Happy Birthday, Darren!

I feel like a very lucky woman to be married to this man:

Darren's birthday was on Sunday.  I love birthdays, especially when it's the birthday of someone about whom I care so much.  Even though Darren worked Friday and Saturday, we did our best to stretch out our celebrations over the weekend.  I think we did a pretty good job!  All of the moments in my Happy Now 10 for last week will come from his birthday weekend.

1.  Cold Stone--We tried to squeeze as many yummy birthday treats into the weekend as possible.  On Friday night, Darren and I went to Cold Stone to get our favorites (Cold Stone's founder and I share the same favorite--"Founder's Favorite"--and Darren's was  "Berry, Berry Good").

2.  Last Minute Gift Idea--On Saturday morning, I went to the grocery store to do some last minute birthday grocery shopping.  As I pulled into the grocery store parking lot, I noticed some girl scouts had set up shop outside the store.  Darren and I had recently bought a box of Thin Mints and a box of Samoas.  We both LOVE Samoas and strictly split the box down the middle so that we each had an equal share.  Out of the kindness of my heart, I decided to go in for one more last minute birthday gift for Darren--a box of Samoas just for him.  It may seem like a pathetic gift, but, believe me, it was warmly received. :)

3.  Productive Saturday--Really productive weekends are few and far between for me.  By the time the weekend rolls around, I'm usually ready to dedicate those two days to purely leisure activities.  Perhaps because I was so excited for Darren's birthday, however, and had a lot I wanted to do for that weekend, I actually got a lot done.  What a great feeling it is to be unexpectedly productive!

4.  Red Robin--One of Darren's favorite restaurants is Red Robin, so that's where we celebrated Darren's pre-birthday dinner out.  Darren's parents paid for this dinner and for a movie we caught afterward.  So fun!

5.   Birthday Breakfast--When I asked Darren what he wanted for his birthday breakfast, he mentioned a breakfast I had tried a while ago for the first time and hadn't made since--ebelskivers.  We had bought an ebelskiver pan with a gift card we received for our wedding.  Trying something somewhat adventurous when it comes to cooking is not my forte, but I wanted to give them another shot.  Darren made scrambled eggs with fresh tomatos and avocados to go with the filled pancakes.  I have to say, it was all pretty delicious!

6.  Birthday Presents--Nothing beats giving a present to someone who shows genuine appreciation for all the gifts he receives.  Darren is one of those people.  He received cards and gifts from his parents, my parents, his siblings and me, and he seemed so grateful for each one.  It was a joy to watch him open his gifts.

Here's Darren with two of his gifts--the box of Somoas (on which I had to write "For Darren's mouth only", partly to help remind me) and a binder of letters that members of his family and mine wrote to him for his birthday.

7.  Birthday Brownies--Before going to church, I made a pan of brownies to take so that we could celebrate Darren's birthday with our sweet little primary class.  I got a little wound up Sunday morning trying to get everything ready and done in time for us to get to our morning Sacrament meeting, which in my head I was thinking was at 10.  We arrived at the church at 10:06 and, though we were a little late, I was congratulating myself on having gotten so much done that morning.  As we walked into the chapel, the congregation was singing what I assumed was the opening hymn.  It was not until we sat down that we realized the people surrounding us were not our ward members.  Our ward didn't start for another hour.  Somehow, and I'm not entirely sure how this happened, I had convinced myself on that particular Sunday that our ward met an hour before it usually did, and Darren just followed my lead.  We quickly excused ourselves after that ward's CLOSING hymn and went home to relax for another hour. :)

8.  Healthy Eats--Lest you think that all Darren and I ate last weekend was junk food, I feel the need to state that we have actually significantly bumped up our fruit and veggie intake.  We had a very colorful birthday dinner for Darren, complete with a large salad and apples, oranges, and carrots on the side.  This left room for the little extra sugar we had planned to round out the weekend. :)

9.  Birthday Cake--Darren and I have pretty similar tastes in food (except that he enjoys seafood and I can barely tolerate the smell), so I was more than happy to make the cake he requested below (which turns out to also be my favorite cake and frosting combo: confetti cake with rainbow chip frosting).

