My kids

I'm blessed every day to come home to my loving husband and my two kids. These two girls keep my life entertaining, and they always seem to remind me how humorous life is. Here's a few pictures so you can share in the laughs.


My oldest baby girl, Callie. I raised her since she was itty bitty. :)




My youngest baby girl, Roxie. She was Taylor's wedding gift.




I bought her a jacket before she went to the groomers.




She really does have the Royal Attitude, just like the jacket said. :)




She finally got groomed! I love how she sticks all her legs straight out.




These two hardly ever get along, but they do take a very cute picture together.




My mom bought her a hoodie. I know it's kind of a guy-ish one, but she looks super cute in it either way.

2 down, 1 to go

I've found the perfect remedy for those boring nights since all the season finales are starting to add up: actually studying for my finals. :)

I'm excited to say that I have successfully completed two different finals, and I just have one more to go...Even though I feel like I might go crazy if I cram anything else into my head. You know that point where your eyes start to water, your head starts to ache, and all the words start to blur on the page? That's where I'm at. And I still have a 250 question final. (That's the only time I can truly say I'm glad it's on a scantron and not short answer.)

In the end I am keeping my head up. After all, it is just Monday.

Dixie Sun newspaper white elephant party

It never fails to impress me at the end of the semester when I see the camaraderie and professionalism of the campus newspaper. I've served on staff for five years now and I've loved every minute of it.

At the end of the semester we always have an end-of-the-semester white elephant party. Everyone gets gifts to give during this 'generous' occasion. Every year it seems to get worse and worse. Let's just say a few of us veteran staffers have an agenda to out-do the other every semester. There seems to be a general theme.

Despite the embarrassment and humiliation, everyone bands together and has a good time. You never have to worry about what one person is going to think of you because you've worked hard right next to that person all semester. You've shared good times and bad. You've learned the real reason of why they're called "dead"-lines. And you've gotten a few steps closer to realizing your full potential. I wouldn't change any of the five years if I had the choice.

The great thing about Dixie State College is that I've had the opportunity to work with these great students and staff. At any other university, it wouldn't be surprising if you stayed as a staff member and never had the opportunity to move up. As a high school senior I was drafted on as a volunteer staff writer, hired as the opinion editor my freshman year at DSC, was editor-in-chief my sophomore and junior year, and also ran the online newspaper for a year and a half. Who can really go out into the field after graduation and have that on their resume? Not many people.

I also never thought I would stay at DSC. I was wrong! All I heard my senior year of high school was DSC is a bad school. You don't get as good an education at DSC. No one ever stays in St. George after graduating in Washington County. Well, I have to say I disagree with every one of those statements. Sure, DSC is a smaller school compared to most, but that's the benefit of it. DSC's marketing always uses the phrase: "Best education under the sun." That's because you can actually get counted as a person, and not a number, at DSC. Plus the teachers actually know your name...well, most of them. :)

Overall, I've had a great experience. Now I have no clue what I'm going to do after I graduate. I don't think I'll ever leave.

Recycling can be fun

I never realized how many things can be recycled; now I don't think I'll ever take anything for granted.

As I was helping my dad shop for my little sister, I came across this neat Web site. I know I'm a little behind the times, but it is www.etsy.com. This e-Bay look-a-like features people who are selling items they have made. That's when I saw pendants made from used Scrabble tiles or dominoes. Some of them even had words and pictures pasted to them with a glass-like resin coating to make the finish look more high-quality.

After looking for over an hour at different tiles I had quite the list going. My poor husband couldn't help but get a little annoyed that I was spending so much time looking at "old game pieces." However, to those artists and craft maniacs who came up with these ingenious ideas: kudos!

Late nights and research papers

So with it being my second-to-last semester, I have spent some late nights working on my current research papers. It seems like my papers from every other year I've spent at Dixie State College were so much easier. Now I have to crack down and hit the books (and online articles) to keep my fingers crossed that I'll receive a good grade.

I found that one of my biggest problems is I am overly critical of myself and my work. That isn't surprising, because it's seemed to be a lifelong trait of mine; however, I'm learning to take a step back and breathe. Sometimes it takes a while to realize you're over-analyzing yourself.

The only advice I have to any student is this: Don't be so hard on yourself! I know it's hard, and it'll take a lot of practice, but it's important to your health and well-being. :) Oh, and never every forget to breath.

A bad case of senioritis

I am officially a senior with one semester left at Dixie State College. It's hard to believe I started almost five years ago. Who knows how many classes that was!

Since I started I have had the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them, the opportunity to meet people I probably wouldn't have normally taken the time to meet, and found a new passion I never thought I would have. I started out as a physical therapist major. Well, after I found out that would involve touching kadavers, I decided it just wasn't for me. The safer route, of course, was to publicly humiliate myself through journalism.

For a naturally anxious person who sweats out every deadline, you might ask what in the world were you thinking? The answer is simple: I don't know. The nice part is the newspaper paid for my college education and taught me to face my fears. I also had the opportunity to better prepare myself for graduation. I thought high school graduation was scary, but I was so wrong. That award is left for the college degree that ultimately releases you to reek havoc on the world.

I have to say, though, that I will not miss the long days and nights of studying, the mounds of homework, and the stress of everyday school life. I am now wondering what will actually fill that void in my life after I walk across the stage in May. I can only hope my experiences have somehow impacted the college in a positive way. I know I made my mark in the communication department, and unfortunately they probably will never forget me at this point.

And teachers may get abused again

The Associated Press printed an article today reporting the Utah State Office of Education has delayed $20 million in teacher performance pay from being distributed this year. The delay is due to lawmakers deciding whether the teachers should get the bonuses or if it should be used for other needs in the state budget. Teachers were supposed to receive the bonus at the end of this school year, but now teachers will await a decision that will probably be made Tuesday.

If this information doesn't disturb every parent, student and teacher I'd be surprised. This topic is one I definitely feel strongly on. Our teachers, well most of them, put forth over the top efforts to teach Utah students; Utah teachers also are in the bottom third pay bracket. I didn't realize how much teachers really touched me until I reached high school, and as I've gone forward in college I've seen how most teachers go above and beyond for his or her students. What is that rewarded with? Most of the time it's nothing. Now they're promised a bonus that was set to be distributed to school districts before the first of this month, and it's on hold because the state may need it somewhere else.

The way I see it is everybody's hurting, but time and time again teachers get the cut. Why can't the state make a decision and stick with it? They know the teachers have earned this, and they know the teachers need this. If budgets are so bad then they need to find other areas, like they have before, to cut from. Stop making the teachers feel the effects of money problems the state is balancing. Let them, for once, fell and know they are appreciated. After all, they're the ones teaching the next generations to come. How are we going to deal with problems then?

To read this article, go to http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UT_TEACHER_BONUSES_UTOL-?SITE=UTSGS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT