a job this fall. It has been a little bit of a roller coaster with the economy and with the major California education budget cuts (in the billions). My job security has been off and on for several months now, but I now have been offered a contract and will be signing very soon. A lot of teachers have lost their jobs. It is really sad and horrible to see. I feel very blessed and grateful that I will be able to keep my job. :) Hooray!

Real quick joke: The cannibal showed up late to a luncheon and so they gave him the cold shoulder. Ahhhhhh hahahahahahahaha! Hilariousness!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2008-05-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

This is a slideshow of all the beautiful mother's in my family. I love you all so much, and I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day! Thank you for the example you are to me. One day when I get the chance to become a mom I hope I can be as great as you.

What were you doing 1 week ago?

2008-05-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

I was on my way to Las Vegas to see my sister, Cheri, and her family, and meet up with my parents at my Cheri's house. I hopped in my car, pumped up the music, and rolled down the windows because my AC is broken. It was a fun drive actually. I arrived at about 9:30 PM. My mom, my sister, and I stayed up until about 1 AM laughing non-stop though. It was really fun!

Saturday came and along with it the purposes of my trip. First, my niece, Courtni starred as Patty Simcox in her school musical Grease. She stole the show. She was so funny. I definitely see star potential in her. (she must get it from her drama majoring Grandma, who is also amazing) The whole musical was great too. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I went again that night.

The other purpose of my trip occurred in between Grease showings. We celebrated my nephew, Brigham's 8th birthday. He is the typical 8 year old boy, kind of mischievous. :) You will see my Mom and Dad just watching and enjoying as Stephen dunks Brigham's face into his cake at Brigham's request. Lol. It was really funny.

I through in a picture of one of my favorite parts about visiting my sisters and that is Brooklyn brushing my hair. It is so incredibly relaxing. There are also some pictures of us being silly. And at the end is my super cute nephew, Andrew.

On Sunday, I made my way back home. The trip was really fun and I was sad to go, but glad to get back to my Brian and Cali!

2008-05-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

Tagged by Cass-o-rita

List:
3 joys
3 fears
3 goals
3 current obsessions/collections
3 random/surprising facts

3 joys:
1. A my Briguy
2. My SUPERB family and friends. They are really just so great. We just have a real great time together.
3. Teaching high school students (bless their hearts)

3 fears:
1. SPIDERS!
2. Heights, but I continually work to overcome this one.
3. Touching raw meat. Sick!
Bonus fear: people who score high on the sick scale :)

3 goals:
1. Get accepted into Pepperdine University and get my Master's Degree
2. BUY a place to live!
3. Learn to surf and to speak Spanish.
Bonus goal: Make a difference in other peoples lives! For the good! :)
Extra bonus goal: Have a baby!

3 current obsessions/collections:
1. Teaching Math and teaching Primary
2. Going to the beach
3. Watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune (I am gettin good)

3 random/surprising facts:
1. I LOVE teaching Mathematics! It is truly a great subject!
2. My brother and I can have an entire conversation for hours about nothing and make weird grunting noises for most of it. And if one of us grunts, the other has to no matter what, even if you are in a store. (you get pretty weird looks talking on your bluetooth down the aisle as you grunt.) We are really crazy!
3. Somedays after school I get so excited about how my day is going that I scream and jump around and sing really loud in my car ALL by myself! I am really weird and I am ok with that. Life is so fun!

I TAG: Brookie and Steve

Celebrating some more!

2008-05-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

This is our brand new nephew, Brayden, and his Grandma Kathy holding him. How cute is he? B's sister, Krissy and her husband Paul, just had their first little baby. He is so cute and small. I all ready love him and I have not even met him. I get to meet him at the end of June though. Hooray! I am so excited for you guys. Congratulations! Welcome to the world Brayden!

Celebrate Good Times...Come On

2008-04-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

I passed the CBEST! Hooray! I am so relieved that is over with. It was pretty easy, but you always worry until you know, and now I know. What does this mean? It means I still get to teach in California, which as far as I know I still have a job. To celebrate, Brian walked me to Golden Spoon for some delicious frozen yogurt (my favorite).

