My Favorite Things

So for my Education 215 class, we had to practice putting together a video using Windows Movie Maker. The requirements were that it had to be about a minute long, have still photos, live video footage and sound. This is what i came up with.... **MAKE SURE YOU PAUSE MY MUSIC PLAYER AT THE BOTTOM OF MY BLOG!**

Round and Round

So yesterday was a very interesting day in church. We had  9 kids in the nursery (1 visitor and 2 that are not to yet nursery age) which was fun. We started the hour off with "lil A" crying so hard that she literally vomited all over the floor. Luckily the other leader that had her in her arms managed to escape the direction of flow. It was a lot of vomit to be coming out of such a small little body. I had "B" in my arms and by that time he had stopped crying, I wonder if it was because he got a little intrigued by the new substance that landed on the floor, so I took "lil A" while the other leader went and got something to clean up the mess with. Talk about a hard time trying to keep a lot of curious little kids away from sticking their fingers in it. It would have been rather kinda funny had it not been so sad.


So nursery ends and off to sacrament meeting we go. Since when did I become a free babysitting service? I don't know the answer to that question either but somehow I did. Not only did I have my "mini me" but i also had her younger brother "B" and then another girl "L" who has decided that she would rather come sit with me than sit with the other leader to who she usually sat with. I don't mind having the kids sit with me but i would really prefer to not have them with me EVERY single Sunday. I think that there really needs to be something said about that. I mean, I don't mind every now and then having one of the nursery kids sit with me, but every Sunday is a bit much...especially if there is something I was planning on doing during sacrament meeting and what not.


I think that it is very apparent that I need to be released from my calling. I have felt this way for the last few months. The bishop mentioned to me that we needed to talk and I have been wanting to talk to him since I don't think his counselors took me serious when I mentioned that I wanted to get out of there. Plus, I am finding that I am beginning to have a difference of opinion from the other leader which we all know can be bad for those involved. But I think that right now, it would be best for me to be released from nursery. I wouldn't mind having a different calling but I am tired of being in the primary, I would love to have some conversations with adults. I am kinda craving that. Plus, if there was a time that I wasn't feeling to good or just didn't make it to church, I wouldn't  have to find a sub to replace me cause lets face it, not everyone is thrilled to work in the nursery and finding someone who is willing to sub in there that already doesn't have a calling is kinda like finding a needle in a haystack. It just isn't going to happen.


But on to other things, this week is going to be a long week. I have a paper and an exam this week and I am finding it hard to keep my attention focused on the tasks at hand. Plus, polishing up on the music for the Fall Rally that is this Saturday. Where has the time gone, I mean it is nearly October!


Well, that is a little bit of what is going on in my life. I should be signing off and getting myself some sleep so I can make it to my lab on time. Until next time....

I Love to See the Temple

This is just me playing around...enjoy!                             


CLICK HERE     **make sure your speakers are on!!!! it adds a lil something something**

NOTE:  by clicking on the link on the left should take you right to the site without opening a new window. If by chance it does-because this is technology we are talking about-you will want to make sure that you pause my music player on the bottom of this blog.

It's Alright, It's Ok

I havent been very good at updating my blog since summer started. What a short but crazy 3 months it has been. Between a short summer speech class and girls camp and getting ready for the fall semester, where has the time gone?


School is back in session like I said earlier and wow, this semester I think will be the toughest that I have encountered since I started. However, I think I have come up with a plan to stay on top of it all and get it all completed. Most of my class work is on Moodle (isnt that a funny name to name a program???) with a lot of lecture in the class room. I was even dumb enough to schedule two of my classes back to back. I know what you are thinking, "Audrey, that isnt so bad?" Well, I have know given my self the glorius task of getting from upper campus down to lower campus in about 10 mins (shorter if I can). I know, crazy and dumb, but it was the only way I could get it to stick in my schedule with out being on campus til late in the afternoon or overlapping in my classes.


Two education classes this semester out of a required 3 to get into the COE, is on my schedule for this fall semester. I think that EDUC 204 will really make me know for sure that education is my chosen path and career and if it doesn't 201, which will be spring, will defiantely make or break me. Although I do need to start thinking on what other subject I would want to teach as a person is more marketable in the education field if they can teach multiple subjects. I do know that math will not be one of them.


