Just A Little Thought...

Today... I will---
be everything I want to be.
Tomorrow... I will---
love everything I have become.
Next week... I will---
love others for what they want to be.
Next month... I will---
love others for what they have become.
Next year... I will---
have achieved everything.
In two years... I will---
become everything.

I found this on the back of one of my student's papers (apparently she gets bored during class...). I thought it was pretty neat.

Happy Weekend! :) Enjoy the beautiful snow!

Sisters Make Good Friends

Oh how I love these two girls. They are seriously two of my very best friends. And I love that as we have grown older, we have grown closer. They are awesome sisters, wives, mommies (Nicole), and friends. Oh, and did I mention that both are incredibly talented and extremely beautiful? I am so thankful I get to be their big sister.

Veteran's Day

Today was a good day. In 1st period today, we watched a very touching movie that showed various pictures of military servicemen/women from WWII to the present. I had a hard time not getting emotional as I listened to the music and watched the images. It made me so thankful for good men and women who give up so much to defend our incredible country and the amazing freedoms we enjoy.
To honor our soldiers, we wrote thank you letters today in class. My kids became so involved in their letters and really put a lot of thought into it. It was very touching. I even got 3 other teachers to join in on the fun. 274 letters later, they are ready to send off and will be delivered to very deserving soldiers in Iraq.
So thank you to those incredibly brave men and women making sacrifices, risking their lives, and fighting their hearts out so that we can live the way we do. And thank you to those who have already taken their turn serving. The service rendered has not been forgotten.

Sigh...

Another month has gone by and, once again, I have been a slacker on the blogging front. For the 3 of you that read this, I'm sorry! No excuses, really. I just haven't blogged. There. I admitted it. I'm lazy. (Hey, isn't admitting it the first step to recovery? Sweet. Then I'm part way there.)

I wish I could say that I have been up to all kinds of crazy shenannigans, but unfortunately, 'tis not the case. But, here are some pictures of Halloween this year:

The Addis family made fabulous zoo keepers and a cute little monkey, the Mauch family dressed up as awesome Boston players, Sky was the best secret service agent ever, and I was a sassy rock star. I even had a guitar. That's right. I totally rocked. (no pun intended)

In other news, I made it through the first term of the school year! Grades are submitted, papers and projects are graded, and I'm still sane (well, I suppose that is debatable). It flew by. Seriously. I feel like it was just the first day of school. Hey, time flies when you're having fun!

Well, I think that about sums it up. I will make no promises as to when you will see another post on this blog, since I seem to be a slacker, but I'll do my best. :) Until then...

Quote of the Week and Other Random Ramblings

How has it been a month since I last posted? Apparently time is flying faster than I realize. That, and I suppose I have been a bit busy. But it's a good thing. :) Teaching is more fun than I ever thought it would be, and I am loving my kids (who knew that 200 fourteen year olds could be so much fun?!?!? Well, most of the time at least!).
Speaking of my kids, they come up with some pretty goofy things sometimes that make me giggle. Some of the girls in my 6th period class have taken it upon themselves to be matchmakers. Take the following conversation as an example:
Student #1: "Hey, Miss Koster, there is a sub across the hall today. He's 24. You might like him."
Student #2: "Oh! Hey! My cousin is 24, Miss Koster. He's coming home from his mission soon!" (this is the 2nd time she has offered to set me up with her cousin)
Me: Oh, thanks guys! I love your matchmaking! :) (Thinking to myself: Oh my. Really? Is this conversation really happening right now?)
Gotta love it.

In between writing lesson plans and grading papers, I have been having all kinds of crazy fun. You know, fun things like...

playing with this sweet little girl! Isn't she precious? I just love her to bits.

going to BYU football games,

and of course, going to see Miley in concert!

It was SO much fun! Yes, I'm 25, and you are mistaken if you think I am too old for such a thing. Not so, my friend. Not so. Kels, Mare and I had a great time and loved every minute of it! No shame here. None at all.

So there you have it. My life in a nutshell. Have a happy weekend! (Enjoy Conference!)

This Is What Happens...

