It's been a while...

So, here I am, wasting time on Facebook (not doing homework, mind you) and I could easily be updating my good family and friends about our lives. Well, there really isn't much to say except that I can't wait to graduate!!!!!! ugh! I am so ready to be done. I love school and all, but I don't enjoy the stress and busy work that comes with it. I wish we could all go to school JUST to learn and not do any assignments. That would be wonderful. So, I have senioritis, but I am not a senior. Close. But not yet. 2nd semester junior.... yes.... sounds pretty good. Joe graduates in April. He is so lucky. He is trying to find a job and hopes to have one by the time school gets out so that he is not just sitting around being bored.... and we'd have money! :) He is in his capstone right now. He does consultant projects and stuff like that... I don't know how it works, but it is a lot of work for him. He works hard. I don't know how he does it with the diet he is on. Poor guy. I am taking 15 credits mostly because that's the minimum I can take on the fast grad program. I am in a 4 credit class...tis the toddler lab.... tis very, very time consuming. I have to lead teach 3 times (1 down, 2 to go), and the activity plans that we have to write are VERY long. They seriously take me like 8 hours to do all together. I just wrote my second one and it was a little easier the second time. I am hoping the third one is even easier. I'm sure it will all become easier as the semester goes on. I am also taking a Child 230 class, which is a preschool curriculum class. We have to make these HUGE resource files... 10 subjects.... atleast 10 resources in each subject, 10 activity starters (like games and activities and such), and other teacher aides required (puppets, felt story boards, etc.) So, that takes up a good amount of time (rather, it WILL take up a good amount of time) I haven't worked on it as much as I should be. I am also taking a culture and diversity class... tis the easiest class this semester. It's my only 2 credit class and it is not too demanding... thank heavens! It's the back burner class... teehee. I am also taking another 400 level class, but it is 3 credits. It's a SPED course about family and community. It is pretty good. I like it. Lots of projects of course... last, but not least! I am taking another SPED class. It is called Exceptional Students, and both my major and ELED majors have to take it. The tests are quite rigorous thus far. We get to do fun application assignments (wheelchair, visual impairment, hearing impairment, stuttering, and language delay.) I have done the visual impairment where we have to wear four different masks for four hours (one hour per mask)... I am so grateful for my eyes... even if I have to wear contacts to make them work right. I have also done the stuttering and language delay and I was really embarrassed and self conscious. It is really interesting to see how others feel who have these disabilities. I am so very grateful for my blessings and hope that I can better interact with people with disabilities, rather than being scared of interacting with them. I will be doing the wheelchair next monday. Yay. There are certain things we have to do with this one. We have to get in and out of a car, go down to the book store, go to the bathroom (no standing, so I have to meneuver my body from the chair to the can, yikes) and there are some other things I have to do, but I am not sure of them right now. The hearing impairment... well, I have to wear ear plugs for EIGHT hours... I might have a headache by the end of that day. It will be good. So, yes. Life is good. I am especially nervous for next semester because I will be in Preschool lab... 5 big whoppin credits!!! I heard it's harder than the kidergarten practicum, which I will be taking in the fall. I am going to be taking preschool along with an assessments course which is 4 credits and I heard that class will make you cry because you have to learn how to assess children with disabilities and write an IFSP for them. I also learned that we have to take extremely rigorous tests in there too (same teacher, go figure.) He's good though. I am really enjoying this major no matter how hard it is because I am learning so very much a lot, and I can do SO many things with this major. Today we took Matt some "get well" brownies with some tylenol cold gel caps. He is sick. We gotta take care of our Matty boy. He was so nice to take us out for my birthday. We went to Winger's. We also took him out for pizza a few weeks ago. It is good to see him. So, pretty much life is Great! No social lives, but... wait! We are playing dodgeball, that's kind of social. Joe is the team captain for our dodgeball team. We've played one game. We won by forfeit. The other team only had 2 players show up. They were scared that we would win. I just play because the team has to have atleast one girl if it is a bunch of boys and atleast one boy if it is a bunch of girls. It's fun, but MAN! do those boys throw those balls fast and hard. Mine just fly in the air so slow that those guys catch them easily. Also, I am now 21! Feel the same, feel like I'm still 20. Joey and I both got over viruses. Thankfully, we have NOT gotten the flu... any type (knock on wood). That would destroy my grades. Hmmm... what else... oh! My best friend Kiki's missionary gets home TOMORROW!!! I have planned that they will be married during the summer break. That's what they'll probably do anyways if they decide to be married. Well, family and friends! I hope life is going very well for you! I will try and update this thing more often, but I can't make any promises! Happy late Valentine's day too! Love, love, love you all!!!

