Yay for tests!

So, about 4 weeks ago I had to suffer through a super long test, the Praxis, in hopes of proving that I know enough about English to teach it to high schoolers. Well, the scores finally came in and I passed with flying colors! I needed a 168/200 to pass, and I got a 190/200! Yay for me! I guess this means that the state of Utah trusts me with their young and restless, but I don't know if I trust me! I keep hoping that some excuse will come up to prove to the world that I am going to be a horrible teacher and that I need to just continue going to school forever (I like being a student!). Oh well, I guess I will have to try to sabatoge myself another way!

J and K Go Down Under!

Guess what? Jer and I are beginning our quest for world domination by moving to AUSTRALIA for six months!

Jer's work is sending us -January 14th- to Melbourne, Australia! He will be doing some training there, and I will be relaxing and living it up Aussie style! We are sooooo excited to go on this adventure together and can't wait to hit the road - though we have a ton to do/figure out before we can go!

I worked it out so that I will just be postponing my Student Teaching until August, so no worries there.
The only thing that will be hard to leave is my drill team - they are the most amazing group of ladies that I have ever had the pleasure of working with. They are extremely dedicated, hard-working, entertaining, loyal, beautiful, talented, and truly wonderful. I hope they know how much I love them and miss them!

We have tons to do before we move! Any suggestions? I promise there will be tons of blog updates and pictures, so stay tuned!

What-ev

So, besides someone dying I really cannot think of anything else terrible that can happen today. Seriously. So, instead of preparing for my presentation tomorrow or chorographing my team's miltary or studying for the Praxis I am taking on Saturday or reading the mounds of Literary Criticism I am assigned or any of the other thousands of things filling up my Franklin Covey, I am going to make a list of things that make me feel better on days like this:

Pumpkin cookies (good thing I have some at home)
Venting to my sis
The prospect of sleep
A very large Diet Dr. Pepper
Reading Mindy's blog
The funny-looking girl sitting across from me in the Library (I know, I am mean)
That my hubby will probably take me out to dinner tonight
That I just dropped a peanut M&M on the floor in the library, picked it up, and ate it
That one of my blue M&Ms chose not to follow the norm and is definitely non-circular
That my sister knows me well enough that when I said I was having a bad day, she said "drink some caffeine."
That the sky is stormy, like me!
That reminds me, anytime that Jer is sad, he says "I'm a storm cloud!" while pouting - that makes me happy.
That I saved my misshapen blue M&M and viciously ate the rest

Hopefully things will be better tomorrow.

If not, at least I still have this list.

What? A Post!

I haven't posted in FOR-freakin-Ever and I sincerely apologize to anyone is bored to enough to actually read this blog. It seemed as if I was destined to postpone my blogging posts until after the semester was over, but, alas, the stars aligned and fate stepped in to ensure a post for your blogging pleasure. One of my English major friends tagged me and, while I would love to say that I am too old for peer pressure, I just cannot resist a tag. So . . .

7 random/weird facts about me (evil laugh). Be prepared, these are not for the faint at heart!

1 - I have very little cartilage in my nose and can seriously squish it all the way down to my face - seriously. It is pretty freaky looking, but I can move my nose any which way you want!

2 - I strongly dislike all dogs, cats, birds, fish, horses, cows, and babies (as in human ones). Basically, I just don't like anything that is alive except for humans past the age of 14. I know, I am weird. I don't know what it is, but they are all just so smelly, needy, pushy, loud, and frightening.

3 - I have a dead person's bone in my leg. I had a bone transplant in high school and now am the proud owner of someone's long forgotten bone. The weird thing is that I hated peanut butter before the surgery, and now I love it!

4 - I have a crazy obsession with serial killers. I find them fascinating! The more gruesome, the better!

5 - When I was little, I didn't hold teddy bears for comfort, I did it so that if someone broke into my house, they would take the bear and not me. That's right. I would pretended to love my stuffed animals just so I could sacrifice them in case of an emergency. I also did this with my little sister (She always had to sleep closest to the door).