10.  FaceTime with Family--At the end of our weekend of celebrations, Darren and I chatted with my parents, Chris, and Steven on FaceTime.  What an amazing thing it is to be able to see someone while you talk to them from hundreds of miles away.  How I love my family and am grateful for our ability to stay in touch this way!

Happy Now-March 11

Here are my Happy Now 10 for the past two weeks:

1.  Traveling to Tessa--  I could do a whole Happy Now post just on a trip Katie Houston and I took last week to visit our dear friend and mommy-to-be, Tessa Hendrickson, in Cheyenne, WY.  I took the day off work two Fridays ago and Katie and I started driving early Friday morning.  It was a wonderful weekend: from the road trip with Katie to our time with Tessa and baby girl.  Katie posted a more detailed summary of the trip with pictures on her blog here.  It went by much too quickly!

2.   Thoughtful Friends--Unfortunately, a case of food poisoning joined me on my trip to see Tessa after Katie and I stopped for lunch on our way to Cheyenne.  While being sick was certainly not fun, it did serve to remind me of the amazing friends I have.  They changed our entire weekend plans so that we could all "lie low."  We watched movies and talked, and I felt their love and concern for me all weekend.  I'm so grateful for such people in my life!

3.  Leaving Reagan--As news that I will not be returning to Reagan to teach next year spreads, I have been touched by the responses and well-wishes I have received.

4.  FaceTime with Chris--I had the chance to FaceTime with Chris last week.  It had been WAY too long since we had talked, and it made my day to get to "see" and talk with him.

5.  RESPECT Video--Fifth grade was assigned to make the character education video for the month of March at Reagan.  The character trait this month is respect, and it was so fun to work with the students to put a video together for the school.

6.  Teacher Support--Friday was just one of those days in the classroom.  I had had a difficult experience with a student at the end of what of seemed like a long week.  During the last 40 minutes of the day, during my prep time, I went into the other fifth grade teacher's room which is joined to mine by a small study room.  I sat down in a seat next to her desk and proceeded to tearfully unload some of my frustrations.  She was so great to spend her planning time just listening to me and giving me some very helpful feedback.  I have been really aware of all of the wonderful people who surround me lately, and I am truly grateful for them!

7.  Spring Weather--We have had the most glorious spring-ish weather this weekend.  Darren and I took a walk outside today and I actually wore flip-flops.  I am so ready and excited for warmer weather!

8.  Canyon Run--Due to the warmer weather, Darren and I took a run up Provo Canyon on Saturday for the first time since the fall.  Not only did it feel great to be a little more active (I have been somewhat hibernating the past couple of months), but the air and canyon scenery were invigorating!

9.  Arizona Planning--While we are still not 100% sure where we'll be this fall for law school, it is looking more and more like we'll be calling Phoenix "home."  Especially as the weather here in Utah has started to give us a taste of warmer weather, Darren and I are excited about this potential move.  We have started looking at teaching jobs and places to rent and it is all starting to feel really real.  Exciting!

10.  War Horse--I recently started reading War Horse with my students at school.  I thought the movie was great but, as is usually the case, I'm finding the book to be even better and a fun read with the kids.

Happy Now-Feb. 27

Whew!  It's been too long.  I've tried to pick out the top 10 moments from the past three weeks.  Here are my Happy Now 10:

1. Hugo 3D--Darren and I weren't initially interested in this film.  When I called my parents one night a few weeks ago, however, I caught them on their way home from seeing this movie and they raved about it.  With such a high recommendation from my parents (who insisted that we see it in 3D) and knowing that it had been nominated for Best Picture, we decided to go for it.  We were blown away!  I loved the message of each person needing to find what their unique purpose and contribution can be in life.  It was a beautiful film.

2.  Love and Logic Book--The third book that I've read this year was Sornson's Creating Classrooms Where Teachers Love to Teach based on the philosophy of Love and Logic (okay, I technically started this book in 2011, but I finished it in 2012 so I'm counting it).  It was a very insightful book with some great practical advice that I could start incorporating into my classroom immediately.  My current class has challenged me as a teacher more than any other year I've taught.  Reading this book has added some much-needed tools to my teacher tool-belt.