I will also be completing my application to Pepperdine this week. I meet with the admissions manager tomorrow to have him review my essay and get my final questions answered. Ahhhh! I am excited. I hope I get in. :)

Crazy Hair Day

2008-04-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

So today my hair got the best of me. We all have those days, right? I started the day knowing it was hideous so I asked Brian this morning if I should pull it back and he said no it looks pretty down. Well as the day went on my hair got more hideous. In fact, in my last class a student asked what was wrong with my hair. I laughed and said I know it is a crazy hair day for me. Then he and many other students in the class began to tell me my hair looks like Gloria Trevi. My students would not drop it and asked if I would move my head around all crazy like Gloria does in her music video, "Todos Me Miran". I did it. But only to get them to stop talking about it. The kids thought it was hilarious and started clapping while my hair continued to get even more hideous. My kids told me to look up Gloria so I did and decided to do a comparison. What do ya think? At least I got some good laughs today, including from myself. ;)

Reflections of Christ

2008-04-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

This slideshow is amazing. To get to it you can just click on the link below.

Reflections of Christ: Reflections Slideshow

Weekend with Mom and Paco

2008-04-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend Mom and Paco Sonico came down to visit us. We had a really good time together. On Friday, I set them up with a blog of their own, then I showed them my school I teach at, next we went to the Newport Beach temple, and then we went to Irvine Spectrum for a yummy Pinkberry. On Saturday I took the CBEST test all morning (for 4 hours). Ahhhh! I hope I passed. While I was gone Brian took them to Oakley and to get his car tuned up.

Then we tricked them. We planned a secret lunch with Uncle Ish and his partner Kyle. We planned it all out a few weeks ago when they came over for dinner, because Ish mentioned that mom and paco had never been down here to see where he lives, and right now there is a condo next door to his for sale. So we went over there pretending like we were interested in this condo and we went through it and asked questions and then bam. Brian is like lets go ask the neighbors about the area so we went to Ish's (who was patiently waiting for us) and knocked on the door. When Uncle Ish and Kyle came to the door the look on their faces was priceless. For a second, they were in like total shock and like hey I recognize those people. Then of course they knew and we went in and Uncle Ish is like I hope you guys are hungry and Paco is all nah, we're ok. But hello, Ish had this whole meal prepared for us with fish tacos and chicken enchiladas, and chips with salsa and guacamole. So when Ish goes over to pull it out Paco is like "ooooohhh." It was so hilarious. And soooo delicious. We also got to eat super yummy gelato from a chocolate factory out here.

Afterwards we really did go look at some more homes. The area in the background of these pictures is where we want and think we are going to get (crossing our fingers).

Today we went to church and then we took them down to Laguna Beach and showed them Brian's favorite surf spots. I am so glad they came down. We had a great time!

I through in a cute picture of Uncle Ish's dog too, Jake. He is so cute and such a good doggie.

Bestest friends!

2008-03-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

Brookie is my bestest friend, and will be forever. Ya, forever! Last summer we both moved out to Orange County. I was so glad to know she would there with me because she is basically like my sister. Well, her course has changed over the last few weeks. She is moving in 1 week back to Utah. :( She is going back to school for a masters degree. I am very proud of her and I hope when she is done she will move back here. It is her birthday on Monday and so we celebrated by going to target, going to dinner, and going for Golden Spoon. It was really fun. She is the bestest friend anyone could ever ask for, seriously. I will miss her very much, but we both all ready have trips planned so we can hang out and of course there is our annual vaca we take together.

Hooray for Spring!

2008-03-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

Who's that girl? What's her name? Is she cool? Is she lame? KIMBER-ANN! Haha. Spring has arrived and with Easter in a couple of days I went to hit up Target for some new fun dresses. They have some very cute things there right now.

Anyway, I am really enjoying my job these days. My kids have been really good lately except the occasional back-talker. Math is so fun to teach because you can integrate it with just about everything/anything someone likes. I talked with Pepperdine more this week and I went to a workshop last Saturday. I have to write an application essay tomorrow ALL day. Fun, huh? It is so weird getting ready to go back to school. I LOVE IT! I think I was a girl made for school...possible reason for becoming a teacher. Well, there is that and there is the fact that my oldest sister used to teach and would let me come to her class and help out when I was only 13, that definitely had an impact.