6 - I am afraid of heights - kinda. I am NOT afraid of airplanes, roller coasters, tall buildings, steep ledges, or balconies, but I am deathly afraid of the monkey bars, ladders, and Ferris Wheels.

7 - I will be extremely disappointed if I don't die in some horribly tragic way. I think the ultimate way to day would be to go on a cruise, have a terrible freak accident and have the ship go down (think Titanic). Due to my extreme wit and intelligence, I would survive this catastrophe just to find myself amidst a school of angry giant jellyfish. As they stung me to death and I floated to the bottom of the ocean, all I would be able to think is how beautiful the jellyfish are. Awesome, huh!

Well, if you made it through this post and still consider yourself my friend, then thanks for putting up with my weirdness! I tag (dun dunna dun!) Jer, Kamie, Ashley, Ben, Missy, Nathan, and Mallory!

Ludo - Broken Bride: The most amazing album ever!!

Now I don't post often and this will probably show you all what a Sap Kasie married (though some of you already know). A few months ago Kasie, Ben, Aaron and I went to a concert at UVU the Rock in UVU concert which featured several bands, one of those was a band we had never heard of before that night - Ludo. I was imediately impressed, and went out a couple days later and bought the CD that they had been promoting (You're Aweful, I Love You), after doing some more research i found out that they had released an EP (Extended Play) a few years back titled "Broken Bride" that was a "Rock Opera" It only has 5 songs on the album, but they are amazing, and after listening to them I can see this album being turned into a musical and doing extremely well. The songs are posted for listenting below:

Part I: Broken Bride - Ludo



Save Our City - Ludo



Part II: Tonights the Night - Ludo



Part III:The Lamb and the Dragon - Ludo



Part IV: Morning in May - Ludo




Enjoy!

Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens

I think that I will randomly post about some of my favorite (or not so favorite) things, mostly so I can just have the pleasure of ranting and raving about whatever I feel like. So . . .

Favorite thing 1: "The Sublime"
Favorite thing 2: J.M.W. Turner

I am a major word-nerd, and one of my most favorite words/concepts is "Sublime." It is so hard to explain, but I see it as being 1) the beauty of terror, horror, pain, and sadness and 2) a moment of unreal comprehension of the incomprehensible. I have one professor who says that it is "pleasure in pain," but I like to see it more as "beauty of pain." Have you ever seen something so terrible that you thought it was magnificent? Or have you seen something extremely awkward and marveled at its beauty? Just as exquisite joy can be revolting, I think that ultimate darkness can be enriching.

Turner, who is one of my favorite artists, is really the person who introduced me to the Sublime, and I have been a follower ever since. Most of his works display something extremely tragic, but awestruckingly beautiful.

Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps, 1812.

JMW Turner The Burning of the Houses of Parliament 1834

JMW Turner, Snow Storm- Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth

I know that my artistic tastes may be different from many of you, but I think that there are many examples of the Sublime in art, music, and movies. I have been trying to decide which movies have the most Sublime moments, but I am having a hard time deciding. What do you guys think?

Tag! You're It!

10 Years ago I:
1. was in my awkward jr. high years
2. had just made the move to good old Tooele
3. thought that the world revolved around me
4. was making fun of Kamie's growth spurt
5. was obsessed with Titanic and poetry

Today's "to do" list:
1. Go to school
2. Go to Drill Practice
3. Work
4. Homework
5. hang out with my hubby

Snacks:
1. apple sauce
2. crasins
3. black licorice (yum!)
4. candy corn
5. diet dr. pepper!

If I were a millionaire...
1. I'd travel to at least one place on every continent
2. I'd buy a Vespa scooter and/or a Mazda 3
3. I'd pay off everything I own/owe
4. I'd put some away for a house (I don't know where I want to live yet!)
5. I'd do some super mad clothes shopping!

Places I've lived:
1. Murray, UT
2. Tooele, UT
3. Provo, UT
4. Orem, UT
5. I know, I am boring!

