Self control, you gotta use a little self control!

It hasn't even been a full week and I'm posting again. amazing! I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm also proud of myself for learning to say no. There are so many things that I want to buy or do or eat, or WHATEVER that just aren't necessary. I have learned to ask myself, "do we really need that?" Most of the time the answer is no. When that is the answer, I set the item down and walk away. This is part of our attempt to save money and also be healthy. Like when we were at Maceys tonight and the peanut butter bars were looking and sounding SO GOOD, we thought about it for a second and said, "no, we do not need these," set the peanut butter bars down, and walked away. And we survived. This whole self control thing has been so good for me!! We have been so blessed that when we come across anything that we want, we have been able to do that. My wonderful job that I love has been able to provide for us plus some. We are a very lucky Mormon newlywed couple that lives in a really nice place and doesn't have to eat top ramen every meal. And we even save money. Lucky lucky us! We really feel so blessed! But I know that things wont' always be this way and when we move to grad school, we might not be as lucky. Even if we always were this blessed, I still am glad to learn self control. It's just a good thing to have! So even if something is on sale, it's not a bargain if we don't need it! Great words of wisdom.

On a side note, I am getting my hair cut tomorrow. Well, more of a trim since I want to grow it out really. I am thinking of getting some wispy side bangs and more layers... Any thoughts? I haven't had my hair professionally cut for a long time now... I just usually cut it myself. So I'm kinda excited to have it professionally done, but nervous at the same time because if it's awful, I can't blame myself. Wish me luck! I'll have to post pictures after it is cut tomorrow.

Life and Taxes

I haven't posted in a little while and just like my journal, I promise myself I will write in more, but then never do. It has been amazing not teaching piano anymore.... I never knew how great it would be to have my Weds, Thurs, and Saturdays back. I have felt so wonderful being able to make dinner and clean the house more. Now dishes only for a day or so instead of a week. Hahaha. I'm more relaxed, way less stressed, and therefore happier. Who would have thought?!

My little brother Dallin has now been in the Provo MTC for a week!! He is serving a mission in
Tokyo, Japan and will be awesome. It's actually the same exact mission that Nathan served in so we're excited about it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that his girlfriend Lexi waits for him too... she's super cute :)

Doing our taxes this year was the greatest thing ever!!! It went much better than expected. We decided it would be best to save half and then we could spend the other half on something good... The decision came down to an all-inclusive Mexico vacation for a couple days or a new family room... and the new family room won! We bought a new recliner leather sofa and loveseat set, a new entertainment center (which perfectly fits our CREER letters) and a coffee table. (Pictures below) It is so great! Best decision ever! It was really nice buying our own brand new furniture.
Now I have just been house hungry wanting to put it in a real house! Hahahaha. The house idea and dream is going to have to go on the back burner for a little while though. We need to get Dustin through school so we can settle down and then we will buy a house. We are going to Portland for a weekend in April for a perspective student forum at the Western States University. They are a school for chiropractics but also offer Masters or Doctorates degrees. Dustin would like to go there for chiropractics and to get a Masters in Sports and Exercise Science so he can be a chiropractor and also work as an athletic trainer. It should be a fun trip and I am looking forward to going up to Portland for a weekend. I love that area and I hope we end up there. Dustin won't be applying until this summer, then he'll have one year left of undergrad, graduation in April 2o11 and then hopefully we'll be off to our next big adventure!

The conflict I'm having right now is... what do I do with my life??!?!?! Hahaha. I thought I had this figured out, but it's been bugging me the past little while... Dustin has school to work on now and then grad school and career goals, but I have no goals for my life. I mean, of course, I have a goal of having a family, but I have no idea when that will come along. I need a direction, a goal I can work on and head towards. I think that's what started my obsession with wanting a house. It's a goal for me, something to work towards and look forward to. So what else can I do to work towards... maybe a new hobby or skill? A new career ambition? Should I go for a Master's degree? Maybe I should just work on blogging more? hahaha. If you have any suggestions, please let me know what I should do with my life in the next year or so.

Relief and Happy Birthday!

It is over, done, the end. They found a replacement for me for my Wednesday Draper classes! Apparently and thankfully he is amazing and has been training like madness and will be there next week for the new semester. Which means that as of last Saturday, January 23rd, my 24th birthday, I am officially done teaching. What a huge sigh of relief! All anxiety and anger fled my body when it heard that incredible news. Best Birthday ever.

It was also a fantastic birthday because my husband made me pancakes for breakfast and then gave me The Office Season 4, which we have become addicted to. Piano lessons and festival went well and the Springville recital was okay. Then we went to Clints Deli (the Provo Hickory Kist) and had the Clinster for the first time ever.... delicious.. Seriously so good. I got to chill at home for a min before driving up to Draper for the Draper recital... which was THE BEST Draper recital ever. No kids cried and got scared or anything this time. Everyone played their songs and sang their songs and did everything just so great. And then after the recital I was swarmed with my precious students giving me birthday and last day of being their teacher gifts. So cute and so much fun! I took pictures of all my students so I'll have to post those on here when I can get them onto my computer.

After Draper recital we went to... drum roll... The Cheesecake Factory of course! The party in front of us was told it would be a 3 hour wait... I was almost devastated. There was no plan B for birthday dinner choices.... But we were luckily told it would only be an hour to an hour and a half. YAY! We roamed the Fashion Place mall and built 2 bears at the Build A Bear there for our bedroom.... since it is somewhat a bear theme and will be as we gradually decorate it. So cute! I also found a belt that i have been NEEDING for ages now. Then it was only a little wait longer and we were in cheesecake factory bliss with some of my family! So yummy!

