Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Wedding Plans

Planning a wedding is interesting. It is something I have never done before, so I really don't know what the heck I am doing. I know that I wear a pretty white dress, and my man wears something nice that goes with my pretty white dress. I know that my family comes to support us as we take that leap into the next chapter of our lives and they are all so happy for us on our special day. I know there is cake :) Hopefully lots of cake. Chocolate cake. And there are flowers. Who knows what kind of flowers though...not me. That's for sure. But what about the other things. Do we dance at our reception? Do my bridesmaids need to match our colors exactly? What men should wear which tie? Do we have music? What about a movie? How do I choose his ring? How should I do my hair? How should I do my makeup? Do I get to eat any of the yummy food that has been provided at the reception? Why did we choose July 30th? It is going to be so hot. So much to think about. I wish we had a wedding planner. That would be wonderful. Many little girls already have a plan of how they picture their wedding going. Not me. I haven't the slightest clue how this is going to turn out. I just want it to come. Fast!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Where there's hope, there's America

Last night we had the opportunity to go celebrate America with 4,000 fifth grade students from all over Utah in the Hope of America celebration! It was incredible to hear and feel the amazing testimony that we truly belong to such a great country. We may all come from different parts of America, but we are still united together. It's nice to be reminded. Let's not let those things be taken away, and always support the people serving our great country!


On Tuesday night, we surprised Kellie, my awesome former roommate who is getting married on Saturday (whoa!!!), with a fun bridal shower!!! We met at one of the local frozen yogurt places and had delicious fruit pizza (The best I have ever tasted!!! Thanks to Chelsea!) and just talked for a few hours! It was to get away and do some girl stuff. Congratulations Kel, and I am so excited to go to Las Vegas to help you celebrate your's and Brian's exciting day!!!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Happily Ever After :)

What an unexpected turn of events! Wow! I don't even know where to begin, so I guess I will start from the beginning of a very exciting successful love story...woo woo, I can hardly wait!

I moved to Utah at the end of August only hoping to find a job, and hopefully if I got lucky, my prince charming. I actually started dating a lot more. A lot more than I ever did in college, and I liked it. Then I met Joe. Of course you know how that turned out. A positive experience, however, not the one for me. We ended that in January on a good note. Then Marshall came into the picture. I knew he like me, and I thought he was super nice. We started hanging out in a pretty regular group that would get together and play games. We had a lot of fun together. Marshall just never really did it for me. I am attracted to someone who is super affectionate, and that was not how Marshall was.

That is where Tyler Keil comes into the picture. The very first time we were formally introduced is kind of a hilarious but sad. I went over to his house to take his family dinner. I took my mother's famous chicken enchiladas that are super delicious. They were super grateful, and while I was over there for the brief time, Tyler was standing against the wall keeping to himself. You have to realize that he had just gotten home from his mission in Georgia, so he was super awkward, and not very outgoing. His dad, my bishop, said, "Megan, have you met our son Tyler?" I said, "Yep," and then brushed that aside, because I wasn't really there to see Tyler, I was there to bring them dinner. I feel really bad for not getting into a heartfelt conversation with him now, but I didn't know that they had wanted Tyler and I to date from the very beginning. So he tells me now that he was like, "Wow, she must really not be interested in me." That changed pretty quickly.

The next interaction Tyler and I had was a few months later, I am assuming. We, meaning me and Rochelle, were invited to come over and play Mario at Tyler's house, and we flirted quite a bit while I was over there, but nothing really happened from that experience. Tyler showed up here and there, over at Heather's when we played a game called Buzz, which he was sooo good at. Then he came to one of our basketball games. Where it really started to click that I think I liked him was when we played Curses one time. He made me laugh so hard, and I am super attracted to people who can make me laugh. He has earned tons of points making me laugh. Another sad story goes something like this. We were all invited to Heather's to watch a movie, and this is when I kind of was more into Marshall. Marshall got there, and then Tyler showed up. I was leaning against the couch, Marshall was sitting on the love sac. Tyler came a sat behind me on the couch. I quickly asked Marshall if he was saving a spot for me on the love sac, and moved over next him, leaving Tyler in the dust. I am evil. I feel so bad for that one too.

However, I realized that things weren't really going anywhere with Marshall, and so I turned to Tyler, because I thought he was kind of still interested in me. So I really played it up at a dinner that we had at church. Marshall had to leave early, and so I took that opportunity to show Tyler that I was more interested in him now. Jenna, Maryvonne, and I were invited over to play Mario again. Tyler and I were kind of inseparable from that point on. That was at the beginning of March.

We started dating after he got home from a crazy weekend in Las Vegas, the weekend that we decided that we really wanted to date each other. We are always together, and that's the way we like it. Because of that, we have exciting news! As of Saturday at about 10:00 on a mountain, we are engaged to be married on July 30th! Crazy! I am super excited and couldn't think of anybody I would rather spend my whole entire life with than Tyler Keil. He is handsome, caring, honest, thoughtful, affectionate, hilarious, smart, and loves me!!!! I found a job and my prince charming!! I AM SO LUCKY!!!!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Panic Day!