3.  Birthday gift planning for Darren--Darren's birthday is coming up in about a month and I have had fun planning a little birthday surprise for him. :)

4.  Great Grandmas--I have been thinking a lot about my grandmothers lately and the kind of women they were.  They were both such elegant and accomplished women.  I remember thinking how much I wanted to emulate certain traits that they had, and how much I wanted to make them proud.  I loved the way that my Grandma Sonne's house was always filled with the smell of something cooking/baking: bread, meat, cookies, etc.  It always created such a warm, homey environment in her home.  I would love to be able to create that in my home in the future.  My Grandma Hubbard (Mama Di) loved animals and I cherish the moments in which I was able to bond with her over this mutual affection for our furry friends.  She had such a gentle, warm heart.  Below are some framed photographs of my grandmothers on their wedding days that I had framed at our reception.  I feel very blessed to have had these women in my life.

5.  Writer's Workshop--One of the 5th grade teachers I work with mentioned that the Provo Library will be hosting a writer's workshop in March.  I am REALLY excited about this prospect.

6.  Visit with Shelley and Stephen--Katie and I were lucky enough to visit with Shelley while she and her family were in Park City recently.  It was the first time we had the chance to meet her darling little boy, Stephen.  I see so much of Shelley in him and know that this is the beginning of a great little life and family!

7.  Sleepless in Seattle--Darren recently took an overnight trip to Seattle to take a tour of Seattle University School of Law campus.  He had a great time overall, but he cracked me up when he called me Thursday night from Seattle.  We had picked the cheapest hotel we could find by the airport for Darren.  When he called he had just been given a new room since the lock was broken in the first room they gave him--but apparently the second one wasn't much better.  Darren was laughing as he called me and described it as the "mangiest" room he had ever seen.  Needless to say, he didn't have the deepest of sleeps, but it certainly helped to make sure he was early for his appointment the next morning.

Darren in front of Seattle University after a less than ideal sleep.  He's still looking pretty handsome, though, if I do say so myself.

8.  Valentine's Tulips--For Valentine's Day, Darren got me a bouquet of my favorite flowers.  Isn't it amazing how flowers immediately brighten a space?

9.  Hosting Book Club--I volunteered to host the February Book Club meeting at our little apartment this month.  As excited as I get about playing hostess, I also get just a little bit stressed.  This apartment has never been so clean as the two times I've hosted book club.  The hostess is also in charge of preparing a little refreshment, which also sent me into a tizzy.  For the days leading up to the meeting I had extravagant desserts planned in my head.  What did I end up making?  Brownies--which I tried to jazz up by cutting with a heart-shaped cookie cutter and sprinkling with powdered sugar.  Sheesh.  And as a side note, I'm REALLY excited about our new book club book: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.

10.  Lunch with G.G. Vandagriff--I first met G.G. in my BYU Hampton Court Ward in which her husband was serving as our bishop.  She is a woman who I greatly admire for several reasons, not the least of which is that she has published several books in which she shares her testimony and the life lessons she has learned.  She is currently working on a Regency for which she has asked me to be an alpha-reader (which totally made my day).  It was so great to catch up with her over lunch last Saturday!

Happy Now-Feb. 6

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to read at least two books a month.  Twenty-four books in 2012 would definitely be an improvement over last year.  I know to some of my friends and family who are avid readers, this may not seem like a very lofty goal.  As much as I love to read, however, it is not something for which I always make time.  Unfortunately, I am already a 1/2 book behind, but I plan on catching up to stay on track.  Fortunately, I did not make a resolution about making regular blog posts. :)  Here are my Happy Now 10 for the past couple of weeks.