Oh and today at school there was a lockdown. There was a little situation at the apartment complex across the street. I was pretty nervous at first because I didn't know what was happening out there but after lunch started and kids wanted to leave because they thought it was a drill, someone came over the intercom and explained that there is a situation across the street and to not allow our students to leave. Lucky me...I didn't have any students during this class period so I was just texting Brian about it. Everyone at the school was safe though as far as I know. And I still don't know the details about what went down across the street.

Nonetheless - HAPPY EASTER THIS WEEKEND! And LET THE MARCH MADNESS CONTINUE! AHHHHHHH! Go North Carolina!

Oh and there is this new show called Miss Guided and it is hilarious!

Happy Pi Day!

2008-03-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Happy "Pi" day! Pi = 3.14 (march 14). The math department at NHHS bought about 75 pies and gave out free slices

at lunch to the students. Most of us also wore Pi shirts. These are pictures of mine. I made it myself last night! Not too shabby. Anyway, as you eat your pizza or cookie or pie or just look at the sun today I just wanted you to ponder about the incredible idea of the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Fact!...Math rules! Information is power! :)

Question...What does my shirt mean? That is up to you to figure out.

And the other picture is a demo of what another math teacher's shirt said today. You gotta figure it out though! I thought it was pretty clever. Good luck!

What's new?

2008-03-09T20:44:00.001-07:00

Last weekend my cousin got married in the San Diego Temple. I had only been on the outside before. It is absolutely gorgeous inside. The sealer reminded the couple of some marriage advice President Hinckley gave once, "Be kind to each other." Simple, but true. My Dad came down that weekend and went with us. It was fun to get to see him.

And new update...busy season is almost over for Brian. His mandatory 11 hour work days are going to be done soon. I cannot wait.

What else is new? Well Brian and I are contemplating getting into the housing market this year sometime. Its a huge decision that we will continue to fast and pray about. Next, I am trying to get into a masters program for this fall. I am in correspondence with Pepperdine right now. We will see though. I also have a big test coming up in April that I must pass in order to continue teaching in California so I am studying hard. Once Brian finishes his busy season he will also begin studying for his ethics exam, another step towards his CPA. The baby adventure is still in continuance. It has been about 20 months now since we began trying. We are continuing to try. I have had many tests done and our next step is a fertility specialist. I have to wait for paperwork to go through first though. All in all we keep pretty busy. Things are going really good and we feel really blessed to be where we are today.

Dancing Through Life...

2008-03-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my mom came to California and we just danced through life that week. Yep, Newport Harbor has a ski week. I know, I know, I grew up in Utah and didn't even have a ski week, but that's California for you. I love it! We started off by going to South Coast Plaza for a little shopping day. She bought me a new outfit and herself a new coach purse (go mommy girl). The next day we took off to LA. We cruised down Melrose and checked out the stars sidewalk on Hollywood Blvd. We also went to Wicked. It was absolutely incredible. If you haven't seen it, come down to visit me and I will go again and again to see it with everyone. I loved it! The next day was our relaxing day. We went to a movie and then went to Laguna Beach and relaxed on a bench and watched the waves roll in. Her last day here we went to Huntington Beach and ate lunch out on the pier at Ruby's. Brian got to come with us that day. During our other activities Brian had to work :(, including his work bowling party where he was on a chef team called "Cooking the Books". He looks so cute.

Valentine's Day

2008-02-18T17:59:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Late! Brian and I spent a quiet night at home. Brian works late every night so I picked up some P.F. Chang's on my way home and decorated the apartment so that it was all ready when Brian got home. We had a candle lit dinner, danced, talked about our days, and exchanged gifts. Brian got me a locket (the one in the slideshow) and I love it. I keep a picture of him in it and I plan to wear it every day. I got him a new cozy blanket, like mine which I am protective over, and some chocolate covered macadamia nut clusters (his favorite). :) It was a really nice romantic night at home! I hope you all had a good Valentine's Day too!