When you stay at JCW's for too long after finishing your shakes. The cute worker/waiter apparently thought we were pretty awesome and brought us an order of free fries. When you're given free fries, you eat them... no matter how full you are! Upon completion of this tasty, yet unexpected little treat, my dear, sweet friends saw a matchmaking opportunity. As seen in the picture above, Kels wrote my name (notice she put my middle name so it was clear to him that I am a girl...) as well as my phone number on the tray liner. In order to draw attention to said name and number, Jules created the arrow out of fries. I made futile attempts to stop them, and Mare giggled through the whole ordeal. I finally gave in and joined the giggle fest.
We left the tray on the table in hopes that he would see it, call me, and take me out for the date of a life time. He hasn't called... yet.
But it's only been 2 days. :)

Instead of tackling the daunting task of grading the 175+ tests that are sitting next to me, as well as planning tomorrow's incredibly exciting lesson on summarizing, I decided that blogging would be a better option.
Today at school I decided to implement a new technique to get my kids to quiet down quickly and listen when I am talking (this has been a big struggle prior to today). While telling my first period class how the new method would work, one student looked at me, and with all sincerity, tapped his shoulder and said, "Miss Koster, you have a little devil right here." I just smiled.

In between grading papers and planning lessons, I have been having lots of fun! Last weekend, my bff's Mare and Jules ran the Top of Utah half-marathon. I had so much fun going up to Logan with them and watching them finish the race! I was glad I could be part of the cheerleading team! Hopefully I will be crossing the finish line with them next time. :) A special thanks to Ambs for coming to the hotel to get me so I could get to the park!

Here we all are after they finished. Good work, ladies!

I'd like to give a birthday shout-out to two of my favorite people in the world! Kels celebrated yesterday and Mare will celebrate tomorrow! These two ladies are incredible and make life so fun. Happy birthday!!! I love you both!

Well, there you go. I updated. And now I feel better.
I don't think I can avoid those tests anymore...

Two Days Down...

Only 182 to go! I made it through the first couple of days and so far, it's been great! There are already a few certain students that are lots of fun. (insert sarcasm) And that I would rather not have to deal with. :) At least they will keep me on my toes!
Favorite line from the first day (after I opened it up for questions on what they wanted to know about me):
Student: Miss Koster, are you dating someone, or are you looking for a man?
Me: Uh, I'm not dating anyone.
Student: So, you're lookin' for a man?!
Me: I guess you could put it that way.

Oh boy.

Ready or Not...

Classroom set up and ready? Check.
All new teacher meetings complete? Check.
Disclosure documents written and ready? Check.
Lesson plans ready? Check.
New wardrobe? Check.

Feeling ready mentally for the first day? Not so much.

School starts this week. In 3 days to be exact. Wowzers. Where did the summer go?
I think I have a pretty fun adventure ahead of me. It's going to be 9 months of insanity, stress, crazniess, and business. But most of all, it's going to be 9 months of fun, happiness, learning, growing, and experiencing. And the best part of it all? I finally get to put to use all the stuff I have worked so hard to learn. And I get to help students learn and grow. That alone will make the craziness worthwhile.
So, ready or not, the students will come. And ready or not, I get to teach them. And I can hardly wait to do it! :)

(Below are some pictures of my classroom)

Sweet Little Mia

I'm sorry if you all get tired of me posting about my beautiful new niece, Mia. But... she's kind of a big deal right now. We had a fun photo shoot today... until we put her little beanie on. Then she was done. But we did get some good pictures in before then. Enjoy!

Good work, Nicole and Chaz! She's a keeper. Thanks for letting me have some fun with her! :)

I'm Going There Someday...

We finally made it up to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. It was well worth the trip up there, and I am glad we did it. It was gorgeous inside and out!

It Came...

And boy was it sad. Today was my last day working at Dr. Parkinson's office. It's kind of hard to let part of you go. Especially after it has been part of you for 7 years. I will miss my coworkers. I will miss the patients I loved so dearly. I will miss the work I got to do. It was a very surreal feeling walking out of there today. I still kind of feel like it's not real and that I will wake up Monday morning, put my scrubs on and head to work.
But I won't. Instead, I get to dive into my classroom and get things ready to teach! And that is very exciting. August 19 will come sooner than I think. But I am SO excited to start teaching! It's gonna be great! :)
So here's to moving forward and turning a new page. Life is good.

I'm an Aunt!!!

Finally, after months of waiting, I am officially Aunt Logan, and it's the best thing ever! My awesome sister Nicole and her husband Chaz welcomed Mia Nicole on Friday night! She is such a pretty baby! See? Take a look:

Congratulations, Nicole and Chaz!

"Come What May and Love It"

"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts."