1.  Rock Climbing--In my last post I mentioned that Darren chose rock climbing for our next activity.  This was definitely a new experience for me.  I started to get nervous when we stepped out onto the padded, blue floor beneath the rock climbing walls.  We started by having an instructor show us how to tie the proper knot and what to do should your partner start plummeting to his death while climbing.  I wish I could say that I totally jumped at the opportunity, rolled up my sleeves, and sprinted up the rock wall on the first try.  It definitely took more than one try, and my forearms have never been so sore after grasping desperately to the hand grips, but I did eventually make it to the top and actually really started to enjoy myself by the end.  I was lucky to have such an encouraging partner who kept the rope taut and sent words of motivation up to me while climbing.  I was the first to suggest we go rock climbing again soon.

2.  Dessert with the Grossarths--I grew up with Jeanne through elementary school and jr. high until her family moved to Utah after our freshman year of high school.  While I haven't been able to see her as often as I would like, we have kept in touch and I have loved watching her beautiful family grow.  Darren and I were able to have dessert with Jeanne, her husband Kevin, and their three adorable kids about a week ago.  It was great to talk with Jeanne and Kevin, and Darren and I were both charmed by the kids, especially their oldest little boy.  Such a fun evening!

3.  Classroom Comics--For Christmas I received a tear-off daily calendar of teacher-related comics.  One day last week Darren came to pick me up at school and help me sort some papers.  Before leaving, he noticed the comic for that day on my desk and decided to try and draw it on the board for my students to see the next day.  I have to admit, I didn't know my husband had such artistic talent.  My kids loved the comic and I definitely gained some "cool points" just by being associated with Mr. Myler.

4.  Geneva Memories--In 2006 I was lucky enough to spend some time in Geneva, Switzerland on a BYU internship.  While in Geneva, I was able to meet some amazing people and life-long friends.  One of those people was Afton Beutler, my internship mentor.  Afton has dedicated the past several years of her life to the Worldwide Organization for Women.  She has worked tirelessly to unite women and their cause for good throughout the world.  I felt privileged to join in her work, if only for a few months.  In December, Afton e-mailed me that she would be visiting Utah in January and wanted to see me and meet Darren.  We met Afton for dinner last week, and it was SO great to see her.  I was flooded with some wonderful memories from my internship and was, again, so inspired by the work she and the NGO are doing.

Me with Afton and some others from the UN on the International Day of Peace in Geneva in 2006

Dinner with Afton 2012

5.  Death Comes to Pemberley--My first book of 2012 was P.D. James's Death Comes to Pemberley.  Mystery is probably my second favorite genre, after historical fiction.  When I heard that a well-known mystery writer decided to set her next novel among the characters of Austen's Pride and Prejudice at Pemberley, I knew I had to get my hands on that book.  I was only able to figure out part of the mystery by the end, and enjoyed being kept on my toes.  What else did I enjoy about the book?  The author twice snuck in peripheral mentions of characters from  Persuasion (my FAVORITE Austen novel) and Emma.  She made several of Austen's characters seem like contemporaries whose lives occasionally intersected.  Love it!

6.  Personal Quote Book--My Dad has encouraged my brother and me to keep a book of favorite quotes we come across.  It becomes our own, personal source of gathered inspiration.  I was reading through some of the quotes I've gathered over the past several years and was, again, touched by the power of words.  I love how these words of wisdom and inspiration continue to affect the lives of those who read them generations after they were written.  Here are just a few examples:

• "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." (~Thoreau, Walden)
• "Oh who can tell, save he whose heart hath tried." (~Lord Byron)
• "I gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which I must stop and look fear in the face ... I say to myself, I've lived through this and can take the next thing that comes along ... We must do the things we think we cannot do." (~Eleanor Roosevelt)
• "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." (1 Nephi 21:16)

The most recent addition to my quote book came just today when I read this quote on the inspiring blog of a dear family friend, Karen Holmes: "It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." (~Teddy Roosevelt)  Thanks, Karen!

7.  Dryer Faux Pas--I was helping Darren fold some laundry over the weekend when he came across a sweater of mine that I had left in the dryer a little too long.  We just had to laugh.  Perhaps it could work as a shirt for a future daughter?

8.  Greek Yogurt--I have been wanting to try some greek yogurt for a while.  I came across a simple and delicious-sounding breakfast idea that involved greek yogurt, honey, and a variety of berries.  I decided to try some this past weekend and loved it!  It was really sweet, so Darren and I had some for dessert tonight, as well.  I think we've found another favorite!