This is me on my birthday. We got one of those microwave Betty Crocker cakes... don't put the candles in right when it's done. They'll melt into the cake. Oh ya, and I was sick on my bday. A good day! That's why my nose is nice and rosey.

This is me and the father-in-law at his surprise 60th birthday party! He was indeed very surprised! :O

Awww... Father and son... so cute. Joe's dad is a riot!!! :)

The Rest of the Pictures...

Here are the pictures from Christmas eve!!! :)


The little Christmas tree... These Christmas trees are awesome!

Look! I'm a little person! haha

The big Christmas tree!

The family snacking!

Crazy Fatha!

Liana!

This is Sophie (the little one) and Allie. Sophie is Joe's cousin Carrie's daughter, and Allie is Joe's cousin Suzie's daughter!

Little Sophie!

That's Sophia's little sister Olivia.. they call her Livi... she is such a good baby... very cute!

Awwwwww!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Well, we hope everyone had a great Christmas! We had a good time and got some great gifts! The day before Christmas eve, we went caroling with Joe's sister Liana and the missionaries. It was lots of fun. I failed to get pictures though. Christmas eve, we had a bunch of Joe's family over for dinner and presents. Joe's mom loves getting clothes for Joe's cousins' kids. They love it. :) Christmas was great! We had a steak lunch around 3. Delicious! And then we opened gifts, built a 6 ft. snowman, and then JOey and I watched Groundhog Day. (haha, I had never seen it.) We got to talk to all the fam except Brent and Kerstin. :( Tried to call, we just kept playing phone tag! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and we were thinking of all of you! We miss you muchos!!! Have a wonderful New Year!!!!!! Here are some pics from the festivities...

Joey's excited it Christmas Day!!!

My hot purse from Mom and Dad G!

Joe's fancy sweater!!! My beautiful white cardigan
My beautiful red cardigan...
Ricky got Star Trek on Blue Ray!
Ricky's fancy gift wrap! haha
The snuggie we got Motha!
Joey got a snuggie and a bag of reeses from me...
Joey, this is just what I wanted! How'd you know?

This too! Thanks Joey :)
My black (or navy, we couldn't decide) cardigan! :)
delicious tights!
Steve packing the snow on!
We gave him a beauty mark... Lee and Lu posin...
Me and Joey...
It was taking forever to load pictures, so I'll load the pics from Christmas eve later... these were from Christmas... I was very much spoiled! Thanks everyone!!! :) Time to go shopping! haha jk

Rexburg is WAY too cold!

Unfortunately, I know nothing about making a nice blog layout, so it'll probably be pretty icky looking for a while. Joey and I are getting our pictures done by a girl in our ward on Saturday, so hopefully those will turn out nice and I can post on blog! It's that time for freezing buns again! I walked outside (in a skirt might I add) today to go to the elementary school and boy was there a very undelightful drift! Also, when I breathed in my nose, I could feel my bogies freeze... it is the weirdest feeling... I thought to myself, "wow, it must be pretty cold out here today!" Come to find out it was 1 degree below 0. It is 9 degrees below 0 as I speak (or should I say type)! This has really made me grateful for the amazingly great heat that we have to keep us warm and the hot showers! Life has been good. We are just trying to get through these last couple of weeks of school--stressful. Thanksgiving holiday was awesome! We were so grateful to spend some time with mom and Darin and both their parents, as well as the Karl and Marrae Brunner fam! It was great fun! We were also grateful for the time off from school. It was great relaxation. I'm afraid I gained 4 pounds on this break though... oh well! We also got our first Christmas tree. It's so cute and little. It's a four footer! We are excited! :) Anyways, from the mouth of Michael Scott--"Back to work!" haha.

This is Kaylee Cook. I babysat her one day so that her mom (Kristen, the relief society president) could go to the temple. Isn't she adorable?

The failed attempt!

Uncle David


Grandma!

Grandpa! haha I love how he isn't even looking at the camera.

