Cary's Exciting Life

One more marathon...

2011-09-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

I just realized I never finished my posts on New York...Basically, I loved New York! I thought it was such a fun place to visit. I saw Phantom of the Opera, Mary Poppins, Wicked, and Catch Me if you Can while I was there. We ate at fun restaurants, including Bangladesh, Indian, Vietnamese, and Ethiopian. We really had a good time! We also had a really good conference and learned a lot. I felt like it was definitely worth going to! I would love to attend another one sometime by the same group.

Friday my roommate and a friend that we work with drove up to Logan, Utah to participate in the Top of Utah marathon.

Tonya and I stayed at Jordan's sister's house in Smithfield, which was a lot of fun. It was so fun to visit with them and they were great hosts. When I got there, I realized I did not take any contact stuff, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. How dumb is that! When I packed, I was going to take one bag, so I loaded up my stuff and then decided to take a different one instead, but forgot to take everything out of the side pocket. So luckily, they had some contact solution and a dixie cup and gave me a toothbrush. I was very grateful! It was really fun to be with them.

Saturday morning we got up really early (because we kept waking up thinking it was later than it really was.) We ate breakfast and got ready and went to Logan to catch the bus that would take us up the canyon. When we got up there, we stood in line to go to the bathroom for a long time. Then we walked down to the starting line. About the time we got down there, it started pouring rain. Luckily we were able to find a corner under a tent. Then it let up and we thought we would be good. Then it started coming down again! It was crazy! Finally, the mountain men were out with their muzzleloaders and a cannon to start the race. We waited another couple of minutes before we took off. And we ran and we ran and we ran and it rained and it rained and it rained and hailed too. I thought once I got out of the canyon it would get sunny, but the sun didn't come out until mile 22.

It was interesting to talk to and listen to the people running around me. They all had such interesting stories. One man had run the Wasatch 100 mile run last week. He said it took him 32 hours. So this week was just a nice recovery run. Haha!

Anyway, by the tie I got to the end, I felt like it was time to stop. My hands were freezing and I was wet all the way through. I guess I would have been wet all the way through either way - hot or cold - either from the rain or from sweat. Actually it was probably a mix of the two. After we finished, we went over and got a massage. It actually felt quite good! Here's a picture of the end with Tonya and Jeff. We did it!

We went and ate at Cafe Rio, which is one of our favorite places to eat. Then we went and took a shower - always one of the very best things you can do after a really long run. I was finally able to warm up after taking my shower. We drove back home, and I actually have felt really good since. I have felt so much better than I did after I ran the Utah Valley Marathon.

I'm glad I did it! I'm hoping my running next year will be faster. I am taking a weight training class this semester to improve my strength, which will hopefully improve my speed and endurance.

Hello, New York City!

2011-07-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

For work, I have an opportunity to attend a conference to learn more about how to do better design and usability work. One of the very best conferences to attend is happening this week in New York City, so my roommate Tonya and I were able to come. But we decided to come a little bit early so we could get to know New York and also to have some fun.

Friday, we left Provo to come. We arrived about 3:30 into JFK and caught a taxi (something we won't ever do again because it is so expensive!) and went our hotel. Then we set out to explore New York. we walked to a little Indian restaurant and had some yummy food and then caught the subway into the center of the city.

We started walking around and it started to pour rain! And I mean POUR! So we stepped into Walgreens and we wandered around in there for a few minutes trying to see if we could wait it out. We went out for a little more and the it lightened up and then it started again. So we were in and out of stores to wait out the rain. Finally it passed over us and we headed over to the Rockefeller Center to look out over the city, but because it was cloudy, you couldn't see very well, so we switched our tickets. Instead we went to a park and sat for a long time and then we went and found one of the best-kept secrets - McDonald's (at least here) has fresh fruit smoothies and oh they are so good, especially on a hot, muggy night when you are tired and thirsty.

Here we are at Times Square. There are may advertisements, and they are big and well-lit! Check out this one!

Utah Valley Marathon

2011-06-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that correctly. Today I ran the Utah Valley Marathon. It was so much fun!

I didn't know how it was going to turn out, but it was a really fun day!

Here is what happened leading up to and through today. Mike (coworker), Jeff (coworker), Tonya (roommate), and I have been training for the marathon for the last 16 weeks or so.

Yesterday after our work retreat we went to the marathon expo to pick up our bib numbers and our shirts. We were all really excited! Last night, Tonya and I ate a lot of food, did some pre-marathon massages, read up on some other marathons that look interesting because we were too excited to really sleep, but we finally did go to bed.

Tonya and I got up at 2:15 am so we could eat enough and our food could settle before the start of the marathon. Then we layered up our clothes and at 3:30 we left our house to go catch the bus.

We arrived up the canyon at the start of the race (Wallsburg, UT) at 4:45 and it was quite chilly up there, so they had fire pits and water and Powerade and bathrooms. Actually, it was quite interesting because Wallsburg reminds me so much of home, just a small town up in the canyon.

About a quarter to 6 we shed our outer layers and put them in the truck that would take our bags to the finish of the race and went to the bathroom one more time. And then we started...

The first 7 miles went around Wallsburg and then around to the highway by Deer Creek Reservoir. I am a fairly slow runner, so I just ran by myself. I listened to a book called Blink about how quickly we make first impressions about everything/everyone we see. I stopped at chapter 4 and listened to the sound track to Wicked (the Broadway musical).

There were lots of hills over the first half of the course. I wish I had done better at training on the hills because I was awfully slow. Once we got to the halfway point, the landscape was a lot more familiar because that is where I have done my long runs. So from the road, I could see the parks I go by when I'm on the trail. Each of the odd miles had an aid station to get water or Powerade and some of them had bananas and oranges, or Gu, or otter pops, or shot blocks to keep us going. I drank at every one of them and I felt like that did keep me going. I probably should have eaten more of the Clif bar I had in my belt, but it just didn't taste good to me while I was running, but I knew I needed calories.

My chip time was 5:21, which was not quite as fast as I had hoped, but better than I thought it would be when I reached mile 14. Overall, I am pleased at it being my first marathon. I really had two goals for it: 1. finish and 2. not be the last one. :) I did both, so I felt good about it. (A friend later told me that there were still people coming in after 7 hours.) For the next one, I will probably work more on my speed and I need to do more on hills.

When I got to the finish, my friends were all there because they are faster than I and Lori, Jordan, and Mckenzie came down too! It was exciting to see the finish line at the last aid station and to know I just had a little bit left to go!

Here's a picture of us at the finish. Not too bad looking after 26.2 miles!

We walked around a little bit for the muscles to stop spasming and then Tonya and I stopped at Kohinoor (Indian food) to eat when we got home. It tasted pretty darned good! Taking a shower was amazing and I felt so much better afterwards. I tried to take a nap, but my body had a hard time really resting. So I got up and went to the store so I would walk around and bought some chips that were salty.

Tonight Lori and Jordan took me to eat at Outback and it was a lot of fun! I came home and we did massages. As long as I keep moving, I am not so stiff. I must say, I'm not too fast moving, but as the marathon shirt says, it's "Pain you enjoy."

Utah NAME

2011-04-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today I had the opportunity to participate in the Utah NAME conference, which was held a Utah Valley University and I had a good experience there. The theme of the conference was Narratives of Bravery and Hope: Making my Home in Utah. A lot of immigrants here shared their stories and their dreams for the future. I was really impressed by them and their desires to do good in the world and their desire to make a difference. UVU also has some really great programs in place to improve the opportunities for Latino/a students. they have Latinos in Action and Latino Educators of Tomorrow programs that I think are so important. I also was impressed by the comments made about the university president, Matt Holland, and how much he cares about the students.

Part of what I did was share a project I have been working on. It was to write up a booklet that contains a lot of the activities that we used in our Multicultural Education class that Ramona Cutri and I co-taught. In it, I included the activity objective, how it ties into the Standards for Effective Pedagogy, the materials for the activity, how to set up and conduct the activity, how to debrief it, and then some ideas for using the same activity with different topics. I felt like it went well and I'm glad I was able to participate in it. We had my project posted online. Scroll down a little bit once you get to the screen and read the section on Lesson Plan Adaptation Activities. Then click the Download ... materials here. I decided today I would like to convert into a wiki page where many people can edit it and add their own activities. I think that would foster some additional collaboration that would enhance the project more. Overall, I was pleased with how it came out. I will play with the possibility of converting it into its own website.

It was interesting to me to participate in the conference because it made me think about my own identity as a scholar and how is used to be so much more involved than I currently am now, as I am an instructional designer and spend more of my day thinking about design and how to make whatever we are creating easier, rather than people issues.

I also thought about how much more needs to be done to work with kids who are not the mainstream. I think that is one reason I am excited to get more done on my dissertation.

Then I listened to the second half of the afternoon session of General Conference and I ran almost 15 miles today... I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T13:06:00.000-08:00

I had an awesome Valentine's Day. Mckenzie came over to play while Lori and Jordan went on a date. We played with my penny jar and dumped my coins out on the floor and then picked them up and then dumped them out again. Mckenzie told me stories and we made valentines with stickers and pictures on them. The big event of the evening was to make the dessert for when Lori and Jordan came back. Lori had sent over a chocolate cheesecake, so Mckenzie and I made it.

Here is Mckenzie mixing up the crust. She had a great time pressing it in the pan. Especially when she noticed some of it stuck to her fingers and she got to lick them off. Then she pushed some more down and licked some more off. :)

Here we are mixing the crust again.

And here Kenzie is getting ready.

I really wanted to take a picture of her after we mixed everything and she finished licking all the bowls. I could tell that Lori has cooked with her a lot because she knows how to mix and stir and how to scoop things that have spilt. She also knows well how to lick the bowl. :)

So we made a yummy chocolate treat and it was a lot of fun. When Lori and Jordan came back, we had a nice time eating the treat we made.

Saint George Half Marathon

2011-01-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I did something I had never done before. I ran a half marathon. That is 13.1 miles of running. And it was AWESOME!

I did it with some friends from work and my roommate. We did the Dirty Dash earlier and now we did the Saint George Half. It really did feel good and I had a great experience doing it.

Tonya and I went down to Saint George with our friend Jeff from work and his wife, Julie. We talked and laughed the whole way down to Saint George.

Tonya and I stayed at one of our favorite hotel chains, Knight's Inn. We stayed at one in Denver, but this one was a lot more well kept up. It was nice for us (and not too expensive)!

We woke up early yesterday morning and ate some yummy breakfast. I had some oatmeal and a banana. Then our room was a little bit cool, so we got back into our beds and too a little nap until Jeff and Julie came.

So here is our before-race photo. Dad, I don't know if you can see it or not, but I am wearing my Crooked Pole Tipi Works viser. I think it was lucky!

Our orange shirts say CTL. Every year the CTL buys t-shirts for everyone at work and this year we asked if we could get some tech-shirts for running rather than the regular cotton t-shirts. We had to pay a little extra, but they are fun to wear. I like the color too!

The course was interesting because part of it went through the city and then it went out along the river and the freeway in St. George. We looped around a couple of times. I guess I must have been deep in thought throughout the whole race because I was listening to a book on my iPod. I listened to the first three chapters of the book two times and all I know about the book is there was a picture of a boat on a wall and it looked like the waves were really moving and some boy's cousins were coming to visit and he liked to torment them. (Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis. I'm sure it is a really good book!) Other than that, I was listening for the voice in my iPod that says "one mile completed...You are at the halfway point. Only 6.5 miles to go...one mile to go...400 meters to go...congratulations you have completed a half marathon. Time: 2:23. Distance 13.1 miles. Rate: 11.02 minutes per mile. Thank you Lori, Jordan, and Mckenzie for the running chip. It works great! And those were my stats. I felt fine about those, especially because I ran last weekend the same amount of time, but only ran about 11 miles. I felt good about it!

Here is the post-race picture. Kj and Jessica, I loved the water bottle belt. It is really handy to carry water and the phone and snacks and whatever else you can fit in it. It is great!

We don't look too much different from our pre-race picture. It was exciting! Tonya and Jeff finished about 30 minutes before I did, so they came back and met me where I had about 1/2 mile left.

I am really glad I did it. While we were there, we signed up to do the Utah Valley full Marathon in June, so we will be spending the next few months training and increasing our distance so we can run a full 26.2 miles. It really will be awesome!Who would have thought?

Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and took the best shower ever! It felt so good! We went and ate at Cafe Rio and then went to the outlet mall and found some nice shirts for $2.99. Then we drove home. Today I feel great! I have been so hungry though! I have eaten a lot of meals and snacks!

Bubble Wrap

2011-01-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Do you love bubble wrap? I opened a package the other day that had a nice bubble wrap around it. So I have the bubble wrap on my desk next to my keyboard and every few minutes I have the urge to pop a couple. It relieves a lot of stress. I suggest everyone should have some. It makes you feel so much better after you pop some. The big bubbles are sometimes even better, but I feel that I get more pleasure out of the small ones.

Last Day in Hawaii

2010-12-04T22:24:00.000-08:00

It was a sad (not too sad though) day! We had our last Hawaii adventures today. We wanted to do a lot of things so we would be able to sleep on the plane home, so we started early. We drove to the south east side of the island and climbed up Koko Head Crater. Koko Head is a volcanic crater that was formed a long time ago. It has a railway track that goes up the outside of it that is no longer used by rail, so people have started climbing up it. It has 1,048 steps up. The first part of the trail is not too steep. Then it crosses over a bridge that doesn't have any dirt under it (but there is a little trail off to the side where I went up). The second half of it is really steep. By the time you get up, you are pretty tired. At the top, you can look off over the interior of the crater and then down into the ocean. It was an amazing view! It was a really fun hike to do. At first I was tired, but then I started enjoying it a lot. Coming down was slower than going up, but we made it just fine.

Then we decided to go over to Diamond Head crater and hike it again. I like Diamond Head because it has a well-groomed path and there is a handrail all up the trail. At the top, you can look off and see all of Honolulu and Waikiki beach. The ocean really is amazing!

The next thing we had on our agenda was to go swimming, but before we did, we decided to go to Chinatown to drink a bubble tea smoothie. I really like the bubble tea, but I prefer it without the bubbles. Today I got a mango pineapple one. It was so yummy and very refreshing after our two hikes. Then we drove back to the north side of the island, but before we went to the beach, we stopped at Ross to see if we could find some good deals. We had heard they had some cute sweaters that were inexpensive. I found a really cute brown skirt like my black one and I brown sweater. I am kind of excited about them.

By the time we finished and drove back up toward La'ie, the wind was blowing, so we hated to get in the water because it is cold getting out and the beach wasn't that warm really. So we walked along the beach and watched the waves come crashing in. I really am amazed and intrigued by the ocean. It was fun! Then we met Tonya's friend Nichole at our favorite dinner place - Surfin' Taco and ate one last dinner. MMMMM-good! We went back to our place and showered and stuffed everything into the luggage and hoped everything would fit okay. Then we left to come to the airport.

We are now sitting in the airport waiting for our flight home to a very cold, snowy Utah...Hmmmm, Maybe there is a job for me here in Hawaii...Someday!

Top of Waikiki and Chinatown

2010-12-03T23:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we worked in the morning. We went to eat lunch with Mike Griffiths that we used to work with in Provo at the CTL and had a good visit with him about what he is doing and the direction he sees his job going here at BYU-Hawaii. After we finished, we picked up Tonya's friend Nichole who is doing an internship here and we went down to Waikiki. Unfortunately it was windy and the waves were pretty strong, and a little bit rainy and cool, so we didn't do much. We were trying to decide where to eat, and happened to be walking by Top of Waikiki. So Top of Waikiki is a revolving restaurant. It takes about one hour for you to go all the way around. It is a more expensive restaurant than I thought, but the food was really good. We all just got little dishes and ate a little bit, but it was still about $20 each for all of our meals...I ate crab cake and thought it was really good though. Then we tasted everyone else's stuff and it was all really good. So that was a fun and unique experience for us. Then it rained on us as we walked back to our car. It was a fun day.

