Cliff Notes Update

I haven't been an uber regular blogger of late. Life has been pretty busy and I'm sure you all have been devastated that you haven't been able to keep up to tabs with my life. So to help you cope with the loss, here's a quickie update of what I've been up to lately...

1- Started school. It's much more difficult than I had anticipated. It's hard to work 8+ hours everyday and then come home and put in 3 hours for school...at least that's what I should be doing. It doesn't always happen that way. I am currently enrolled in the BA in Special Education with an elementary teaching license. After starting the program, I decided that I actually don't need a second BA and I don't want to spend 3 years getting a second BA. And after much deliberation, I also decided that I don't want to teach elementary school. I would rather teach high school. SO when my term ends (12/31/09), I will change my program to the Post Bacc in Social Science (5-12). It's not a Master's program but I'll get my license to teach Social Science for middle/high school. I feel good about this. And please...all you naysayers out there...please don't rain on my parade. I know it's a tough job market for teachers right now. I know this. I don't need you all to add to my stress and worries. I feel good about this decision, I've gone through the proper process to make said decision and it's my decision to make. Thanks for caring.

2- I went through the temple for the first time in early August. It was actually the week before I went on my cruise. I went through the Bountiful Temple and it was a wonderful experience. My older brother, Conor, was able to come in from Denver for a short visit. I hadn't seen him in quite a while...ever since they had moved to Denver. My dear, dear friend, Nicki, also was able to be there. She is currently in grad school back in Iowa but it turned out to perfectly coincide with a trip she was taking to visit her family in Logan. It was so great to have my family and friends surround me in the Celestial Room and see them all dressed in white. It was great to receive such love and support from unexpected quarters. I felt truly blessed that day.

3- I have rediscovered my love of music. I've always loved music. I grew up listening to my mother play the piano, taking lessons, being a part of my high school choir, taking dance lessons. I bought a piano several years ago but it was never tuned and after being moved several times and going through several winters, it sounded like an out of tune honky tonk piano...it was bad. I had forgotten what it was supposed to sound like. A friend of mine offered to tune it for me, free of charge. So I now have a piano that sounds like a piano! It's beautiful. I had forgotten how beautiful it is! I also joined the Institute Choir. We meet once a week for an hour and a half and we get to sing great music and feel of the Spirit. We have a musical fireside in November and then a Christmas Concert at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. After going to choir for a couple of weeks I decided that I wanted to take voice lessons. Kind of random, I know, but it's actually something that I've always wanted to do but never thought it would be worth it because I never really thought I was that great of a singer. I sang because I loved it but I never that I was amazing. Honestly, I still don't. I'm not unrealistic about my ability and I know that I'll never be an amazing singer but it's fun and I know that I can improve and it will improve my experience and increase my joy.

4- I have been involved in planning a 5K for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) this year. A very old friend, Ashley, lost her brother to suicide several years ago and since then she has gotten involved with AFSP. First in Florida and now in Utah. This is the second year we've had a 5K here in Salt Lake. It was this morning at Wheeler Farm. It was a huge success. We had more registrants and more donations than any other city in the western region. I got to get up at 5:00 this morning to get to Wheeler Farm to help set up. For any of you that have experienced me in the morning know, that a huge deal! I am NOT a morning person. It was a long morning but it was so great to see complete strangers come together to raise awareness for this neglected and somewhat taboo cause. In January - July of 2009 Utah had as many deaths caused by suicide than in all of 2008. It's a huge problem that no one discusses. We had particular difficulty getting any response from the media because "suicide is not an issue in Utah" presumably because of the heavy LDS culture. Obviously that's not true but it's what a lot of people actually believe. However, a news crew did show up from KSL and shot some footage and did a couple of interviews. We're working on getting an AFSP Chapter started in Utah. I am so proud of Ashley and all the work she put into making this happen. She is such an inspiration to me and I know she is a source strength for her friends and family. Her boyfriend actually proposed to her this morning after the prize raffle. It was so cute and I couldn't be happier for her.

There has been much more happening that I can't seem to remember but it's been a fairly busy couple of months. We have had birthdays, karaoke parties, massive dinner pot lucks, friends being endowed, ward campouts, mingles to plan, Halloween costumes to figure out, allergies to combat, Grey's Anatomy marathons, tears cried, decisions to be made. It's good. It's busy, confusing, difficult and wonderful. Life is good.