4th grade boys give the best compliments.

This morning I walked into another fourth grade class and one of the students looked at me and said "Miss Stuuuuutz, I like it." "You like what?" "You look pimpin'!"

I smiled and told them that was a ridiculous thing to tell a teacher, but two other boys continued to repeat the phrase until I left the room cracking up!

My own boys (students, not children, ahem) flatter me to get what they want.
"Miss Stutz, you have a beautiful singing voice.  Can I use the sharpies on your desk?"
"Miss Stutz, I like your new shoes.  Can we play a game?"

They used the sharpies... and then we played 'peanut butter race'.

i got rid of most of my pants.

I had been putting it off for a few weeks, but when my ward announced they were doing a clothing drive for a women's shelter, it was finally time to clean out my closet! All of these clothes are now in a garbage bag waiting to be picked up, and my closet looks fabulous! I never wore some of these clothes, and others I was just sick of.  But MOST of them didn't fit anymore; they were too BIG!

Remember when I complained about Gold's Gym? I'm not complaining anymore. :)

a little impromptu family photo.

and the cutest drooling baby you'll ever see.

That about sums up my last five days!

This year we were lucky enough to have the entire family home for Thanksgiving. 

I hope you had as wonderful of a holiday as we did!

something wicked this way comes.

I wanted to cry last night because most of my friends were freezing their tails off waiting for the Harry Potter 7 premiere and I wasn't.  I WASN'T! I'm not seeing it until Saturday.

What have I done?

facebook fast.

I have been on a self-prescribed facebook fast since November 9th.  Yes, I am one of those people.  My goal is to be facebook-free until I am home in Texas for Thanksgiving on November 23rd.  And I am more than halfway there!  I know I am missing some messages and events and funny things going on (I've heard about some of them in real-life contact.  I know, shocking.), but it has actually been so great!  Some silly things (and silly people) that had been bothering me are totally unimportant now, and I think it is because I have learned to disconnect from online distractions and to focus on people when they are in the same room as me.  I have actually made some serious social progress in just the past week, and I'm not giving my facebook fast all the credit (because I have really been working on the whole life-balance thing), but I know it is definitely a factor.  Facebook is an amazing tool and can be useful and fun, but just as with everything else, moderation is the way to go.  Do you have something that you can't fathom living without?  Do you check your facebook ten times a day? Text every five minutes? Need that diet coke every morning? Try one day without it.  One day.

You will pleasantly surprise yourself.

"Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings. The work of patience boils down to this: keep the commandments; trust in God, our Heavenly Father; serve Him with meekness and Christlike love; exercise faith and hope in the Savior; and never give up. The lessons we learn from patience will cultivate our character, lift our lives, and heighten our happiness." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

the hardest things bring the greatest joy.

I know in real life I talk about teaching, a LOT (in fact it’s all I talk about,  poor roommates).  But other than the first day of school, I haven’t really filled in the blog world.

It is the hardest thing I have ever done.  I’m not being very successful at keeping my life balanced.  There are days when I just want to sleep in and dream away about my students chaotically running in circles around the classroom because I didn’t show up.  There are days when I come home and cry because I can’t get it all done.  There are days when I feel failure because student #14 just cannot figure out simple division.  And there are nights where I toss and turn, worrying about whether or not my students got dinner that night, if they are in bed before I am, and if they will come the next morning safe and healthy.

I work at the most at-risk school in the district.  Even though it is in Provo, Utah, many consider it an inner-city school because of the socioeconomic status of most the students.  Most of my students’ parents don’t speak my language and both work full-time jobs (or 2 or 3).  Most of my students have an ESL status, and don’t understand academic English.  Most of my fourth graders are on a second grade reading level.  Many of them still can’t add.

Amidst all these setbacks, I am absolutely in LOVE with teaching. I have twenty-one beautiful students and I know them better than I thought I would.  They have such a desire to listen and to learn.  They each live a much harder life than I did as a nine-year-old, but they are so strong.  Going to work is a struggle, but as soon as the bell rings and I know they will be running in to show me their new Silly Bandz or tell me they forgot their homework, I get so excited.  I love to teach, and I love to see their faces light up when they understand a new concept.  I love their jokes and their notes to “Miss Stutz the bestest ticher ever” and their laughter when “the bestest ticher ever” does something really crazy (that I would never do in front of adults).  They truly have infinite love.

I don’t plan on teaching for 30 years, but I know that for right now this is what I am supposed to be doing and this is where I’m meant to be.  I’m growing in ways I didn’t know I could.

Halloween Dance Party!!

how to do D.C. in three days

I went to Washington D.C. during my fall break to visit two of my favorite friends. And I'll be honest with you, I fell in love while I was there. I want to live there so badly! Me and Sara just might trade places.

Shoving D.C. into three days was hard, but if you ever find yourself in this situation, my itinerary worked out really well:

Wednesday Night:

Flew in, accidental detour through Virginia, slept on a trundle bed.