B's Birthday

2008-02-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Last week was B's Birthday! Hooray! Here is a slideshow of the big day. You can see his presents (the container was a present too), his work b-day lunch, his birthday dinner, a self-inflated balloon, etc. So turn up the volume and enjoy the party! :)

Half Dome Hike, June 2007

2008-01-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

Man, I am getting pretty amazing at this blog thing today. This is a slideshow of the Half Dome hike from last summer. It was a fun and painful experience. Brian and Scott are the only two to make it to the very top. I was about 100 yards from the glory, but got scared and turned around on the cables. I do plan to get my revenge on the mountain though...someday! :) In the meantime, enjoy the hike...it is B-U-T-ful Clark.

2008-01-20T17:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas was great, great, great, great, great! We went to Utah, Brian for a couple of days, and me for a week. We attended a few Christmas parties during the season. One for my work, one for Bri's work (the picture above is us on our way out to Brian's party), and one with family where we get to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what we want for Christmas. It was really fun to see family again, both Olsons and Sonicos. We miss you guys and love you all!

Christmas Morning!

My mommy-girl and her new camera. She also got a MacBook for Christmas! Wahoo!

Cheri if you see this, I know, I know I copied you. I couldn't resist! :)

Almost Done...

2007-11-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

Did you ever think I would update this thing again? Well, here I am. It has been an awesome month. It included such things as huge fires here, going to disneyland with my sister and her family, going to a kegger (rootbeer kegger that is), going to friends to play games and eat ice cream, going to a party at Saks Fifth Avenue with Deloitte, knitting a scarf, going to a BYU basketball game against Long Beach with some friends, going to a charity event at my school, doing lesson plans, and last but not least going to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving. It has been very busy but very fun. Thanksgiving was really fun but would have been even better if Brian could have come with me. He kicked me out though because his last test out of 4, for his CPA is tomorrow. Ahhhh! We both are freakin' out. He has passed the first 3 and I am so proud of him. Now just one more. I tell him all the time but I don't think he understands still that I truly believe that I am a million times to the Omega (which is bigger than infinity, yes I am a math teacher) more excited than he is for him to be done with this stuff. I finally get to have Brian back. You would have thought this would happen when he was done with school, but nope, it is finally going to happen tomorrow. I plan to make him chocolate cake and we are going to put up Christmas decorations together as our celebration. Silly I know. And I realize that he has some long work hours coming up, but he has all ready been working some good 12 hour days and I really don't think it can get much longer. As long as when he is home he is mine, I am ok. No more study-udy-udying. Sorry no pictures, but I will post some soon! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

My Halloween Fun...

2007-10-31T20:12:00.001-07:00

All growing up my mom (aka my margo) made us kids pumpkin seeds. I continue to keep the tradition alive!

The little Fairy Kimberlina met her frog that turned into a prince. (notice his costume is green)

My own Halloween fun! Too bad I didn't get any trick-or-treaters this year. I was kind of sad about that, but I am sure my students will be happy tomorrow. To add to the fun Brian and I are watching Poltergeist. A classic!

Pumpkin Survey Results Are In...

2007-10-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

The Alien 14%

The Ghost 0%

The Spooky Tree 57%

The Bats 28%

And the winner is...Whitney's Spooky Tree!

So my pumpkin got no votes. Kind of sad, but kind of expected considering I am the only one who did it free hand, not even a sketch first. :)

2007-10-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

The beginning of my blog and the beginning of my "california adventure"!

Brian and I moved to Orange County about 2 months ago. We really love it down here. I have dreamed about living in California ever since I was a little girl and used to come here ever year with my family. I cannot believe my dreams are coming true.

Brian got a job as an auditor with Deloitte. This is Brian's first job after graduating from BYU. I am so proud of him to make it through all the hard days and nights of school. He really amazes me with his dedication to anything he does. He was able to do an internship with Deloitte last summer down here in So. California and they offered him a job at the end of it. He accepted and that was the end of his job search.

I got a job at Newport Harbor High School teaching math. This is my 4th year teaching and I love it more and more each year. It is actually quite the story of how I was able to land this job. I cannot believe all the blessings that have come to us to help us make our big move to California. I feel very fortunate and blessed and I really love it here, though I do miss my family and friends. They should have just come with me. ;)