I'm not a big fan of change. I never have been. Even the good changes are hard. But as I am in the midst of some major changes, I am learning that they are okay. Because they will cause me to grow and to become better. No pain, no gain.
There's comfort in knowing that I am not alone in this and that the people I am closest to are changing, too. Weddings happen, babies come, and school decisions must be made. But we make those adjustments and continue living. Because if we don't, we stop while life keeps moving. We grow and change together, and that makes it so much easier to handle.

We went to see The Fray and Jack's Mannequin in concert last night, and I was seriously impressed! Both bands were incredible live! I had been waiting so long to see The Fray in concert, and they were everything I expected. Hearing them live made me remember just how much and why I love their music.

Usana Amphitheater is such a good place for a concert like this! It was fun to just chill on the grass all night. After watching the people next to us, I wondered yet again how consuming large amounts of alcohol can make the concert experience more exciting. We stopped counting after their 5th or so glass. I doubt they will remember the amazing concert they drank their way through. So sad, 'cause it was dang good!

One Last Hoorah

I love my job. I work with some pretty awesome people, and we have so much fun together. Dr. P treated us all to a fun little trip down to Cedar City this weekend to attend the Shakespeare Festival. After a tasty dinner, we got to see The Secret Garden. It was fantastic. It is such a sweet story and was even better live.
I got to drive down with Carrie and Becky, as well as room with them, and we had a blast! I discovered that even though Cedar is not a very big city, I was able to get us completely lost. So lost that we ended up in Paragonah because we took a wrong turn. Oops. So after about 45 minutes of circling Cedar City (and surrounding areas), we made it to our hotel, only to discover that it was right off the freeway and in plain sight the whole time... I think that's the last time they will let me navigate.
I'm glad I got to do one more fun thing like that with my friends at the office before I leave. We did lots of giggling, talking, remembering, making new memories, and having lots of fun. I will sure miss them. A lot.

Becky, Me & Carrie

Have You Seen It?

'Cause if you haven't, you should. The new Harry Potter movie is everything I had hoped for and more. It was incredible. Mare, Dave, Karlie, their friend Cami and I woke before the sun was up and went to the 5:30 a.m. showing! That's right... we are hard core fans. Mare and I even wore our HP shirts to make the occasion even more fun. And it was totally worth the sleep deprivation that was experienced all day.

Scootin' Along

Check it. A motorized scooter for kids... with training wheels! I saw a little girl cruising around on one while I was driving home from work today. Kinda made me giggle a little bit.

I Finished This...

this morning. Such a good book. It pulled me in and I could not put it down. Props to J.K. Rowling for her amazing writing. And especially thanks to Mare for convincing me to read the series. I can now proudly proclaim my Harry Potter nerdliness without any shame. Now, if you'll excuse me, the 7th book is sitting next to me calling my name. I'm out.

Let Freedom Ring!

This year's 4th of July was so fun! It was the perfect day! We didn't stop all day:
- Valerie & I ran the Freedom Run 5K (and I surprisingly did well! Beat my time from the race I ran 3 weeks ago by 5 minutes! Guess Jillian's trash kicking is paying off!)
- After the race, we went to the Freedom Festival Parade
- Then we had a tasty BBQ and fun swimming party at Scott & Melinda's house. Hamburgers, chips, fresh fruit & veggies, homemade raspberry lemonade, sno cones and birthday cake!
- Came home and took a nap
- Headed to Grandma and Grandpa's house where we watched the neighbor do fireworks
- Watched the Stadium of Fire fireworks with the kids
- Came home and crashed while trying to read Harry Potter

What a day! But it was so much fun. I think the 4th of July is one of my most favorite holidays. We have so much fun with our family all day, so it makes for one of the best holidays. Only 364 days until the next one! :)

Happy Independence Day!

Girl's Day Out

This week is my favorite week of the summer. All of my family starts to come into town for the 4th, and we have so much fun! Tuesday morning, the ladies all headed up to Salt Lake and went to Tai-Pan.
Sweet little Abby got to come with us since it was a girl's day. She is my favorite. (I know I'm not supposed to pick favorites, but I can't help it!) She is so dang cute! She just melts my heart. And, she is a fabulous manicurist. I am now sporting some lovely hot pink with purple sparkles fingernails thanks to her mad skills. Isn't she cute?

Summer

It finally feels like summer! It was only in the 80's today so I took a break from homework and took Skyler and his friend McKay mini-golfing. So fun! McKay totally beat both me and Sky. Haha.