Jobs:
1. Dance Teacher at United Spirit Association
2. BYU Resident Hall Student Coordinator
3. East Shore High School English Teacher Assistant
4. UVU Internship Office
5. Intern for the VP of Student Affairs at UVU

I tag:
1. Kamie
2. Marnie
3. Stacey
4. Ashley
5. Megan

Don't hate me cuz I'm busy!

To Do:

Attend all 6 of my senior-level college classes.
Keep up on the mounds of homework that never end.
Put in enough hours to not get fired from my internship.
Attend all of our Timpview High Drill Team practices.
Choreograph, plan parents meetings, write a team contract, order uniforms, cut music, etc.
Realize that my fridge is completely empty and go grocery shopping.
Pay bills
Say Hi to my hubby
Clean the house (optional - I don't care if it is smelly)
Blog? (Yay right!)

My sister is a Mrs!

Kamie and Alex officially became Mr. and Mrs. Zamora on August 10th! It was the most absolutely beautiful wedding ever. You HAVE to see the pictures! They have tons of pictures on their blog: kamieandalex.blogspot.com. Go check it out!

Congrats you two on your wonderful marriage! I wish you many years of getting on each other's nerves, and hope that your love grows more every time it happens!

Kasie and Jer's Awesome East Coast Adventure

Jer and I just returned from the very best vacation ever! After Kamie's amazing wedding, we mounted a red-eye to Portland, Maine to enjoy a week of good food, fun, and relaxation in Maine and Boston. There are sooooo many amazing pictures and stories . . . there is absolutely no way to cover them all. Hence, behold my top ten amazing moments from Kasie and Jer's Awesome East Coast Adventure:

10- Arriving in Maine . . . without our luggage!
I know it sounds horrible, but it was actually kinda fun. The whole trip there was hilarious. Our plane was delayed a ton, Kamie had to sit next to a really smelly person for 6 hours, they lost our luggage, we couldn't find our cottage on Peak's Island (some nice people had us hop in the back of their truck and took us to it), and then we finally got our luggage at 9:30 p.m. and had to drag it uphill to our cottage (about 1.5 miles!). It all just added to the memories!

9- Our cute little island cottage.
We rented a cottage on an island that was about a 20 min. ferry ride from Old Port, Maine. The cottage was absolutely adorable and idyllic! It had four bedrooms, super cute decorations, and an amazing covered porch. I feel in love at first sight!

8- Riding Bikes - for the first time!
Almost everyone on the island rides bikes to get around, so we decided to rent some bikes for our transportation, too! The only problem, I had never ridden a bike before! Needless to say, it was an interesting experience! But with Jer's and Alex's endless patience and amazing teaching skills, I was soon cruising the streets and enjoying the amazing sea breeze!

7- Yummy, yummy sea food!
I am not a sea food lover, but in Maine it is umm umm good! I especially had fun watching Kamie and Jer try to open their lobsters!

6- Kayaking in the ocean!
There is nothing better then trying to synchronize your paddles with the one you love! Plus, we played kayak tag with Kamie and Alex!

5- Exploring Old Port.

Old Port is an awesome place to walk around. There are tons of really cool stores and restaurants.

4- Sailing!

Jer and I spent enjoyed an amazing evening on a super-cool sail boat! It was definitely something that I will never forget. The crew was amazing, the views spectacular, and the mood serene. We now want our own sail boat!

3- Sightseeing in Boston

I seriously think that we were the luckiest tourists ever because we had our own personal tour guide! Kamie's hubby Alex was born and raised in Boston, so he knows all the ins and outs! He drove us around the entire city, pointing out cool buildings along the way.

2- Seeing were Alex grew up

I love being able to see the hometowns of my friends. It is so amazing seeing the areas that shaped who they are today. Alex showed us his home, school, first LDS church, and first jobs. My favorite was the diner that he used to work out. It was seriously the very very best breakfast food I have ever had - no joke. There is no where in Utah that even compares! No wonder Alex is such a good chef!

1- Kamie and Alex's Boston Reception

Alex's parents planned an amazing dinner reception to celebrate his marriage to my baby sis. The food was delicious, and the company was even better. It was the best ending to the best vacation ever!