All the girls that were at grandma and grandpa Brunner's. haha I look like a freak or maybe Brent would consider it the "Clog!" haha

Oh, how I love him!!! <3

Yikes. I must look like this often. I think Brother Nelson (my geology teacher) probably thinks I think that his class is boring because I can hardly stay awake! (Well, today atleast) haha


Oh, how I love those beautiful brown eyes of his!!! :)


This is our cute little baby Christmas tree. :)

Funky layout and Happy Thanksgiving!

So, I am trying to figure out this whole layout thing, and our blog is under construction, so don't laugh at how funny it looks. It doesn't match at all, and until I get some good pics and what not to put on here, it will look like this. Plus I won't have access to the internet this week too much. Hope everyone is enjoying their holidays and HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Also, for our family that we don't get to see, WE MISS YOU TONS! Love you all and hope you are all doing well!!

Update!

Hello wonderful family and friends! Oh, how time flies! We are already half way through the semester! We had a great and fun summer, which went by way too fast by the way. I'm surviving and so is Joey, barely. He's up late at the library with class group work and stuff. Fun for him! I also have a lot of group stuff this semester--in like 4 of my classes. I like all of my classes... except English--you have to be able to dig deep into literature to feel smart in the class. I can't dig deep.. I'm more of a math person, personally. haha! We both cannot wait until this semester is over! We've been so busy, we've hardly had any time for eachother. I know that that will happen a lot, but we try to atleast have time together on the weekend, but it feels like that hasn't happened in a while. Although, we do watch a prophet video every Sunday night, so I guess that counts! :) Joey has been working really hard to lose weight. He is doing great. He hasn't had pizza in over a month! That's like pretty much amazing for him because pizza is his all time favorite food. He's been working out everyday except Sunday as well. I've been trying to support him and stuff by eating healthy myself, but I like to eat chocolate too much. haha! I just started my block class this week. It's my Literacy practicum, where I go into the elementary school twice a week and help with assessments and anything else my cooperative teacher needs help with. It has been fun. We're put in the first grade class. Cute kids. It was so sad--one little boy was doing his "reading naturally" on the computer (it's basically where you read a little paragraph and practice over and over until you've got it pretty good, and then you read it to a teacher/adult), and he just started crying and said, "I'm just not good, I'm never going to read 'grows' right." Poor little boy. I guess he is in the lower level reading group, but he loves trying hard and enjoys reading for the most part. The little kiddies were dressed up for halloween today--so cute! Over the intercom, there was spooky music playing and some kids were like, "I'm not scared of that!" and others were like, "this computer room is haunted!" So silly! This week has really worn me out. I've been sick with this horrible cough and nose thing, and I can't miss more than a day in my block class or else you fail! so, I went today because I wanted to save my one "sick" day for if I got the flu or something nasty like that. I've been so tempted to just skip class, but I just can't afford to. Our professors take attendance and it's part of our grade...icky... but it's good because then I don't really get behind. Next week, I have a presentation, analytical insight paper, a test, and two projects due. Joey and I just take it a day at a time and are excited when we've reached Friday night alive. haha! Oh, also, when I walked out the door this morning there was SNOW on the ground, and I was not too happy about that... ya, it looks nice, but it's not fun to walk in or freeze in or anything in. Not to mention we live on a hill so it's so scary walking down because you have to walk like a 100 year old man just so you don't slip! And the bottom of your pants get all wet and nasty and white from the salt. I just need the snow to go away until I move away from here!... The wind is ridiculous here... that should go away too. You can't stay warm no matter how many layers you put on because the wind just blows the cold air right into you, and it makes it very difficult to wear a skirt or dress because, unless you wear leggings underneath, you and all your glory shows! Anyways, that's enough about the weather. I love Rexburg other than that. Oh ya, like a month ago or something we were going to move to a bigger apartment because this one is sooooo tiny, but we ended up staying because we felt that the Lord wanted us in the ward that we are in. We are both very busy with our callings. Meetings here and there--no naps for us on Sunday any more. That's okay though! Joey graduates in April and we are both excited! I wish I graduated that soon! Goodness, I don't graduate until next December, but that will come quick, I'm sure. Just look at how fast this semester has gone! We have both been homesick and miss our families mucho. I think it's because we just hate not being able to go anywhere too often because we don't have a car yet. It's okay though because we are saving a lot by not having one right now. Anyways, that's our lives! School takes over it! We love you all and have a wonderful weekend!--we plan to. :)

Update Coming Soon...

Holy Cow! It's been a long time since I've updated this thing! Be prepared for a nice update coming soon!!! :)