This of course leads me to my math class for the semester. My math class is more of a reading/english class with a mixutre of math thrown into the mix. This should be interesting, I guess I dont have to worry about taking an English course this semester. LOL


So I guess I will close for the time being, I will try to update on a more "frequent" basis. Oh and stay tuned for my blog post on Girls Camp, complete with pictures staring Mo!!

Opportunities

What a crazy and insane summer this has started out to be! First I have attempted to take a speech class (Comm. 101) this summer. Instead of taking it in the usual 16 weeks that would be a normal semester, I am taking it in just 16 days! Two speeches down and one to go (Tuesday is that lucky day) and then my final Thursday the same week....*focus*

On top of summer school, I am taking on a bigger challenge...last Sunday I was sustained as the Young Women's Camp Director for this coming girls camp. I was the assistant camp director but for some reason last week a member of the bishopbric pulled me out of nursery and told me that the other is out and you are in (I kinda felt like that scene in Top Gun where his commanding officer tells Maverik and Goose that they are number one after Cougar turned in his wings.....random I know). I have to be honest, but I kinda felt like I was in the dark when I found out that I was going to be the actual director and not the assistant as I really had no idea what had been going on (hmmm...a bit of a repeat from last year?? lol) 


I feel real good about this year though. We have a great theme (Alma the Younger) and some really great girls coming up (4 first years and 2 third years) and I have had a lot of support from the leaders. The YW leaders have really stepped up and helped fill in the blanks when the director(s) had been slacking a bit?? I was worried but after a few conversations and email exchanges I feel like we can really pull this off. My goal though is to make the girls grow spiritually and have fun at the same time! That way when next year comes, they will be all excited to go. That would give me the biggest feeling of satisfaction that I could ever have. Its always amazing to watch someone grow stronger (even if they are non members or inactive or just not aware of it).  As I was writing that last sentence, I realized that I am going to have to certify a girl or two since they didnt make it to the first aid clinic. That shouldnt be a big deal, I will just have to give them a copy of the test to fill out and pass. The only road block in my way is making time to certify them. Hmm....mutual activity? Will have to bring that up with at our meeting and see how we can get those two certified before camp.


So this week, like I mentioned earlier, is just going to be insane. Speech and final, possibly mutual (if i get invited since it is camp related i do believe-i think they are dutch ovening so that they can use that method at camp) and then it is my family reunion on Saturday. I got 5 journals to make for our raffle which wont take up much time at all, it will be just trying to fit them in. I also have to prepare a nursery lesson and singing time (since my other leader will be gone that sunday) and try to find Priesthood brethern to commit to coming to girls camp for a week or a couple of days! A girls work is never done....lol. Then I swear everyone I know was born in the month of June....ugh!


Oh well, I guess I cant really complain because I love it! Ok most of the time I love it. I will just be happy when speech is down and over with this week!!

ReadyFuels

Spring is FINALLY here and I couldnt be happier. So much has happened in the month and a half since my last posting that has kept me busy! School has started to pick up as we near the end of the semester and its going to be doozy of an ending. All my major projects are due during dead week and at the end of this coming week, i will be dealing with the new registration system that ISU decided to implement and already I am having a hard time navagating through it to find the class offerings! Just another headache that has ISU written all over it.  All I can say is that it will be a breath of fresh air ones the first week of May is done and over with. **Woosah....**


Not only has school started to pick up but so have my church callings (in fact I should be getting a nursery lesson put together instead of blogging....whoops!). We are now breaking in three new kids into our nursery and the first week was an absolute nightmare! We had surround sound crying and screaming. Luckily it was General Conference the following week so we didnt have to go through that mess again. It gave us time to regroup and conquer with a new plan of attack since the last one didn't work. Last Sunday was actually pretty good. The two new kids that were giving us the "issues" we had the parents stay in there with them to help ease them into this transition. Yup, no more drop and leave. It is now drop and stay. Now if we can only convince the parents to come pick their kids directly up after church lets out and not 15 mins later. Grr.....