A Sure Sign of Maturity

So, I think that everyone associated with Kamie's wedding must be losing their minds - It must be that, because I simply cannot face the alternative, that my friends and I are certifiably insane! In preparation for Kamie's amazing wedding, some of the bridesmaids ditched responsibility, husbands, and children to come together for an AMAZING sleepover. There was lots of laughs, yummy Chinese food, and chick flicks. But, most importantly, there was dancing! I seriously considered locking these videos away in a dark room to never be found again, but I was peer pressured into posting them. Prepare yourself, there is some weird stuff coming! If you have been reconsidering my friendship with you, then don't view these videos, for they will surely send you running away with terror! If you are in the mood for a good laugh, though, then I would like to present the characters:

Sunnie, Kasie, Jennifer, and the lovely Bride-to be




























































This dance was really the start of it all - the point from which our creativity blossomed. Make sure you pause my play list so you can hear the amazing sound effects. I promise, you won't want to miss these!


Next, please let me present an amazing improv number entitled "Dying Goat." Guess who is producing the amazing sound effects? Kamie!


The final dance is called "Alien Friends." Do you like our costumes?

There are actually way more videos and pictures from this amazing event, but simply not enough time to share them all. While I am pretty embarrassed by these videos, they actually make me really happy. It is sometimes hard not to feel like I have become really old and boring. All I need is a night with the girls, though, to remember that my physical age does not match my mental state! I think there is nothing better than resorting back to Jr. High every once in a while! BF4Ever!

3rd Year 's the Charm!

Can you believe it? Jer and I have officially been married for three years! Where does the time go? Life is simply too good to fly by so fast!

This third year, in my opinion, has been the very best year for us! I mean, year one was great because we were new in love and just getting to know each other. Year two we learned how to change from being simply "husband and wife" to being a family. But year three, this was the year that we truly, honestly deeply, became best friends.



So, in honor of Year Three and all the joys my hubby has brought me, here are my Top Ten Highlights of Year Three:

10- Moving into an apartment with air conditioning!

9- Hanging out in Vegas - just the two of us! There is something super exciting and romantic about going on vacation with just your best friend. I wasn't worried about entertaining or being the party planner, but simply was able to have a fantastic time. Phantom was the best!

8- Finally learning to speak Jer's alien language - he really does have one!

7- Starting to make decisions based upon what WE want, and not what we think we should want.

6- Jer's amazing and wonderful work ethic - he has received several promotions this year!

5- Finally coming to an agreement about gender roles!

4- Strengthening our friendship with the amazing family and friends we have around us. Kamie and Jer are inseparable (and the Payne boys finally like me!)

3- Learning to talk to each other about anything and everything - from what annoys us the most about each other to why our marriage is so fantastic :)

2-Having our baby - the motorcycle, that is. Jer bathes, feeds, caresses, and probably even sings to it!

1- Waking up this morning and realizing that I still have the one I love by my side :)





Happy Anniversary to us!

Creating my own sunshine :)

So, I was just perusing some random blogs when I came across a fun and totally egocentric idea. In a lame attempt to boost my self-esteem and provide myself with some interesting reading materials, I would like each of you to leave a comment about one memory you have with me. Good, bad, small, big, funny, or lame - leave a comment about the wonderful adventures we have had together. Reminiscing is always fun!

(Psst! Consider yourself tagged! If you post this on your blog, I promise to leave a memory!)

When it rains, it pours!

Kamie had two super fun bridal showers this past weekend and, well, I will let the pictures speak for themselves!

The Art of Being a Do-er

I swear, sometimes it feels like life is full of lots of must-dos, have-to-dos, and better-dos and not enough want-to-dos. Every second I can think of something that would be a better use of my time, please the family and friends, or fulfill the ever-changing and demanding roles of wife, friend, sister, daughter, maid of honor, party planner, intern, student, etc! Sometimes I don't even think that my thoughts are independent! Still, I would much rather be a do-er than a wish-I-did-er. It may be busy, but at least I can say that every second is filled.

