The Holidayz

ARE OVER!

It was fun to have all of my family together, although we all ended up barfing at some point.

(I am still)

Christmas in the Brimhall family is quite different now that there are midgets running around everywhere.  

Being married makes it different too.

Overall, it was pretty fun.  

The Nephs: Billy, Konrad, and Rodney

This is Reagan, the newest.

This is me holding her and eating tootsie rolls. nothing like little candy -like poops

We decorated cookies

Haggard



Steven's gun.




Emily's Surprise PARTY.  (I am so glad so many people showed up. You're all so cool)



Isabella got dressed up



 OH! And I graduated from NAU:) I am a teacher now! 

And when I am say that I am educated, that doesn't mean I read Wikipedia

Like he even wanted to be there



Because of these folks, I have no student loans to pay back! Thanks mom and dad!



It snowed ALOT too.  And right now it is 1 degree outside

I hope all of you had a fantestiacle time like myself.
See you all on cyber space next year!!



A New Home for Ivan

In September of 2008, I graced the Yavapai County Fair with my presence.

Among the fantastical mullets and Sarah Palin t-shirts, it was fun.

Since I don't trust the rides, I walked around and spent money on the stupid games that are impossible to win.

After a 20 dollar giant pug doll, I decided to throw some ping pong balls in to jars with hopes to win a fish.

After about 5 dollars, I tried one more. 

It went in.

(that's what she said)

Since no one was winning and there were still a trillion fish, the toothless man gave me two fishies.

Since I already had a 10 gallon tank, and had killed about 16 fish during my attempt to stabilze it, I figured they would't last long.

Blast forward to present day 2010:

The darnd fish was still alive. 

Yes just one fish was still alive.

His name is Ivan.

In my 10 gallon tank, he measured 7 inches from mouth to tail.

I have been cleaning the friggen tank at least once a month.

I got sick of it.

I posted him on craigslist for FREEEEEEEEEEEEE telling this story of his exciting life.

Within 2 hours, I got a response. 

Prescott Public Library took him in to their 150 gallon tank.

With the help of my amigo I tudor, we took him over to the library yesterday.

He went from being able to swim two inches forward and backwards like this:

To having crap-loads of room to move.

It is a very happy story. 

I can go visit him whenever I want.

The ladies that do the aquarium know his story.

And so do you.

I made it..

...to the finish line.  It didn't hit me until yesterday when I went to the classroom to pick up some stuff I left.  I had to sign in and wear a visitor sticker.  School life has gone on without me.  But do not be sad (I am really sad), we had a party.

they kinda know me well

they remembered from the first day of school how much I love gummys

one of the sweetest girls made this for me

my favorite. look close

I will never forget that experience.  I had never imagined how hard it would be to say goodbye, or how close I would get attached to students, teachers, the environment, ect.  It's going to be difficult saying goodbye to students every year.  Children  are all  so wonderful.  I was so overwhelmed at the party, I broke down crying in front of them all.  I felt so much love from everyone.  I never expected anything like this, including so many gifts!  Not even a cake(which was delicous)!  I am so thankful for the entire experience.  Its good to be reassured that I am doing the right thing(s) with my life. 

YAY!

Steven, Bella, and I would like to officially announce...

That the Holidays are here. 

We give you this as a token of our awesomeness and to get you in the Holiday spirit.

Merry Christmas!

 

 

6 Months of Marriage.

Yes, folks.  Steven and I 'celebrated' our 6 month wedding anniversary yesterday.

We ate lots of pizza and drank hot chocolate in candle light.

We played Wii sports. 

(My right arm is so flippin sore)

And then, my mom took some pictures for us.

Partake:

I had to slouch(spelling? not too sure) because my badical new shoes made me taller than him.

I'm still glad I married him, even though:

• he puts ketchup on everything I make
• he never shuts the shower curtain after he showers...I hate that...
• he cracks his knucles in his sleep and it wakes me up every time
• he has yet to do any laundry
• he is a baby when I have to tweeze his uni-brow.  (I'd be so flippin happy if someone would do that for me, not that I have a uni-brow)
• he still won't admit he loves Bella

Overall, I love him.

He makes me happy.

13 days and NOT counting.

Student teaching has had its ups and downs. But it has been more wonderful than I ever thought.  I was grading papers and going over my lesson plan book this afternoon.  I was thinking to myself: where the crap did the time go?  It has been 13 weeks.  I have 13 days left to go. There is not one student in that class that I do not absolutley love.  When I have a bad beginning to a day, it instantly is gone when that bell rings and those childders (as the BFG calls them) walk in the door.  It gives me anxiety to think about what I am going to do with myself once I don't have to be with them every day.  It literally brings me to tears thinking about it. 

