Finding Krissi

I think that I am perfectly normal to have days where I feel picked on. Days where in the grand scheme of life I somehow was overlooked.  I believe that we all have moments like these.  However, what I find completely ironic is that these moments seem so much more dramatic and painful than everyday reality. The everyday reality is that most of us are blessed far and beyond what we choose to recognize. Why the human in us chooses to more fully recognize our challenges verses our blessings puzzles me. There must be some inner mechanism that strives for more. When that more is not fully recognized we find life unfair, unjust, and just down right right rotten. Why? In my own effort to more fully recognize how incredibly blessed my life is I have decided to go on a 24 hour fast from recognizing my challenges. Instead I plan on feasting on everyone of my blessings. For the next 24 hours in a small way I will recognize each of those blessings. 4:45 am, I get to sleep in...

"Haul out the holly; Put up the tree before my spirit falls again. Fill up the stocking, I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now. For we need a little Christmas Right this very minute, Candles in the window, Carols at the spinet. Yes, we need a little Christmas Right this very minute. It hasn't snowed a single flurry, But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry; So climb down the chimney; Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen. Slice up the fruitcake; It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough. For I've grown a little leaner, Grown a little colder, Grown a little sadder, Grown a little older," Oh, how this song is speaking to my heart. Isn't it funny how songs can speak the feelings we find so hard to express.  The words "I've grown a little leaner, grown a little colder, grown a little sadder, and grown a little older,"  echoed through the car the other day and I almost laughed. Laughing has become an...

Every morning this summer I can be found in my garden. There is something about being in the garden, hands in the dirt, and laboring that gives me peace. It is almost like the more dirt I have on my hands the better I feel. Also, all the physical labor of gardening seems to open my mind and clear out the cob webs. I guess it is easier for me to see God's big picture when I am working in the garden. All of the details it takes to garden, to nurture, and  to make my yard beautiful relate easily to Heavenly Father's plan. For example, this morning I was thinking about weeds. Any gardner knows you spend the majority of time in your garden controlling weeds. No matter how much you mulch, pluck, and spray weeds are determined to return. I have a system for weeding. Everyday I walk down each flower bed and pluck out 25 weeds. You would think after almost a month of weeding I would eventually run out of weeds. I never run out! There is always 25 weeds for me to pluck in each flow...

Lessons I learned this week. When you are looking to get your feelings hurt, you will get your feelings hurt. When you are looking to be offended, you will be offended. The universe is not mysterious. What we look for we will find! Twice this week I found myself in the position where two very distinct roads appeared in front of me. One was a road that was full of offense and one was a road without. The first happened at Back to School night. Obviously with any new job there comes a certain level of anticipation, anxiety, and stress. Meeting the parents of all my students was going to be a stressful night. I know that a lot of what a parent thinks about the teacher is based on those first few moments of back to school night. I was stressed, but at the same time excited. I’ve worked really hard getting ready for this night so sink or swim it was go time. Only go time started and none of my parents were showing up. I saw the other classrooms be...

I'm not even going to look to see when I last posted. I know it has been awhile. A long while. I have no excuses. Well I have a few. For example: We went to Cali for Easter. Spent some much needed time with family and friends. Celebrated the holiday  with a little frosting. After Easter I started applying and interviewing for jobs. Then.... Yup... So excited to be a third grade teacher next year at Quest Academy. Big smiles and grins! A few days after accepting the job it was my big day. It was an awesome day shared with my family, parents, in-laws, and the great people I travelled the road to my degree with. I still can't believe how fun it was to wear that silly hat. Before graduation Al performed in her last elementary school play. She played the part of Colonel Hathi in Jungle book. She was awesome of course. While watching Al's last performance my very cool friends gave me a graduation gift. A necklace that I wore on the day of gr...

As of Thursday I have officially earned a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education.  Yesterday I realized that it took me nearly 19 years to complete my first four years of college. After a moments reflection on this fact I realized I wouldn't change a thing. Over the past 19 years I met and married a wonderful man. Gave birth to four children. Stayed at home with my children. I have been a soccer coach, a cub scout leader, a pre-school aid, a PTA mom, a swim mom, a basketball, orchestra, dancing, singing mom. The list is long. All of those roles stacked up and led me in the direction I needed to go. It is kind funny how life has worked itself out. The next fun adventure is finding a job. I have refused to get uptight or worry about the when, where, and how's. All I can do is live each day and do my part. The rest will work itself out somehow. Meanwhile, for the time being I get to celebrate my accomplishment. Spend some much needed free time with my family. ...