9.  Movie Night--Darren and I went to see our first movie of the year in the theater two weekends ago.  I love the whole experience of going to the movies--there are no distractions and, for better or worse, you can become completely wrapped up in the on-screen action.

10.  Dreaming with Darren--I love talking about the future with Darren.  Talking about the immediate future fills me with excitement about the realistic changes we can anticipate.  Sometimes Darren and I venture into the unknown distant future and talk about, ideally, where we would like to be several years from now.  We talk about the design of our dream home, the land we would want surrounding our home, and our future family.  Most recently we got on the subject of future pets.  Fortunately, I have married someone who loves animals (almost) as much as I do (he stops short of hamsters and mice :).  Today over dinner we were talking about the pets we would like to have, and I went ahead and chose names.  Darren decided that he would at least need a horse and a dog, and I proposed that I would need my own horse, dog, and cat.  Here are the names I'm currently considering (pictures from pinterest):

• Horse: Indie

• Golden Retriever: Atticus

• Orange Striped Tabby Cat: Scout

Now to make that idyllic future a reality. :)

Happy Now-Jan. 22

It has been a great week!  Here are this week's Happy Now 10:

1.  Wedding Album--Woot!  Woot!  That's right!  My parents received our wedding album earlier this week and then forwarded it to us.  I think it turned out great, and we are SO excited to have it!  Here is a sample of one of our pages. :)

2.  New Necklace--This week I also received my first Etsy purchase in the mail.  I saw a picture of this necklace on Pinterest and loved the delicate leaf pattern.  This was quite the week for receiving fun things in the mail!

3.  Welcomed Work--Darren and I have been amazed at how hard it has been to find a full-time job for Darren until law school starts.  This week, however, Darren received a long-awaited job offer from Lowes.  We feel so blessed to have this offer and be able to start adding to our savings!

4.  Dinner with Friends--We got to have dinner with our friends Sara and Ian on Thursday.  It was great to catch up with these two, and we are looking forward to doing more activities with them!

5.  Student Puppet Shows--The mom of one of my students owns several puppets and performs puppet shows at the local library.  At the beginning of the year, this mom offered to help my students perform puppets shows should it ever fit into our curriculum.  I recently had my students write fables and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to incorporate puppet shows.  We had two fables performed last week and will have three more next week.  The puppet shows have been great so far, and I am so grateful for this mom's help!

6.  Rainy Days--Saturday morning we woke up to a wonderful rainstorm that lasted all day until it became cold enough in the late afternoon to turn into a snow storm.  It provided some much needed moisture and made for a wonderfully cozy Saturday.

7.  Breakfast at Mimi's--Darren and I started off a fun Saturday with breakfast at Mimi's Cafe.  I love the atmosphere at Mimi's, not to mentioned their hot chocolate and omelets. :)

8.  New Books--Mimi's Cafe just happens to be right next to Barnes and Noble.  Yesterday our browsing in this book store turned into some fun purchases.  I am perhaps most excited about the Below Stairs memoir I bought of a kitchen maid in the 1920s that inspired the creator of "Downton Abbey."

9.  Library Cards--Darren and I went from Barnes and Noble to the new Springville Library where we got our library cards and spent some time reading.

10.  Rock Climbing--I'm afraid I put Darren's "man card" in serious jeopardy last week when I chose crocheting as our first opportunity to learn something new together.  It is now his turn to choose the activity, so I must be equally supportive now that he has chosen to go rock climbing.  They have "family night" reduced prices at the Quarry on Mondays, so we are planning on going tomorrow.  Rock climbing is not really a new activity for Darren, but it certainly is for me.  It should be an adventure!

Happy Now-Jan. 15

I am excited to share my Happy Now 10 for this week!  Unfortunately, this past week has found me a little under the weather, but there's nothing like being sick to really make you appreciate the small things that are often taken for granted.  I spent last weekend lying low (hence no blog post) and then took Friday off to give myself a longer weekend this weekend and finish recuperating.  Here are my top 10 moments from the past couple of weeks.