Things are starting to scare me now.  Taking the AEPA on the 20th (I started my studying today), graduating, finding a job, deciding where to go, ect.  I would kinda, sorta, rather stay where I am right now.  Except getting paid would be a positive change. 

Seriously, I am so thankful for all of the events that brought me to this place: stupid break-up almost 4 years ago, thyroid surgery, job loss,basically being in a big hole and a bunch of crap that turned out to be what I needed.  I got out of it. Now, I've got a husband that I love dearly, I fell in to education as a major and I couldn't be happier for that, and I've got all goodness in front of me.  All of the people I want/need in my life are here, now, and not going anywhere.  I've got a career that I am in love with, assuming I can get a job. 

Wowza.
Its been 13 weeks and it went by fast.
I'm going to savor what is left.

My little cone-head.

Bella is healing very well....

...Thanks to a cone that has been neatly placed on her head.

For some reason, I find it incredibly humerous.

But other times (i.e., when she wants to scratch her ear), it is devistating.

Another reason she is healing tons?

I have had to leave her at home, all alone, for the last week.

She misses her BFF, Bear.

You see, her wonderful Grandma, my mother, watches her every day.

She and Bear, whom I call Burrito, never rest.

It is really sad.

But, I do leave the radio on for her when I am gone.

Lots of Rolling Stoners and Eagles and such.

For all of you folks who want to see the sad/hilariousness of Bella, read, well, see, keep scrolling

I counted. There are 15 staples in there. And they are like REAL staples! (I never knew they were real staples)

This just cracked me up.

.

For lunch today, I got to come home and let her out to poo.

She took a bigg'n.

But even more funny??

She was sniffing something in the dirt when I called her back in.

With her cone, she accidently scooped up dirt and it went all over in the cone.

I got to take it off and clean her up.

Anyway. She gets the real staples out on the 10th.

No more cone.

Just doggie physical therapy!

Surgery.

Isabelly had her surgery.  

I took her in Thursday morning.

I got to pick her up at 4pm on Friday. 

It was difficult not having her.

I got to visit her though.

She was on a morphine drip for pain.

She was not out of it enough to lift up her front paw which is her signaling she wants her belly rubbed.

Diagnosis: Left ACL rupture and medial patella luxation from trauma (note the blog entitled 'You Gotta be Effn' Me).

Surgery: Wedge Trochleoplasty with Lateral Ligament Imbrication.

She's got a cast and staples in her leg.

$1,400 later, she posed for us for Halloweeeeeener:

She is in GOOD spirits....drugs....

Her little cast.  Her Dr. wrote 'Princess Bella" on it.

They all just love her at the Vet.

Happy Halloweeeener. 

I hate this holiday.

Tarantula.

Story time:

It was about 2:30 in the afternoon and it began to rain. 
Right in time for dismissal.

My cooperating teacher had bus duty. 

Rainy-day dismissal had been called.

It was decided that I would stay inside wtith the class while she went out in the rain.

Bless her heart. 

But the feelings were mutual by the end of the day.

All of the students were sitting on their desks waiting for their bus or name to be called over the intercom. 

We were playing quite ball. 

I fail at quite ball.

Out of nowhere, literally nowhere...silent ball...

A student screamed, "A SPIDER!"

I, along with the 20 other students crowded around the desk. 

I got in front and calmed the masses. 

I looked down and didn't see anything. 

Then, it moved.

A friggen tarantula inside the classroom.

I didn't know what to do.

I was looking for a container to capture it in.

I couldn't find one.

I decided to take of my shoes, my favorite leopard print shoes.

I scooped the darn thing up in my shoes and began to scurry down the hallway towards the door that led to freedom for this tarantula.

Maybe that's translated as selflessness?

You know, not killing the darn thing and all...

So, as I am running down the hallway,barefoot, carrying my shoes in my hand, I looked back to notice something:

My entire class was following me. 

Parents were in the school.

I saw the PE teacher and ran to him.

In panic, I told him that there was a tarantula in my shoes.

I asked him to take it outside because I couldn't leave my students!

So he did.

End of story...Not so much...

One particular student's parents were in the room and witnessed this entire ordeal.

I was so embarrassed when they both came in for their parent/teacher conference today.

You see, I cannot remember what I said. 

I might have screamed.

I might have cursed.

I have no idea.

Embarrassed, the incident was brought up.

They said that I handled it very well.

I didn't scream.