Student teaching, student teaching, student teaching, my whole life is wrapped around student teaching. All I can say is it has been awesome!  Yesterday on my way home I was thinking about how worried I was about student teaching. The list of concerns was long and at the very top of the list was the question, "what if I hate teaching?". Since then I have come to realize that I love teaching. I have also learned that when you are doing what you love you are filled to the brim with happiness. Follow your passion use to seem like cheesy statement. Now I know that when you find that thing that matches up with who you are life is full of potential. This journey has been amazing and I couldn't have done it without Brent. I have come to realize that he is essential to my life. He is literally my other half. He completes my life. Over the past six weeks he has taken on the roll of mom like a trooper. The house is clean, dinners made, and kids are taken care of. It ...

I think by now we all know that these thanks giving posts did not go quite as I expected. I just want you to know that it isn't because I don't have a lot to be thankful for. Because I have ALOT to be thankful for. It has more to do with time management and the inability to make a day longer than 24 hours.  Im sure there are a lot of moms out there who know exactly what I mean. That being said here in all their glory are the last 10 thanks givings. November 14: I am thankful that my 11 year old has a cell phone. I have to be honest and let you know that I fought Brent on this one. I didn't think she needed a phone yet. I thought a year or two more would be soon enough. However, he won the fight and she got a phone. To tell you the truth she is the only one out of the three that makes me glad they have a phone. She is the queen of sending me totally random text that make me laugh. She shares random moments and I can count on her for a giggle every thursday night ...

It is the 28th! Do I give you the whole spill about not being behind? NO! Because we all know I'm behind. I'm not even going to ask where the heck this month went. I'm not giving up there will be 23 Thanks on this blog by Wednesday night! before I post one Christmas post. Here we go.... November 8th I am thankful to have this opportunity to be in school. I love learning and I LOVE the feeling of accomplishment as I near the end. I'm a little older than I thought I would be when I graduated from college but I wouldn't change a thing. November 9th I don't know if I have ever mentioned how grateful I am to have a handy husband. He spent an entire day off of work, with no kids, no plans, PAINTING! Yes, my front room is now a beautiful shade of green that I LOVE, due to a very handy not to mention handsome hubby. November 10th Laughter! Not to long ago I posted about not remembering the last time I laughed so hard I cried. Well just the other nig...

There are good points and there are bad points in living in a state like Utah. I personally feel that the majority of bad centers around one person. Mother Nature! It seems that she is always in a state of constant change here in Utah. One day we have awesome sunny weather. The next day we are in midst of buckets and buckets of snow. I kind of wish she would make up her mind. Although, I have to admit Mother Nature delivers some spectacular images. Today, I am thankful for falling leaves. I know that the leaves changing and falling means only one thing, winter is coming! I know that winter means only one thing, snow is coming! I'm learning that these are not  necessarily bad and evil things they are just the seasons making their presence known. I also learned last weekend that there is a reason and a order to everything. Snow coming before the leaves have fallen not necessarily a good thing. (This picture was taken November 5th. The picture above was taken Nov...

Thursday night was another ending to another class. It was a rather stressful week with a rather stressful ending. I would tell you the story if I thought the story was even a tiny bit interesting. When the grades posted last night I was relived and yes THANKFUL for this particular ending. There is nothing more enjoyable than the ending to a more than stressful situation. Next Thursday I begin my last class before student teaching. My life is changing yet again. Some days I can hardly wait for all that this next year will hold for me. Other times I'm not quite sure I'm ready for all the change that is coming. Although, I have to admit that life would get pretty boring if nothing ever changed. So today I am thankful for endings and beginnings. I wonder if that is why sunrises and sunsets are so beautiful? Sunsets are saying goodbye to all the day's blessings and challenges. Sunrises are saying hello to all the wonderful opportunities of a new day. ...

We both knew that there was no way I was going to post daily. Just like Thanksgiving day itself these post will come fast and binge style. :) I think a lot of women dream of a maid to come and clean their houses or a chef to come and cook their meals. I on the other hand dream of a master scheduler  who would create a schedule just for me. A schedule that allows me to get everything done that I want to get done. Unfortunately the only person who can create that schedule is me. Additionally, the only way I can get everything done that I want to get done is to give up sleep and turn a 24 hour day into 27. A master scheduler would probably tell me to prioritize or something in those regards. Oh dear considering this is a gratitude post I am not off to a good start. Thanksgiving thanks number three is "traditions." Our lives are full of traditions. Things that we always do to celebrate life. Traditions can be grand and traditions can be small. Traditions are what we l...

I suppose I should have mentioned that the likely hood I post daily is pretty low. Like you my schedule and routines have their good days and their bad days. There are days that I look like one of those bobbly head dolls. Other days I manage to hold my head on a little tighter. My goal is to post 24 blessings even if that means on Thanksgiving eve I am writing 23 posts. :) Last night was our youth activity night and the activity that was planned was a little out of my comfort zone. As I sat there and listened to the instructions for the activity my stomach began to turn. I really, really do not want to do this was the thought running thru my mind. However, the girls seemed pretty excited and I knew that I didn't want to be the wet blanket on a fun activity. So I put on my sense of humor hat and participated with a smile. I quickly discovered that life is handled better with a sense of humor. Everything does not have to be serious or within my comfort zone to be fun. In ...