Just so we are clear, the title of this blog is one of the many celebrations or holidays that we often overlook during the month of March. Going along with the new group names that my students came up with this month, rather than looking at the more obvious holidays like St Patrick's Day, we decided to look up the unique holidays that people never remember. I found a really cool website that lists a holiday per day for the month of March. For example, on the 1st of March it was National Pig Day. How many of you celebrated that? The 5th was Multiple Personality Day. Anybody celebrate that one?? Probably several of the people I know celebrated that one without even knowing it. :) And tomorrow we have Middle Name Pride Day! So tomorrow, enjoy your middle name and maybe think about how you got your middle name. Just something fun to look forward to...

This past weekend was a blur, as are most of my weekends! I wish this one would have been longer however, because my bestie Melissa Nicole French came to visit!!!! Finally! She saw my classroom, my apartment, and the beautiful city of Orem! We hugged, we laughed, we shopped, we ate, and most importantly...we pedicured!!! What a fun weekend with such a wonderful, outstanding, beautiful, talented friend! I can't wait to see her again!

The weekend before that, I was actually going to write a blog about. I was going to title it: From Purple to White. The reasoning behind this title was that I went cross-country skiing with my good friend and co-worker Kristin. I was wearing a purple shirt to begin with and by the time we finished our journey, my shirt was completely covered in snow from falling so often! How hilarious. What a fun sport though!!! I couldn't believe how beautiful of a morning it was that we chose to go! It had just snowed a whopping like 3 or 4 feet where we went, and the day couldn't have been more great! It is just fun sometimes to get out and enjoy the beautiful winter weather....emphasis on the sometimes. :)

My Dad finally came to see me not last week, but the week before that. He came to school with me even! It was so much fun, and my students loved having him here! Everyone thought we looked exactly alike...it's kind of interesting the thought of being my dad's twin...eek. He played spelling games, and the students got to ask him questions. Here were some of my favorites.

Grant: What is your favorite planet?
Dad: (laughing) Earth. But I think you might be from Pluto.
Jake: Do you like BYU basketball?
Dad: Isn't that the team who has Timmer on it?

Hilarious if you ask me!

Other exciting things that are upcoming...My little sister's 14th birthday is on Saturday! What an oldie! My Mom is coming to Utah for her Spring Break on the 22-24! I can hardly wait!! I wish our Spring Break's were the same so that we could go do something exciting! We will surely have fun though while she is here! The end of the 3RD TERM is on the 25th of this month, which I can't even hardly believe! The school year is almost over....but on a positive note, that means WARM WEATHER IS COMING!!! Hooray!

One more shout out for Justin Bieber...His movie rocked. I loved every second of it. My friend Tresa and I went to see it in 3D and let me just tell you that seeing JB that up close and personal and learning everything about his 16 years of living was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I can't wait to have some of his songs on my Ipod! "I was like Baby Baby Baby Oh!!!"

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

February

Sorry the title of my blogs are probably getting increasingly more boring, but "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit" or so my 3rd graders usually say. However, things are going most excellently as of late. Yet again, I have come up with a new strategy to help encourage my students to be good. There are 8 groups with 3 students in each group. They have all come up with a name for their group, and boy let me tell you, they are hilarious. They had to match their group name with something that goes along with the month of February. So it could be anything from Groundhogs Day, to President's Day, to Valentines Day. For 3rd grade we have the Valenteenies, the Chocolate Hearts, the Cupcake Bakers, the Love Bugs, the Red Tigers, the Shadows, the Thunder hearts, and the Lightening Hearts. For 5th grade we have the Heart Slayers, The BowanArrows, the Broken Hearts, Cupid's Arrow, the Pink Bears, Washington 22, the Cupid Hearts, and the Valentines. So perfect. For every time a group is doing what they are supposed to be doing, they get a point. The group that has the most points by the end of the week gets to choose a game that we play for the last 10 minutes or so. Then, I add up all of the points that each group has earned for class points, and if we can get to 500 points, then we will have a class party. Sounds fun to me. Hopefully it works. They really liked coming up with names for their groups, and coloring the signs to go along with their names.

I went on a really fun group date on Friday! We went bowling, and I had the highest score out of everyone...even my date...again..oops. 117. Awesome. That's the best way to keep someone's interest. Oh well. And speaking of dates, my hilarious father wants to set me up on a date with this great guy. However, my father does not know the name of this guy, or his phone number, or where he lives, so that should be entertaining. I love dating though, and it's fun to get to know new people.

I really feel like that is all for now, because I really need to go to the store. Until next time...

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Back up...

I decided that I better give a better update than my post on Friday. It doesn't really explain anything that has been going on in my life since my last post, and boy let me tell you...a lot can happen in a month. Weird.