1. More Law School News:  In the past couple of weeks, Darren has received two more law school acceptances and has been put on one school's wait list (at our top-choice school, so we are keeping our fingers crossed!).  It feels like such a blessing to have choices.  So far, we have been accepted to a school in Michigan, Arizona, and North Carolina.  Can you guess which school this sun-loving, CA girl is rooting for?

2.  Student's Morning Question:  I have one particularly active student in my classroom who bounces into my room every morning and doesn't stop bouncing until he leaves that afternoon.  This student has started greeting me with a question each morning that never fails to make me smile.  Our conversation usually goes something like this:

Me: Good morning, (student).  How are you doing this morning?
Student:  I'm great!  How are you Mrs. Myler?  How did you sleep?

Now it may not seem like much, but it's his last question that always makes me laugh a little inside.  He holds still for just a moment to hear my response to his questions before moving on.  I try to answer his questions as sincerely as possible.  Maybe it's because I think of it as a question a mother would ask her child, but it always seems so unexpected and cute every time he asks.

3.  E-mails from Chris:  I've received a few e-mails from my brother over the past couple of weeks.  I love it every time I see his name in my inbox.  His sense of humor cracks me up, and I love hearing about what he's up to and his song recommendations. :)  Thanks, bud!

4.  Pajama Days:  I mentioned earlier that I took Friday off from school because I wasn't feeling well.  What I didn't mention was that I spent the WHOLE day in my pajamas.  I definitely started to get antsy toward the end of the day and it was great to get out and about a little yesterday, but staying in comfy clothes all day certainly has its up sides.

5.  Indoor Plants:  I love nature.  For Christmas this year, the other fifth grade teachers at my school and I decided to exchange classroom plants as gifts.  I was so excited!  While Darren and I were shopping for the gift plant, we also bought a few plants for our home.  Staying indoors and getting plenty of rest recently has definitely been good for me, but when I started to miss seeing some greenery, these little house plants sure brightened my day.

6.  Breakfast in Bed:  I woke up Friday morning to see my husband carrying in a tray of eggs, toast, fruit, and water.  What a great start to a day!

7.  Couple Crochet:  Darren and I decided that we wanted to start learning new things together.  I got to choose our first activity ... and I chose crocheting. :)  I remember learning once for a Young Women's project for which I planned to make a baby's blanket, and it turned into a pot holder.  I now remember why the once-planned blanket ended up so much smaller.  Crocheting takes me a really long time!  I'm not ready to give up on it, but I do know that if I ever finish a baby's blanket that thing will be more rare and precious than gold!

This is how far I got before I decided to take a break.

Darren made it much farther--I think he's found a hidden talent.

8.  Austen Book--We're reading Sense and Sensibility for our book club right now.  I LOVE Austen and I'm so excited we're reading one of her books.

9.  Primary Class--Darren and I started teaching a new group of kids in our Primary class.  We loved our last class, but the group of girls we have right now are little angels.  It's such a pleasure to teach them.

10.  RedHeadedHostess--I recently came across this website: www.theredheadedhostess.com.  She has some great scripture study tips and other insights that I have loved reviewing.

Here's to a week of improved health and continued happiness!

Happy Now-Jan. 1

Happy New Year!  I have a great feeling about 2012.  So far, we are off to a great start!  This post is several weeks overdue, but I have my top ten Happy Now moments from the last few weeks of 2011.

1.  Dinner with the Chaffees--On our last Sunday in Utah before the Christmas Break, Darren and I were invited to dinner with the Chaffees.  It is always wonderful to see them, and I feel like I am meeting with family rather than friends whenever I am with them.  While there, the Chaffee women recommended the TV series "Downton Abbey" to me.  Darren and I just finished watching the first season via Netflix, bless Darren's heart.  We both really enjoyed it, though, and can't wait to start watching Season 2 next week!  Thank you for the wonderful meal, evening, and recommendations, Chaffee family!