I didn't curse. 

I just got rid of the darn thing and went back to my job.

Vindicated?  Relieved? Just satisfied that I am not out of control when a trantula is in my classroom?

Yes.

My cooperating teacher says that I passed my test. 

Win.

Now I just have to pass the AEPA on November 20th and I will, apparently, work for Obama.

And just a side note:

I am not scared of spiders, really.

It was just a shock.

Really.

I swear.

I mean, I didn't freak out! 

Friggen tarantulas, stay out of schoolz.

You Gotta Be Effin' Me

First off, if you're going to be offended by profanity, stop reading now.

Ok, you've been warned.

I woke up this morning full of intent to: grade papers, plan my health unit, get my oil changed, and get my 'winter' clothes out of storage.

I woke up, showered, and was talking on the phone to April when it hit me:

I was gonna puke.

I ran to the bathroom, April still on the phone, opened the toilet and had a more incredible urge to barf.

Steven left me a little surprise in the toilet.

Yes, I barfed on my husband's shit.

Thank heavens, I wasn't really sick or anything. 

I got ready and left.

I locked myself out of my apartment without keys (to open the door and/or to my car)

And I forgot Steven's lunch.

I drove to the storage unit and forgot the combination to the effing lock.

So I drove up to Steven's work to get my oil changed.

I got my oil changed.

While my car was up on the...um...lifter thingy, they checked my tires.

I had an effing nail in my tire.

My tires might be 4 months old.

The nail was not in a good place. 

Blake, a trusted friend, was too scared to take it out.

I drove to Big-O tires and actually had some good luck. 

Jeff Anderson fixed it all and didn't charge me

But it took an hour.

Then, on the way home, some old-fart dumb-ass decided to turn.

He had no brake lights or turn signal.

I hit my breaks so flippin hard that they locked up.

I didn't hit the dumb-ass.

But Bella, who was laying in the passenger seat flew forward.

She screamed hystarically.

Her left, back leg was not 'working'.

I felt incredibly impressed to take her to the vet.

Turns out (after 2 hours) that her ligament that holds her patella in place was torn.

Her patella was just floating around. 

She has a cast on now.

She will have this for at least a week.

I have to sedate her daily so she doesn't get hyper.

All because some dumb-ass didn't use a turn signal.

Thanks, you effing bastard.

To make it worse, I had not eaten all day.

And my phone died.

I also got electrocuted trying to unplug my phone charger.

Anything else want to get effed?

suck it.

Babies.

No.

I am not having a baby (yet). 

I would really like one though. 

But my sister-in-law is having a baby girl in December. 

My closest friend ever, Mollie, will be finding out the gender of her fetus shortly.

Maybe my sister, Emily, will get to work on number 3 soon.

I came across a picture on Facebook the other day.

It was on a friend's page. 

I have known this 'friend' since 6th grade at Granite Mountain.

I always admired her for her name, creativity, and her amazing legs. (I don't believe she ever knew that).

Middle School and High School came and went and we are all now grownd ups.

We never spoke much.

But here I am, posting this about Adria Smith.

She made these:

And I plan on getting anyone and everyone I know a pair for their new babes.

She would love some business.

She is selling them for $20 bucks.
She can make some that are masculine also, for those baby boys out there.

She will do what ever colors you'd like, though I am incredibly partial to this mustard/creme/red combo.

I don't really have too much more to say.

Here is her info:

adie.smith86@gmail.com

A link to her FB page:

Adria Smith

Comprarlos.

Keep yo'babies feets warm.

5th Graders.

Whenever I am speaking to someone and the fact that I am student teaching right now, they always ask/say:

'Really? What grade?'

My response:

'5th grade'

This erks me/their re-response:

'Ew'.

To own all of you who feel this way or who have said this to me:

Today, we had a substitute, which is a free day for subs.  Why?  I am halfway through, I have the responsibility of every planning and teaching every subject; I am the teacher. 

I did it ALL today. 

I enjoyed it to the fullest.

Even the indoor recess that ALWAYS happens every time we have a sub.

Why?

I made a statement about the indoor recess thing every time a sub is here.

One student, a 5th grader, in all sweetness said:

'It's because Mrs. Kissel isn't here.  The sun gets sad when she is gone'.

To make it even better, about half of the class told me how good I did today, without me even asking.

I absolutley love every one of those 5th graders.

Everyone else can suck it (all you EWWWW say-ers).

Retraction?