The rest of the 2010 school year was great! We finished our Holiday countdown, which the students looked forward to doing everyday. I think we all were really looking forward to that Holiday break. And on the last day of school, my students were so generous in the gifts that they brought me. There was chocolate galore, fruit, candy, homemade cards, gift cards, and so much more...I couldn't believe how generous some of the families were. I even received some amazing gifts to help me organize and enhance my classroom a little bit! I just really appreciate all that the students do, and especially their parents to help me in my first year of teaching. Love it!!!

For my Holiday break, I flew to Colorado to visit my momma!! I love love love that woman! She is incredible. Always busy, but still has an endless supply of time for her family! What a good example she is. She is such a hard worker, and I know that this year of school for her has been a little bit tricky, so I appreciate all she does to help me out, even if she is having a tricky year herself. But wow, what a fun break all of us had. We watched movies, played games, knitted scarves, went shopping, ate tons, cooked tons, baked tons, and laughed a whole bunch! It was so much fun. We took new family pictures, which turned out incredible if I do say so myself. I absolutely love my family, and I can't get enough of them. My nephew especially is hilarious. And there isn't a person out there who he wouldn't love immediately and there isn't a person out there that wouldn't fall absolutely head over heels for him. He does some of the most adorable things...for example...when looking for someone, instead of saying yoo-hoo, he will say "Hoo hoo," and it is the cutest darn thing you have ever heard. Also, I loved playing a really fun trick on him every time I saw him sitting in his highchair. I would sneak up behind him, and tickle his back, or blow in his ear, and then he would look back at me and I would say, "Wasn't me." He automatically started saying, "Was it Maa? (my little sister Emiliana)," or "Was it Maama? (what he calls my mom), or he even started asking if it was himself...haha! So hysterical. I love him with my whole entire heart!! What a bundle of energy though! Love it! And my poor mother cried when they dropped me off at the airport. I had to hold myself together so that I could actually leave, otherwise I would have just cancelled my flight and stayed there forever! It is a shame that I had to start school the next day though, or I might have just done that!

Good ol' Joe was there at the airport to collect me and my things as he promised he would do. It was really good to see him. We had some good times, and I am sad to say that it didn't end up working out after all. I mean really sad. But I am grateful for the experiences that I have, and I know that it wasn't pointless that I dated Joe. He is such a good person, I hope he finds what he is looking for, and I hope that he is happy. And while I wait for my prince charming to show up, I will continue being the always happy, optimistic, and amazing person that I always have been! (Come on, I can try to boost my self-esteem can't I?) :) Love it!

And as always, my roommates are incredible. Chelsea is so caring and is genuinely just an amazing friend and cousin. She never ceases to amaze me. Kellie is so hardworking, and with all she has to do, she still has time at the end of the day to ask me how my day was. What a sweetie pie. Sarah is full of energy, and brings a smile to all of our faces with the stories she has. And she is always willing to offer sound advice, because honestly, I think she has pretty much done everything. Rochelle has just become such a huge part of my life, I think I would die if she moved away. So she better not. I live with some pretty amazing girls, and I think I would even go as far to say that they have become my sisters. I love them so so much and hope they know that.

I can't forget to mention the other amazing friends that I have. Melissa is working hard on her student teaching in Idaho Falls, and is actually thinking about moving to Utah to live with us after Kellie moves out and gets hitched. That would be a miracle if I do say so myself. I love her with all my heart, and it would literally be a dream to be her roommate again. Melissa #2 is hard at work on her mission in Minnesota, and still has time to write me letters, sealed delicately in beautiful purple envelopes! She loves me and I can't wait for August to come! And my oldest friend, and yes I mean age-wise, Kimberly, had time to call me the other day to tell me that she and Mike (her awesome hubby) were in Utah for his mission reunion, but they failed to mention that little detail in advance. I feel privileged to have gotten a phone call, however, and it is always nice to talk to that girl. Love her to pieces.

One more thing. I got a personal trainer at Gold's Gym. I am soon going to be as fit as a fiddle. How fit is a fiddle you may ask? Well, I do believe that fiddles have buns of steel. So there you go. Watch out Jillian Michaels, because Megan Slaughterhouse is coming your way. Very slowly, because I can hardly move any of my muscles at this stage in the training. :) It's awesome though. Everyone should have the opportunity to have a personal trainer, just for some new knowledge to pack into their brains.

I think that is all for now. Just finished term 2 at school. 2 down, 2 to go. We shall see what the future brings. Good things I am sure. I have goals, that I will meet this year. With positivity, hilariosity, and commitiosity, I will be sure to meet those goals. And tomorrow, no school, thanks to Martin Luther King Jr. day. Until the next post....

Friday, January 14, 2011

For Now....

"Growth, character, and enjoyment of life come from our mistakes. A child that is not permitted to fall will never learn to walk, for walking is a succession of falls." -Dr. Frank Crane

I make a lot of mistakes, and this quote gives me hope. I really appreciate the fact that it will be alright if I mess up. Because it happens quite often. Find joy in the journey. Come what may and love it. If life throws you lemons, make lemonade. It will all work out. AND I WILL BE HAPPY!!