2.  Holiday Farewells to Students--Every now and then, I think about a scene from the movie "Mr. Holland's Opus" in which Mr. Holland is teaching his first day of a high school music class.  At the end of the day, Mr. Holland says something about how he never imagined as a student that his teachers looked forward to the final bell as much as he did.  I certainly felt that way on the last day of teaching before the holiday break.  I was as giddy as the students at the prospect of having a week and a half off.  I expected the students to rush out the door without a backwards glance when the final bell rang, and most of them did.  A few students turned back, however, with some very kind words.  Their expressions of gratitude and holiday wishes made me pause in my attempt to follow the students quickly out the door with a much-needed reminder of why I love to teach and why the classroom is a pretty great place to be after all.

3.  Road Trip--I have many fond memories of the road trip between Utah and California, most often made with my family while I attended BYU.  The trip has come to represent excitement as I am either driving home or returning back to an academic adventure.  These most recent trips with Darren have been no different.

4.  Family Gatherings--The holidays are all about family, aren't they?  Over this holiday break, Darren and I were not only able to spend some wonderful quality time with my immediate family, but with extended family, as well.  I look forward to every opportunity I have to get together with my cousins, aunts, and uncles.  I felt fortunate to be able to see my Dad's side of the family over the holiday since Darren and I had missed seeing them at Thanksgiving.  Here's to a 2012 with many more family gatherings!

5.  Christmas Eve Chili--I love holiday traditions.  One of my favorite Christmas Eve traditions is eating a bowl of my mom's Christmas Eve chili.  It smells and tastes like Christmas to me more than anything else.

6.  Christmas Morning Wake-up Calls--I am 28 years old, but I still find it absolutely necessary to get an early start to the festivities on Christmas morning.  One may think this should fall to the youngest sibling, but alas it has fallen upon me over the past few years to wake my brother, parents, and now husband when the agreed upon time has come to begin opening stockings.

On a slightly unrelated topic, I wanted to share a Christmas day picture of me and Darren before we left for church.  We had taken several, but I didn't like any as much as the impromptu dip Darren did at the end. :)

7.  Wedding Cake--I previously mentioned loving holiday traditions.  Truth be told, my love of traditions is not limited to holidays.  My parents agreed to save part of the top layer of our wedding cake in their freezer for the past year so that Darren and I could have a bite on our 1st anniversary.  Despite some hesitation on Darren's part to eat a year-old piece of cake, I was bound and determined to carry out this tradition.  It was about a month after our first anniversary, but we ate (and enjoyed!) a piece of our wedding cake.  I was surprised by how good it still was!  Darren and I both had more than the anticipated small bite.  My mom, who did not get the chance to try any at our reception, also had a taste.  I would definitely recommend this tradition!

Chris, our photographer for the evening, got artistic with our rings before we took bites out of the red velvet piece of wedding cake.

We're about to take our first bite.

8.  Zumba with Mom--Several weeks ago I mentioned how much I enjoyed taking a Zumba class with some teachers at my school.  When I found out that a local gym in CA would be hosting two Zumba class while I was in town, I immediately proposed the idea to my mom.  While the music and steps were different than my experience with Zumba in Utah (but still confirmed that I have ABSOLUTELY NO Latin blood in my veins), we still had a great time.  What a fun way to work up a sweat!

9.  New Year's Resolutions--Every year, I love making New Year's Resolutions.  There's something about starting fresh with a clear image of how you want to improve certain areas of your life that is invigorating.  Many years ago, my dad used a scriptural reference (Luke 2:52) which talked of Christ growing in "wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" to suggest that we make resolutions in four main categories of our lives: intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social.  I have my resolutions set and am ready to put them into action.

10.    Midnight Fireworks--Darren and I started driving back to Utah yesterday afternoon, on New Year's Eve.  Once we were on the road, we set the goal of trying to be back to Springville by midnight so that we could ring in the New Year in our little apartment.  We were about 20 minutes late, but it worked out for the best.  When the clock struck midnight, our car was cresting a hill on the freeway from which we could see surrounding communities for quite a distance.  Our first moments of 2012 were greeted by several fireworks displays in the Utah valley.  We counted nine in all.  It was a magical moment and a great way to start off a new year.

A very happy New Year to you all!