Cuz apparently I pissed some people off.  Let me explain:

1. I tend to use humor as a method of ridding myself of sadness or pain.  The majority of my blogs are funny.  One entitled 'Things Learned' was one of those.  I got singled out (for the most insignificant thing in the world) by someone who knows/knew nothing about me and insulted my intelligence, basically.    I walked out of the school crying, totally intimidated, and feeling incredibly insecure.  I have only cried one other time in a school situation, when my dog, Olivia, passed away last year.

2.  I do not  have a psuedo-celebrity complex; I didn't know that people care about what I say and/or lurk my blog archive. I guess it was wrong to assume that because I don't care what other people say on their blogs/facebook/myspace/whatever the heck it may be, that other's don't care about what I say.  I guess I have too much other crap to do to worry about it. 

But for whoever got so ticked off at me, and felt the need to spread it throughout the school, I really am sorry.  I didn't mean to hurt or offend anyone, or for that matter, tick anyone off (refer to numbers 1 and 2).  My cooperating teacher is the best and I appreciate everything she has done, is doing, and will do for me.  I admire her like I admire my mother. 

A day late.

But incredibly worthy of a blog.  You see, I don't have 'one of those days' very often.  But yesterday just happened to be one.  This is just a list:

I woke up late, it was picture day. 
I left my phone and my lunch at home.
I did not have a debit card to go get lunch.
It was rainy outside, and quite cold; my hair was frizzy (for pictures) and I had on a dress.  It was cold.
Steven didn't get his pay check yesterday.  (Student teaching is wonderful, but no pay check is getting very difficult).
 I went home and got my phone: the speaker was blown and I couldn't hear anything when someone called.
I took my phone to Sprint.  They told me to go to Prescott Valley to get it fixed.  Who the crap turns away business?
Steven and I drove to Prescott Valley.  A 30 minute drive for them to tell me my phone was broken, like I didn't already know it.
I didn't have time to make dinner.  We mooched of my family.
And last and maybe worse:  At Sprint, they told me to back up my phone on my computer.  I tried to do it, but I, being awesome,  ended up clearing out my entire memory leaving me with no contacts, photos, calender, ect.

WIN

Oh happy day!

For the past year and nearly 5 months, I have been looking for a particular shirt.  It is one that I got last March while Mollie and I were lurking around Catalina Island, one of the cruise stops.  I loved this shirt.  I wore it very rarely to keep it special because I loved it that much.  The last time I saw it was last May in Wisconsin.  I made lasagna for Emily and her family and got sauce all over it.  I gave it to my mom to get the stain out.  I never saw it again. 

Over the past year and 5 months, I have randomly torn the crap out of my closet searching for it.  I called Emily a million times to ask if she had seen it.  She always said 'no'.  I secretly thought she stole it because it really is that awesome. 

 I had gotten to that point of giving up. To me, the shirt was dead.  But, about 3 weeks ago, I got the call I've been waiting for. It was from Emily.  She found my shirt.  It was in her closet the whole time. 

My mom was in Wisconsin all last week and got home last night.  I didn't even say hi to my mom or give her a hug.  I just asked ' where is my shirt?'  THEN I gave my mom a hug and junk. 

TODAY:

So friggen happy.

On a side note: I'm so cool that I didn't know the VMA's were yesterday. Win.

I will be graduating soon.

In December.  To be specific, December 17th. I will have my Bachelor's Deegree in Elementary Education and a minor in Psycology. Last week, my most close friend besides my husband and family, Mollie,(her site is MollieeeeeCostley) took some photos for the announcement that will be made my sister Emily.(Check out Em's junk)  Preview??  SURE, but just a couple:

My favorito that I stoled from Mollie's photobucket.

The funny thing? I landed right on my bum.

Look for more to come.

Soccer

For the next 16 weeks (it has already been 2), I (Steven) have signed off my weekends to watch soccer games.  Steven started playing with the singles ward, FOR FUN, over the summer.  Some how, it morphed into a city league team.  He loves it and it makes him happy.  Therefore, I love it and it makes me SO happy.  Literally, so flippin happy that my weekends are going to be super fun.  Here are some fotos:

Nice pose

Man love

Our friend Logan!

They have YET to win a game.  They keep playing Hispanic teams, and they are the best.  I hope they can eventually win.  Eventually....sometime in the next 16 weeks.

Raybans

I unfourtuately had to break the Sabbath and pick up my birth control.  I had to drive because Steven sprained his ankle at his first soccer game (LOST, played some Mexicanos).  So he went along for the ride and stayed in the car.  I left my phone in the car.  It was on silent from church.  I got back in to the car, and YES I went to the pharmacy in my pjs, and Steven was like " where is your phone? I heard your phone vibrate".  I replied, "uh, its in my purse".  He reached in the back seat and got my phone, dug for my purse and found it.  Ironically, I had a message, a picture mail.  It was from Steven.  I opened it up, while driving, and found this:

I have not laughed so hard in a while, like two days since we got a book of mad libs.  I love mad libs.  We have been doing them while I have been writing this.  Sometimes I snort when I laugh. 

Steven is hilarious.  Especially because he won't admit that he LOVES Bella.  And I love his spurts of obsessive-ness:  Naruto, Soccer, Xbox, new tires, his 'trust me, I am a dr (pepper)' shirt that he wears every time its clean, and guns.  I love him.  I love being married to him.  I love the way he does everything. I love how he waits until the last minute to get up in the mornings and then freaks out because he is late.   I love how he is playing with Bella and speaking to her in an Italian/Jamacian accent. 

Steven, mad libs, raybans, Bella, life=awesome.

Bible Humor

Today was a perfect day at church.  Our wonderful Elders spoke of prophets and testified of Joseph Smith and the Restoration in an incredible, powerful, pierces your heart kind of way.  Then, on to Sunday School.  Reading in Kings and 2nd Chronicles, combining two lessons in one.  It was pretty good, about our leaders and good leadership.  Rehoboam, a leader, decides to make the burden of the people heavier because he is easily swayed and wants to be more forceful than his father(demanding respect and being a poop and what not).  In 2nd Chronicles 10:10, it states:

 And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.

I didn't get it at first.  I had to read it a coupla times (the part in bold).  I could not contain my laughter.  Although it was thousands of years ago, people still made the same jokes about schlong size.  (Thank you Emly for the word.)

Week 1

Student teaching: an enriching experience that will train me to be an effective and productive teacher, right?

Well the first week is completed.  Let us review:

I STILL cannot get to school on friggen time.  Parents at this school are insistant that it is a necessity to walk their kids in the school DAILY, therefore, I cannot find a parking space, thus, I am late daily. 

Some 5th graders (parents) choose to not help their children with their hygiene. 

Going spinning on the first day of school could end terribly like this:

Plus a swolen throat, face, tongue and sinus which turns out, you migt actually miss the second day of school.  Unfortunately for me, I was devistated to miss.  Though the joke was made by my mentor teacher that the kids only took a day to make me sick!

Don't wear new shoes as a teacher.  Your feet will feel as discomforting as wedgie.

When a child farts, during the read aloud on your first day doing it, don't laugh.  It encourages them. 

OHHH!  Don't fling lasagna all over your shirt at lunch time.  That kinda sucks.

Sometimes, the most kind, wonderful mentor teacher will totally intimidate you when you read a book to the class.  But 30 minutes goes by friggen fast. 

Don't try to curl your hair.  You will burn your cheek and look like an idiot with a hickey on your face and people might thing your husband is MMR (mildly mentally retarted) because he cant find your mouth or.....um......yeah.  

When a student brings up the contraversial painting on another school saying: 'it looks like Mexicans jumping over the border', again, don't laugh. 

MMMM, what else.  Have school spirit?

Whatever happens in the next 15 weeks will surprise me.  Literally.

Amen.

I need to...

blog.  Lots of fun things have happened and are accompanied with photos.  Soon you will see. Maybe even later tonight:)

Mean, Rude People

I recently had a status on facebook that said that I don't like rude, mean people.  For one thing, NO ONE DOES!! And its bloody facebook.   But for some reason, certain people believe I was speaking of them.  To be particular, since its necessary to do so in order for people to not take offense: I was speaking of the stupid 18 year old who flipped me off after cutting me off while driving, the parents of children at the YMCA who allow their kids to make fun of the boy I work with who has disabilities, or the family member of mine whose friend is saying offensive, rude, mean comments about my parents (and my family member allowing it), and so forth.  So if one were to read my status, (which I deleted to NOT hurt anyone, though the intent was never to do so) it sounds like a personal problem.

4 years ago

My life changed. The way it happened was natural; Dewey entered my life. It has never been the same. Only a few weeks after he came, I woke up to a baby pug shaking. His face looked so scared. All I did was hold him and comfort him. After school that day, I took him to the vet. Dewey was diagnosed with epilepsy. I didn't care. I loved him too much to let him go. We got him medications, kept him healthy (food-wise; and yes, he was fat. But that was not until he had to start his sterioids), and gave him the best life I could. He was my parter, my best friend in life. He was there for me when I literally had NO one else.

He even sat on my head.

Thank you Dewey.  I love you forever.