Human Poultry

This Fourth of July, Kamie decided to don some feathers for the Provo Parade. Her and the little Boys and Girls Club Ducklings waddled their way through the streets while occasionally breaking into dance. Here is just a little taste of Kamie's duck self:



Sorry about the bad quality - I am just getting used to taking videos with my camera. Can you believe that it is Kamie in there? I never knew she had such astounding dance moves . . .

To Avoid Confusion

In order to avoid confusion and false accusations of certain posts' true origins, from now on Jer will be writing all of his posts with a stunning blue, while Kasie will be using spectacular green. Color is a wonderful thing.

Tagged

I wasn't going to fill this out, but then my cousin Missy wrote that the two people she thought would fill this out were Kamie and me. I couldn't disappoint! So, here is a little about me . . .

Two names you go by:
Toad and Space-Kas
Two things I'm wearing right now:
green flip-flops and my cool green hat
Two longest car rides:
to California with my family - we've done it a trillion times
Two of my favorite things to do:
rent movies and go out to dinner
The two things you want very badly right now:
go to Mimi's for breakfast, to see Jer's dad
Two animals you have or have had:
Tabby and Enrique - my two firebelly toads
Two people who will fill this out:
Kamie and Shana
Two things you ate today:
Plum and water
Two people you last talked to:
Jer and Kamie
Two things you are doing tomorrow:
going to a work retreat and scheduling a locksmith because Jer lost his motorcycle keys!
Two favorite holidays:
Halloween and Christmas
Two favorite beverages:
diet coke with lime, diet dr. pepper

Dad's Surgery

As many of you probably know, my dad has a degenerative lung disease and has been waiting for a lung transplant. Well on Monday that day finally came! While he was at his physical therapy at the hospital, they called him and let him know that they had found a lung and that they would get him into a room to prepare for the surgery (as long as it was a good match). They got him into a room and the waiting began.....

About 1:00 AM they came in to his room in the ICU and took him up to surgery. My mom, Ben, Aaron, Jake, Kasie and I waited anxiously in the Family Waiting room.
The surgery took a long time, and at about 6:45 the doctors came in and let us know that it was official. My dad now has a new lung!

Kasie, and I went home and slept for a couple hours, then went back to the hospital around 6:30 Tuesday night and spent several hours with him that evening. It is amazing how quickly he seems to be recovering. In the morning he was on a ventilator to help him breath and later on in the after noon they took him off that, and now this morning I got word from my mom that he is sitting in a chair and they plan on having him walk around later on tonight. We are very glad that the surgery was successfull, and pray for his continued recovery.

Cancernators

Every once in awhile Jer and I flex our all-mighty muscles and dedicate time to a good cause. This last Friday-Saturday we made the long journey to Tooele to combat one of the worst villains of all - cancer. Every year my family creates a super-cool team for the Tooele Relay for Life in order to raise all-important awareness and money for cancer research. This year's theme was "Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back."



Our super-cool team was enhanced by the addition of some new sidekicks to the ranks - the Jake-a-nator, Aaronizzle, and smooth-action Benster. With the help of Master J-Miah, these rookies really learned the ropes and put up a good fight against our evil villain. Our team also sported the super Mr. Joe Head, smiling Granny Pants, Stephen B-nizzle, and the ruthless and notorious Mama J and her Rocky Mountain Rebels.

Following a brief conflict over their new uniforms (the boys weren't so fond of the t-shirts), our team took to the track and began a 13 hour march to fight against cancer. The track was rough, and the team had the unmistakable feeling that their course was leading them in circles. Still, the super-cool team knew that they were making a statement - a cure must be found.

They went through many adventures, including the joy of the survivor lap, the sorrow of the luminary ceremony, the ultimate exhaustion of walking at 4:00 a.m., and, finally, the hope that came with dawn. The super-cool team toughed it through the night, raising money and awareness for cancer research.