It is also my turn to teach the lessons this month on top of singing time. I love singing time, I would be happy if I could do just that. Maybe if and when we get our third helper, we can get them to take over my lessons so I can just focus on the singing. The only down side is that I find some of the cutest handouts and always like to share them with the kids during my lessons. I am all about the handouts! I am thinking about doing the ice cream cone builder for singing tomorrow....we havent done that yet and it should be a little fun. We can see how many scoops of ice cream we can get ontop of our cone before the time is out. Now if I can only find a hand out i like for tomorrows lesson i would be good to go....hmmm.


So not only has nursery picked up, but so has choir. We are back to our monthly schedule again. I have yet to be called back to this position. I know but your thinking wait, aren't you playing for the choir? The answer is yes, but after they released me from it when my dad died, they never put me back in and the choir director seems to like what i do and so he has me play for them. I dont know who is technically suppose to play but I feel kinda bad about taking it from them. So it is unofficially an official calling for me.


GIRLS CAMP has kicked off for our ward this past Wednesday. The Stake theme is Warriors of Cummorah and having all the wards base their ward theme off of a Book of Mormon hero. Our ward is Alma the Younger. Which is a good story and I know the girls could get a lot from it. I need to get with Holly and see if we (as the camp and assistant directors) get a meeting scheduled with the Young Women's presidency to see what all we can get planned and get the ball rolling on assignments and decorations and what not. So when it actually comes down to the time we leave, we can just worry about the fine little details and be more prepared than we were last year. It was disasterous last year and the planning was crap (well from what i gathered from it anyway. I wasnt involved in it till last minute and that was because the bishopbric got on the previous camp directors butt to include me) and things were over looked and forgotten and not well planned. I don't want to see the same happen this year. We got awesome girls and for a lot of them, this will be their first year and we want to make sure we get them to come back next year!


We had our first aid clinic for certification today. It went off alright. We had five girls there (which from what i gather was pretty much the number of girls going) and it seemed like they had fun. Apparently all the girls now are aware of one vital sign of shock----diellated pupils---VOOM!! Hey, if they remember it all the more power to them, but it was roflol type moment! All of  them are unique and different in their own little way, it will be awesome to watch them grow during that week of camp. So if everything goes they way i would like (and mind you i am only the assistant camp director), the girls will walk out of their with a greater respect of the gospel, the Book of Mormon, Alma the Younger and of course greater respect for themselves.  So here is to hoping....

A Whisper & A Clamor

So a lot of stuff has happened since my last entry. Its kinda been crazy and stressful but again, nothing that I can handle. Stress is my middle name. School has finally calmed down this past week but it is about to pick up again as I have a math test come Wednesday and midterms are the week after that. Plus I have another english paper coming up with another paper due in my math stratgies.


 Not to mention, amongst that long list of studying for school, I have to prepare a talk for sacrement meeting. I have been given two topic options: 1). How one can find happiness from the blessings from being member of the church and 2). A topic on which the Spirit tells me to talk on. Oh I am so overwhelmed with joy. I do have a little help on my side though, my big bro has offered to help me write it. So that is a plus =] For some reason the bishopbric has had me in their sights. I am not sure what I did to get a bull's eye placed on my back but they are sure aiming for me. The past two weeks have been fun as well. The pianist for the primary had asked to be released and so they came to me to see if I would be willing to take that position and give up my nursery calling. Yeah, that wasnt going over well with my other nursery leader, as she didnt want to loose me and to be honest I wasnt ready to leave the kids. HOWEVER, after a talk with the bishopbric, it has been decided that I should stay in the nursery and I am ok with that. Its been a struggle for me because I love playing the piano but I also love those kids. I am just glad the choice has been made.


So speaking of nursery, today we had 0 kids. I know shocking. My other leader said that it is like the first time since she was put in that there have been no kids to watch and teach. It was way quiet but nice at the same time. It allowed for us to talk about some of the changes we would love to see happen in the nursery and upcoming things for the kids to do as well as get some lesson prep out of the way. Its kinda funny, when I was first told i was going to be released, I had all these ideas come to me that would be fun for nursery but once I get told I am going to be staying, all those ideas have left my head and of course like any normal person,  I didnt write them down.


Wow this, entry is a little short, but that is ok...hope all is well! Enjoy!