After dinner Dustin and I headed home and had some friends over for a game night... Nathan and Adrienne picked the Celestial Companion game that Dustin's grandparents gave us for Christmas and it was actually kinda fun. So really, it was indeed, the best birthday ever. I hope that 24 is as great as 23 and that this year will be as great as last year. I have a feeling that it will!

Then you Stand

So, I am taking a stand for myself... You see, in August, I was promoted to a manager at StoresOnline, right? It was a promotion I was asked to apply for and I was nervous but knew I needed to do it. It has been SO wonderful in this new position and has helped our family so much, but teaching for the Academy has now become very stressful. Having two jobs in the first place was stressful but adding management duties and not as flexible a schedule has worn on me emotionally, mentally, and in turn, physically. I just cannot do it anymore.
So in August, after I successfully was given my applied promotion, I told the Academy that this would be my last semester teaching.... giving them a 5 MONTHS notice to find a replacement for me. So here we are in January now, 5 months later, the end of the semester approaching next week and I am so excited and so ready to be down to one full time job. And then the dreaded news comes....
I have someone to take over my Thursday classes and someone to take over my Saturday classes but my Wednesday classes have no replacement. And the semester will start again the first week of February... and I am basically just expected to keep teaching until someone magically shows up and is trained... and I am bugged. Very bugged. This is why there was 5 months time to find someone new.
As I just stated in my first paragraph, I AM WORN DOWN. I have become so turned off and shut down towards group teaching which has not been fair for me, my students, or the Academy. Or even my poor wonderful husband who has basically been the sole person to clean our house, do the dishes, make the bed, do the laundry, even make meals. And this was all on top of his 22 credits he had last semester and 12 hours of work. I am so lucky to have the most amazing husband ever. But I don't want him to have to do that. I want to take care of my house, my husband, and myself, heaven forbid if we wanted to have a baby soon and I would want to take care of my child too!
So after being hurt, bugged, and angry, I sent an email. I have to be firm in this. I knew when I gave my 5 months notice that it was the right thing to do. And after sending my email, I felt assured again that it was the right thing to do. I am willing to stay through February because I don't want my students to be stranded teacherless after their hard work. But past February I am MORE than done. I just can't do it anymore. Is it really too much to honor the wishes of an overstressed young married woman who needs to quit? Is there any difference in me quitting because my situation has changed where I am not available for 2 jobs and someone else who is moving? Both cases they are unavailable to teach, yes? It is frustrating and overwhelming.
And here I stand, taking my stand for what I need to do for me. And yet I fear the reaction from the Academy. Of course they're not going to be happy, but I am not happy either. I am anxious and moody and dead. Which is why I need to be firm and stand. Come what may.

Happy New Year

I'm a little late on a Christmas update and New Years post, but better late than never, right?

Christmas was SO GOOD this year! Santa was very generous. We got a Wii which we actually opened up November 25th... guess we don't know which month Christmas is in.... Santa also brought us the Super Mario Bros Wii game, Guitar Hero World Tour, a pink remote for the Wii for me, lots of fun games, tons of movies including the Office Seasons 2 and 3 which we have been ADDICTED to, and some Christmas sweaters. I gave Dustin Wii Sports Resort and some cologne. He gave me a foot massager and a beautiful new hand mixer. It was such a great Christmas morning! Dustin woke up at 5 and could not go back to sleep for the life of him. I made him wait until 6 to actually get out of bed and open up presents. I was hoping to sleep until at least 7, but nope! Hahaha.
Dustin's parents gave us a nice outdoor kitchen unit and a griddle/grill attachment. My parents gave me a coat, Dustin a couple pairs of pants, and we got a Magic Bullet Deluxe which has a blender attachment! Pretty sweet! Seriously, we feel so lucky that we got such a great Christmas!

New Years Eve we threw a little fondue party with cheese, broth, and chocolate fondue. We had to stop Harry Potter 6 to shout happy new year, bust out the bubbly, and pop some poppers. Then we finished the movie and everyone left by 1. It was happy.

Now it is January 12 and Dustin is back in school. He does not have as many credits as last semester and is able to work part time, 20 hours, so that is awesome as I will not be teaching for the Art City Music Academy after this month.

Dustin just started Slim for Spring, a competition with some family friends and family to lose weight and be healthy! The program is 12 weeks long and you are given points based on things such as drinking 48 oz water, exercising 30 mins, eating 5 fruits and veggies, no treats, etc. Then of course there are points given for losing/maintaining weight and inches. We already miss chocolate but it's kinda fun to try to really be healthy! We are buying lots of healthy food and just bought the Wii Fit Plus bundle so we can work out before we play any other games on the Wii. Hopefully this will help a little and will be a fun competition.

Sending you a little Christmas

Here is our Christmas card! Merry Christmas everyone!

Lots of love,

Christmas bells are ringing...

I haven't posted in a little while....
But i'm really excited for Christmas
And you know how I'm married now? Well, does that mean I'm supposed to send out those family Christmas cards? And if so, to who?
Or do I get to wait until I have a kid so that there is something exciting to say about our family besides we love being married and Dustin takes a bazillion classes and i work a bazillion hours....

Just wondering.