Thursday:

It poured rain on us all day! Perfect for the Smithsonians. Air and Space Museum, Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, Museum of National History, The Archives (Declaration, Constitution, Bill of Rights).  You have to seriously pick and choose if you don't have 2 weeks for each museum!  We ate at the famous Ben's Chili Bowl (so gross and so good), and headed over to my main-girl Ingrid Michaelson's concert.  9:30 club. She rocked it. Metro. Sleep.

Friday: Such a beautiful day! Capitol Building, Library of Congress (favorite), Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial (other favorite), WWII Monument, Vietnam Veteran Monument, White House, Arlington Cemetary, Iwo Jima, Old Town Alexandria, sushi and frozen custard with more friends. Shin splints. Sleep.

Saturday: Eastern Market for the best buckwheat pancakes on this planet. Spend too much money. Georgetown stroll. Nap. Trader Joe's, homemade pizza.  Rewalk the Mall and monuments at night. Add Einstein Monument.  They are so amazing at night! You can't go to D.C. without it. Sleep.

Sunday: Fly home. Go to church. Sleep.

It definitely fits into my top three vacations! It was jam packed, and the only thing I really wish I could have seen was the D.C. Temple.  But I plan on going back in the near future!  You in?

someday i'll be living in a big old city (but honestly, I prefer the country).

Sorry for my month-long blogging hiatus.  I did some renovations, on my blog and on my heart.  Check out the blog changes (the heart ones are kind of private).  I've been in a good place.

I've blogged it before, but this is what I need to hear, so maybe it will help you too:
"I beg you... to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language.  Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them.  And the point is, to live everything.  Live the questions now.  Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer." -Rainer Maria Rilke


Stay tuned for an update of majorly awesome things that have been happening!

purple shoes.

Today I'm wearing my new purple shoes. It is the only thing that is going to keep me going because I have to work until 10pm tonight. But they are putting me in a good mood.

I am a girl.

happy friday!

It's friday!

My chilluns will be coming in five minutes (yes I have 23 children).

Fall is in the air, and I'm loving it.

State fair this weekend!

fourth grade. again.

Today as I sat at my desk and looked up from my planning, there were papers and pencils on all the desks, and backpacks hanging in the back of the room. My students were at lunch, and I was working away on what we would do next.

Wait.. my students?

They are coming back in 15 minutes? You mean, this isn't just the classroom I've been decorating and setting up and cleaning out for the past two months?

No. It is the classroom I will teach and learn in for the next ten months. Today was my first day of teaching. By myself. All day long.

And I LIVED TO TELL THE TALE! It wasn't nearly as hectic as I thought it would be. Sure, I made some some stuff up and pretended to know things I didn't, but overall I felt prepared enough to manage and teach my students. And I LOVE my students. I have been blessed with an awesome mentor and facilitator, and friends and family who want to help and hear all about it! What a support team.

I am where I am supposed to be. And I am grateful to know it.

Love,

Miss Stutz (for real this time)

p.s. Sorry for the poor quality pictures, I was tired and my camera was on manual. I'll try to get some better ones soon!

ten years.

Ten years ago today, my family lost our house to a fire. All of us, including the dog, came out with no injuries. We escaped into the fresh air and minutes later were surrounded by friends, family, neighbors, church members, and strangers. Boxes of toys, clothes, books, cash. Volunteers tried to salvage our belongings. The firefighters put casts on my baby sister's scorched teddy bear. Strangers provided food for everyone involved. The house across the street provided solace to me and my siblings as our house was being consumed.

All I had were the clothes on my back, my own teddy bear, and my scriptures from my baptism. But suddenly, even as an 11 year old, I realized that it would be okay. Because my mom and dad were here. My brothers and sister were here. Ranger was here. I would be taken care of. And while my melted Beanie Babies were somewhat of a tragedy, the lessons of love, service, and family I learned that day are priceless.

A huge thanks to those who were there in that great time of need. I may not have completely understood at the time, but your acts of service changed the lives of my whole family.

What do I need manners for? I already got me a wife.

So I've watched five Howard Keel movies in 2 weeks. What's it to you? He is only the manliest man to grace the 20th century. I'll tell you who wins the 21st century as soon as Justin Bieber hits puberty. But for now:

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers-Bless Yore Beautiful Hide

Sorry for the poor quality. Howard Keel is too good for the internet.

The best way to achieve a Howard Keel marathon:

Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Showboat (1951), Calamity Jane (1953), Kiss Me Kate (1953), personal fave: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), and Kismet (1955).

And if you are doubting his manliness, he was also in an episode of Walker Texas Ranger in 1995. He is the tops.

I'll be missing you.

My great-grandfather returned home to our Heavenly Father on Tuesday night.

It is a cause for celebration! I cannot think of another life lived so richly with love, hard work, and happiness.

I love you Great-Grandpa. Say hi to my grandpa for me.

copa mundial fever.

Would that be "fiebre de copa mundial"?

Anyway, thanks to two of my favorite friends, I was able to road trip it home to Texas to surprise my family, and just in time for Father's day! I totally spaced it on taking any sort of picture in the past 2 weeks, but I promise, it happened! I am a genius; I am also a terrible liar. So, I've been home with endless amounts of time which luckily coincides with the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

I've sort of been watching soccer for four days straight. And I'm okay with that. It paid off yesterday when Mr. Landon Donovan scored in the 91st minute, taking our team to the round of 16. Pure suspense with a glorious ending. That's how America does it.