We went and got drinks after and the boys decided that they wanted to shake them up before they opened them (outside, of course). They wanted to see how big of an "explosion" they would make. And I let them. Yes, me. Anal, uptight, I-don't-like-messes-on-kids-me. And it was fun. They were so happy when they came in. And only a little sticky.

Hooray for summer!!!

Happy Father's Day!

My dad is awesome. Here's why I love him:
- He makes me laugh.
- When he finds something he likes to do, he is passionate about it.
- He instilled in me a love for reading. I cherish the times during my growing up years that he would read to me and my sisters before we went to sleep every night.
- He treats my mom like the queen that she is.
- He lets me mow and trim his lawn and doesn't get upset when I chop it to bits with the trimmer.
- Whenever I had a big project for school, he would take charge and help me make the best thing possible.
- He does beautiful woodwork and I love all the boxes and cool things he has made me.
- He is interested in what each of his kids are doing.
- He is the only one who calls me Scooter and has since I was a baby.
- He lets me use his camera until I can get my own. :)
- He has a strong testimony.
- He is the best dad a girl could ask for!

I love you, Dad!

Feel the Burn

Want a good workout? Give this totally awesome one a try. Mare & I did it last night. Oh my. I didn't think I would be able to get myself up the stairs afterwards. It was such a good workout... even though I wanted to die while doing it. It certainly kicked my trash. But in a good way!
Next on the list: Jillian's No More Trouble Zones Workout. I'm pretty stoked for that one.

So Fun!

So Kelly Clarkson came to UVU. The ladies and I decided we needed to go. And we are so glad we did! She was amazing live! And so much fun!



The Hoodlums.

There she is!

Mike & the Ladies

Weekend Fun...

This is what I did this weekend. And it was a blast. It's been years since I have been to an air show and I loved every minute of it... even our adventure getting out of there! (Thanks, Kels, for creating such a nice post that I could link to! I admit I am lazy. But you did such a nice job, I thought I would share! Oh, and I have yet to get all of the pictures from you!)

I also made a trip out to see my awesome friend Julie who gave me a new look for summer! She cut my hair and I love it! I even finally got teal glitter toes and they are so fun! Now... if I just had somewhere fun to go to show them off!

The Remote

Skyler was reaching for the remote on the coffee table last night and just about put his little behind right into my food. I said something to the effect of, "Watch out! You are going to sit in my food!" He looked at me gave me a look that said, "Who cares?" and said, "I was just reaching for the remote! Maybe I should make a remote that controls YOU!"

Nice.

Me and the Weed Trimmer

I got ambitious today and whipped out the weed trimmer after I had finished mowing the lawn. I have never in my 25 years operated a weed trimmer. And I attempted to do it today without any help. Oh boy. After trying to get the dang thing started for about 5 minutes (I finally found the right combination of levers and buttons), I proceeded to "trim" the yard. I started out in the back yard so as not to embarrass myself if it went wrong. I'm glad I did. There are a few places that are extra trimmed. And there may or may not be a few holes. Oops. But I tried. I thought I would have it down by the time I reached the front yard. Not so much. But at least it looks better than the backyard! Better luck next week! And I'm really glad my dad didn't get mad that he had to fix the weed trimmer when I was done with it. It's kind of a problem when you get too close to the fence too many times... it shortens your blades. A lot. Like to the point where there is nothing left on one side and only an inch or so left on the other. Oops. But the lawn looks lovely. Just don't look too close!

Perhaps it would have been better had I used a toy weed trimmer like this one...

Wonderful Wednesday and Other Random Thoughts

It's Wednesday! And that means only 2 more days until Friday. I love that. Especially since today feels like Monday.
I counted the number of weeks I have left at my current job. Only 9. So weird. And then I have to be a grown up. It came quicker than I thought it would. Or wanted it to. Haha. Sometimes it's kind of nice to stay in a little bubble and not make huge life altering changes. But then life would be boring. So I will be brave and will venture into the world of the 9th graders of Payson. And it will be fun. (I think!)
So I will spend the next 9 weeks soaking in every minute of my time left at Dr. Parkinson's office. And I will also try cram in my last literature class as well as planning my curriculum for next school year. And I think there just might be some time for lots of fun, too!

Thought for the Day

Happiness is the experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.

(Quote found on my Dove wrapper... I finally found a non-cheesy one!) :)

I Did It.....