When all was said and done, the team was tired, there were a few blisters and sore feet, but they had made it. The amazing team concluded their quest in just enough time for the dynamic duo - Kasie and Jer- to return to their civilian lives and attend a wedding ceremony and reception. They even worked in the kitchen and served drinks that night! What can I say? It may have been a very long weekend, but with Kasamiah (Jer's favorite mix of our names) anything is possible!

Fun, Free, and Fan-freakin-tastic!

This is what happens when Kasie is bored and then suddenly remembers that she has a camera . . .

The End of School . . .Until Fall :(

It's official . . . my summer semester is over! After months of continual sleep deprivation, dragging myself to class, and biting my tongue during all of my oh-so-intelligent peers' remarks, my self-inflicted academic torture is over and I am free . . . until it starts again in August! Still, this education hiatus will provide me with a much needed reality check - step aside academia and welcome mind-numbing pop culture! I plan on letting the sweet drone of the t.v. dull my senses into a summer of relaxation! Well, at least when I am not working or helping Kamie with her wedding.

In all actuality, I really enjoy school. I am good at being a student and wish that I could keep doing it forever. I mean, what if I stink at everything else? Maybe someone should pay me to take classes my entire life! School is cool!

Cyncial Addictions

It seems like Jer and I (mostly me) go through major t.v. obsessions. For awhile there it was always CSI (Las Vegas) - we watched reruns on t.v. and would rent the seasons to watch. Lately our t.v. addiction has been for the cynical and self-destructive House. I mean, not only is he completely hilarious and a brilliant satirist, but the show also includes people dying from unheard of and totally gross diseases! What more could a girl want? We have officially finished season one and have moved on to season two now. Yes, we have already seen some of the episodes, but who can get enough of House's completely inappropriate humor?

I wonder what it says about me that my two favorite t.v. shows have to do with people either dead or dying . . .

Kamie's Ring

I had some requests to post a picture of Kamie's ring - so here you go!
I think that is is absolutely beautiful and that it fits her perfectly!

Make Your Own Digital Story!

So, I don't know if I am just behind the times or what, but I am totally stoked about this digital story maker software that I learned to use in my summer Instructional Media course. It's called Photo Story 3 and is a FREE download. With it you can upload and edit your pictures, add text to the pictures, customize zoom, transition, and motion, narrate or sing over your pictures, and add background music. It is super easy to use and way fun. The movie I made for my class is a serious documentary, but I think this program would be great for Mother's Day gifts or something - especially for all of you with kids out there.

Just in case you are curious, here is the video that I made for my Instructional Media class.

I chose to do mine on the Hazara Genocide that happened under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. I really didn't know much about this subject, but after reading The Kite Runner I became way interested in it. Nowadays when people talk about Afghanistan it is always in context to the U.S. People don't realize all of the internal turmoil that has absolutely nothing to do with us. They have been having civil wars for centuries - centuries! Also, their average life span expectancy is 44. Can you imagine? We plan to live to our 80's, while they only get to their 40's! While disease does play a factor, war and the associated dangers are the main culprits. I don't expect this movie to do much good, but I think that the first step to solving any problem is awareness. We can't change something that we aren't aware of!

Anyway, I promise that not all of my posts will be political or enforce my agenda - but there probably will be a few random ones. Thanks for listening!

My Baby Sister is Getting Married!

As some of you know, my beautiful little sister is getting married in August to Alex Zamora! They have been dating for over two years are so excited to start their life together. Kamie has an amazing pink sapphire ring that is super unique and absolutely to die for. They will be getting married at Millennial Falls in Draper, Utah. Wedding plans are going really good, but it is coming down to the wire now!

Here is a picture of three of Kamie's four bridesmaids- and Kamie with her dark hair. I am so jealous that she looks absolutely amazing with both blond and brown hair! I mean, really? Who is lucky enough to look good both ways? The bridesmaids are all really excited and bridal shower plans are coming along - stay tuned for more info! L-R: Natalie, Kasie, Kamie, Mallory. (Not pictured is Jennifer Bailey)

Kamie's dress is to DIE for! I wish I could post a picture of it, but alas, it must stay a secret for while longer!