Last year the month of November friends from everywhere were posting reasons they were thankful. Each day I logged on to Facebook or google reader and was filled with thanksgiving. It was very cool! I have no idea what this month has in store for me. One moment I have time to spare and the next I'm the energizer bunny and I just  keep going... keep going... keep going... Well you get the idea. However, I am hopeful that with only 24 days until Thanksgiving I can share a blessing a day. This time of year it is important for me to remember all that I have and not worry so much about what I don't have. Day One This is harder than it looks. There are all the obvious blessings family,home, jobs, ect.. But this month is not about the obvious. This month is about the little blessings that make every day better. I guess you would say the metaphorical roses. Today I took Al to the first practice of a competitive basketball team. I never thought Al would ever pl...

One of my all time favorite quotes comes from a commencement talk/song, Free to Wear Sunscreen. "Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind. The kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday." I am sure that I am not the only person on this planet that can be classified as a worrier. I like to think I am a champion worrier. However, the older I have gotten I have discovered that the things I worry about never happen and the things I never worry about do. Which means that there is absolutely no point in worrying. No matter how good at it I am. Life is going to throw you challenges. When challenges happen you have a couple of choices, the first is to embrace the challenge, and find the blessing in the challenge. The second choice is to give up. Giving up is actually the hardest of ...

I am going to admit that I had an absolutely wonderful weekend. The weekend started off with a day off of school and work for everyone. Making it a three day weekend. Friday we did a major clean up. I know that it doesn't sound like the greatest way to spend a day off, but it always nice to have a job that needs to be done, done. We managed to stuff the truck to the rim and over with garden leaves, bushes, and stuff. Now we can say that the garden is ready for winter and ready to spring forth come spring. Then much to my hearts delight Brent and I went and looked at Christmas lights. Yes, the man has finally accepted his nutty wife and went and looked at Christmas lights BEFORE Halloween. Reminding me once more why I love him. We didn't actually buy anything we were more on a scouting mission. We were amazed to see how much Christmas lights are changing and we are pretty sure that we are going to start making the switch to LED. Brent assures me that if I change to LED I...

In the seven years that we have lived in Utah, I have yet to adjust to the winter. I really do not like the cold and the gloom of the winter months. I could almost forgive the winters if they were quick. However, they just drag on and on through the months. With a certain amount of dread I look at the calendar and think winter is coming, YUCK!! Today, as I was riding my bike I started thinking about my century ride. It is kind of funny when you are stuck on a bike for a certain amount of time your brain just starts wandering your thoughts tripping over one another. I was thinking how at one point in the ride the rain started to sprinkle, then it started to pour, and soon I was soaked and the wind was blowing. It really sucked and it was hard to keep going when all I wanted to do was quit. It was especially hard watching others quit and trying not to follow their example. As I was thinking about this experience and the winter months that are looming in front of me I started thin...

My birthday was on Tuesday and I was not looking forward to my birthday this year. For some reason I could not wrap my head around the fact that I was turning 35. I just kept thinking, "Yikes I'm almost to 40! When did I get old?" So I kind of lived in a land of denial and pretended that it wasn't really going to happen. I have to tell you I have a very good land of denial. You will all have to visit one day. The best part is once you step into my land of denial your 16. I was going to say 21 but the truth is I still feel like I am 16. In fact, sometimes when I act mature and handle things the way my inner 16 year old would not I hear her yell at me. "Hey, Old lady we are only 16 quit acting so Olllllldddd." She is rather obnoxious. My big day arrived and I had to work. I also had to deal with some school stuff and by the time I left for work I had worked up a serious pout. The inner 16 year old was defiantly in charge. Then I came home from work and walked ...

Monday Field Trip/ A. and Brent go and explore the Great Salt Lake. Bug spray packed. Baseball Meeting/ H. playing his first year of machine pitch. He is going to have to hit a ball that is coming at him. Mom also realizes that the days of t-ball are behind her. Digging through the mitts to see which one H. will use and trying not to cry as she realizes that the tiny mitts have to find new homes. Tuesday Surgery/ Brent has surgery on his arm removing a benign tumor. The result is 17 stitches. Owwww! Wednesday Girl’s softball meeting/ still shocked that Al has agreed to play and that she is very excited. Hey, is it possible that there is an athlete hidden inside her. Thursday Track Meet/ S. participates in her first track meet. Places third in the shot put. Distance she threw 23.04 distance that second place threw 23.05. Seriously! Elementary Education Orientation/ Still taking deep breaths and not freaking out about all the requirements. Friday Swim Meet/ A. swims and S. times. Practic...