After countless problems and near crashes with my not so trusty PC laptop, I decided that I was done with it. It was tired of turning on my computer just hoping that everything would function as it should. So... my BFF Mare told me of her love for Macs and I fell in love. Instantly. My original plan was to wait until the end of the summer. But I couldn't wait that long. So I took myself down to the BYU Bookstore yesterday and picked me up a MacBook. And I don't regret it. Not one bit.

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom is simply amazing. Let me tell you about her. She is the best mom in the world! She works so hard to take care of our family and never complains! She is an amazing example of patience and Christ-like love and is always willing to help. My mom has taught me so much and I can't even begin to list everything, but I will list a few:
- She taught me how to sew and do embroidery.
- She taught me how to cook (a talent I still need her help with... and she gladly gives the help!)
- She taught me how to clean.
- She taught me how to work hard and that by working hard, we can achieve great things.
- She has supported me through my education and lets me know she is proud of what I do and the goals I have set.
- She teaches me that sometimes life doesn't go how you think it will, but that's okay, because it all works out in the end.
- She has taught me the importance of being patient.
- She has taught me how to be faithful through difficult times.
- She has been an incredible example of what it means to be Christ-like.
- She has taught me the importance of doing my best in everything I do.
- She has helped me to understand that the Lord is in control and we must trust Him.
- She has helped me to notice the beautiful things in life and to appreciate them.
- She loves her family more than anything else, and we all know that because of the sacrifices she makes for us.
- She lets me be myself and lets me make my own decisions, but is always there to support me and guide me.
- She and my dad have given me an incredible example of a good solid marriage.
- She is strong and faithful, and I love to watch her example.
- I learned the importance of prayer very young when I came into her room and saw her kneeling beside her bed. I will never forget that.
- She has taught me how to be a good mother, and I hope that someday I can be the kind of mother she is.

Mom, thank you for your amazing example. I love you more than you know. You are simply the best! I love you!

Perspective

Skyler and I were walking to church on Sunday when we came across a lawn that was covered with dandelions and white dandelion seeds. Skyler got really excited, started picking the "flowers" and said, "Oh, Logan! Look how many wishes I can make!"

I couldn't help but giggle as I watched him blow the seeds off into oblivion. There was pure joy in his face and he was absolutely thrilled to be there in that moment. I'm glad I got to share it with him. He reminded me that it's all about perspective. I thought they were weeds. He thought of them as wishes.

Sure am glad I have this little guy around to remind me what's important.

Farewell

To the CC113. It was kind of weird locking my bedroom door, leaving the apartment, and driving away knowing that I wouldn't be calling it home anymore. Very surreal. I even kind of cried. (Just a little bit.....)

So now I get to tackle the enormous mess that I made by moving home. Ug. I look at the piles of boxes and things strewn about, and I want to walk away. Let's be honest... unpacking is just not that exciting. I just hope I don't get sucked into the deep, dark abyss that the basement has turned into. Wish me luck. Send someone for me if I don't return.

It's That Time Again...

Finals week is here... again. But, on the bright side, it's my last finals week... EVER!!! (unless I decide to go to grad school!) And that, my friends, is an incredible feeling! After this semester, I just have my senior portfolio due! Yay!!!

Now... if I can just get through the next three days which includes taking the Praxis Exam and writing final papers--- the demise of every English major--- I will be one happy camper! (I don't know why I ever thought that taking the Praxis exam would be a great idea the weekend before finals. But, alas, I am. And hopefully it goes well!)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

As I was driving this morning, I looked up and saw Mt. Timpanogos covered in snow with a bright blue sky behind it. It was beautiful! I love that I can see it from pretty much anywhere I am in this valley!

And I also love how I get to remember the fun memories I have while I have hiked it. I especially thought about this day and I couldn't help but laugh!

BFF's

I love these two ladies. They are simply fantastic. They are the best roomies a girl could ask for. They make me laugh. Alot. And I love them dearly.

This Weekend I:

Saw the new Hannah Montana movie. Loved it.

Watched Marley & Me (and cried my eyes out, but loved it).

Got my hair cut by Jules. I love it!

Watched the kids hunt for eggs.

Made an attempt to do some homework.

Went to a wedding reception.

Went to my friend Reed's improv show.

Colored Easter eggs with my roomies.

Hung out with my family and ate way too much food and candy.

So, pretty much, it was a super fantastic weekend. Too bad I didn't squeeze more homework in there somewhere. Thank goodness for late nights (and caffeine) that will let me catch up!

Happy Easter!!!