{both via Google Images}

During the past 13 days of the world cup, I've heard many opinions about soccer. Yes, sometimes the refs are lame. Perhaps 90+ minutes is too long for some attention spans. Maybe some people are just really bad at soccer and are jealous that the rest of the world loves it. But that's ok, they are entitled to have their own opinion. And so am I. I have decided that if you don't like soccer, you smell.

I form opinions solely on fact and science, obviously.

My mother told me yesterday that I better marry a boy who appreciates soccer or I will be miserable for all eternity.

no more pencils. no more books. no more teacher's dirty looks.

SCHOOL'S OUT FOREVER!

{my little bro last summer. this is totally how i feel right now!}

Undergrad classes: Finished.

Undergrad finals: Finished.

Apartment: Cleaned.

To Do:

INTERNSHIP.

Teacher workshops T-Th.

Send a package to NZ.

Play with my BFFs.

Roadtrips.

Get a tan.

pain is beauty.

At church today, a dear sister said: "Have you ever cared about someone so much, loved them so much, that it almost just hurts?"

YES!

I feel that way about so many people all the time.

I have a lot of heros.

(picture from Nicole's wedding reception. these girls are some of those heros.)

yes indeedy.

Hello everyone.

This morning I went to my future classroom.

Because I'm going to be a 4th grade teacher next year.

IT WAS AWESOME!

Booyah.

blurb.

Just a note as I sit in the cougareat with my L&T wrap.

Great Caesar is my favorite, but today I went with Barbeque Chicken.

I was just in the HBLL for two hours, hacking away at an assignment.

The second floor is my favorite.

The BYU bookstore is having a PTA children's book conference.

I belong there.

The weather is absolutely beautiful today!

I've been trying to force spring by wearing sandals,

but today it came on its own, allowing me to be comfortable in my skirt.

Tomorrow is the weekend.

I am far past contentment.

I'm graduating in a year, and I had a thought today that so far, college wasn't as hard as my pre-conceived high schooler notions thought. Then I remembered my 18-year-old freshman self, and how much I've changed after three years of school. College has been HARD. But rewarding. And throughout it all I've fallen in love with this university! This is my last semester on this campus. And thanks to the experiences I've had here, I know who I am.

And my hardest, most rewarding year is yet to come.

{freshman version of Nicole and I.}

P.S. This is my 100th post. Coincidence?

fresh start.

It was weird to change my blog back to normal old simplicity.

Is that an oxymoron?

But here I am, in the simple life of Provo, UT. I'm missing my Room 4 at Pomaria, but relishing in reunitations.

EXCEPT

many have been postponed due to "cold".

Snow cold + head cold = Breanna hiding in her apartment.

and it is driving me crazy.

I want to BE with you people. I want to feel spring.

Fresh start? Maybe in a week.

I want I want I want.

You know what's really good?

My roommates.

Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi!

Australia was awesome. I'm too lazy to write about it, but it was still awesome.

Check Facebook for some pics.

I'm home. In AMERICA.

In Texas, to be more specific.

Provo in t-5 days!

Northland.

April 1-5, 2010

We spent about 4 days up in Northland! I am honestly so tired of typing up day by day activities, so here is a photomentary for yous:

MACK ATTACK: A speedboat ride to "The Hole in the Rock," "Cathedral Cave," and past the EOS, a huge, beautiful yacht with boats and jet skis hanging off it.

Cape Reinga: The very tip top of New Zealand where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet. There is an awesome light house and sign there, and it was a good little walk.

Sand dune boogie boarding: Me and Ash were definitely matching (bungee pride). We drove to some sand dunes and had a blast! I definitely ate it a few times. I wanted to upload videos but they were taking FOREVER so I'll have to show yous later (sorry for the bad grammar, I'm a kiwi now).

Drive down 90 Mile Beach: Self explanatory.

PARASAILING: Pure awesomeness. Me and Jayna went flying together. The view was fantastic, gotta love those 144 islands. Oh, and Sam did my hair in a really rad french braid.

Dolphin watching: Was supposed to be dolphin swimming, but there were too many baby dolphins to allow it! But we saw about 60 dolphins in their natural, wild habitat. They were so fun and such show-offs!! I wanted to bring one home.

HAPPY EASTER! Went to church, had a picnic, and chilled in the hotel. Walked the beach at night.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds: Hit up some history sites. The Treaty of Waitangi was when the Maori and the white man made ammends to share the land of Aotearoa. It is where NZ started! We got to see the biggest waka (war canoe) on this earth, and I went to my last marae. I wasn't quite ready to be done with those.

Kerikeri: Stopped by Haruru falls, bought things at a wood shop, browsed the chocolate factory and a ceramic store. Drove home to Auckland.

What an amazing trip! It was a good last little holiday. Now I just have a few Auckland days before I leave my beautiful 2nd country. Maybe I will miss my flight this Friday...