Today we worked in the morning. Then we went to eat lunch at a fish restaurant in North Shore with Paul from the Testing Center that we have been working with. I ate some ahi tuna and salad and rice. It was so good! It tasted really, really good.

Then we left from there and wanted to go down to Waimano falls, but the trail was really steep and I didn't really want to do it that much. We turned around and went to Chinatown. We had talked about going there a few different times, but we never made it. So we went and wandered around the different shops was a lot of fun. It made me a little bit nostalgic for China. One of the things we bought there was a boba (bubble tea). This is a smoothie with fruit and then it has large tapioca balls in it. We used to drink them all the time when I was in China. Except I prefer to not get the tapioca balls in mine. Anyway, it was refreshing and fruity and something new to try. I liked it a lot.

We went by Costco to buy some gifts to take back with us and then went to Kaneohe on the way home to try a Korean restaurant that we heard was really good. It was not as good as we thought it might be. I have had much better Korean food. Oh well. Sometimes you try something and it's great, and sometimes you try, but it isn't very good. It was a fun day!

PCC and Temple

2010-12-01T22:19:00.001-08:00

Today was a rainy day in La'ie and all over the island it looked like. We worked all morning on our projects, trying to make some progress on them. Then about 1:00 we left and went back to PCC. If you have a ticket, you can go back for the next three days after. There were a couple of shows that we didn't get to see. So first we went to the Hawaii one where they taught about the hula. I didn't know that the hula is more about the hands than shaking your hips (like Tahiti). Then it was time for the canoe pageant where they have dancers come out on a canoe and dance through the river running through the PCC. The other day we were sitting on the very end so we didn't see any of the dances, but today we sat smack dab in the middle and we saw it all. It was a lot of fun. The students are so talented! Then we went to Fiji and they did some chanting and dancing for us. We were going to get "tattoos," but we were going to go to the temple right after, so I didn't think I would have time to get it washed off. After we walked around some more, we went to some of the shops and then we left.

We came back to our place and changed back into our skirts, ate some salad, and then Tonya and I went to the temple. It was so neat. It is really beautiful! I enjoyed it a lot and it was neat to be there. The rooms still smell new. It really is a beautiful temple. I am so glad we got to go! It was a great day!

Beach Relaxation

2010-11-30T21:09:00.000-08:00

This morning we went in to work early and got busy. I worked on some screens for the Student Ratings management site we will be building. Then I did some reading for American Heritage. Tonya and I went and met with one of the guys that we used to work with us at the CTL who moved here with his family. We wanted to talk to him about a program that he is using for his online classes and then we were talking with him about his plans for where he sees the program here going. It was interesting to talk to him and to see the work they are doing here. He invited us to go to the devotional today where the student body presidency spoke today. It was really good. I was impressed by their talks.

We went back to work and I read more for American Heritage and then I wrote some discussion questions for the lecture tomorrow. I hope he will use them. It always takes me so long to write decent questions. Then when I do, and he doesn't use them, I feel bad. Oh well. It does me good to read the articles and to think about them and the most important messages from them. I am learning a lot about politics and government, so that is good for me.

After I finished, we talked to one of the guys in Provo that we work with to discuss our projects and how to continue working on them. Then Tonya and I went out to the beach here in La'ie. It isn't a very big beach, but it was nice and quiet. There weren't very many people there. We found a tree swing that had about a five-foot seat, so we sat there and watched the waves come in and just talked and laughed. Then we started walking to the next town to get some exercise. We almost got there and Tom came and picked us up so we could go eat at our favorite restaurant - Surfin' Tacos. Mmmmmm Good!

PCC

2010-11-29T23:40:00.000-08:00

This morning we got up early and went out running around the campus circle. It was a nice morning to run. There is only a small difference in temperature between early morning and daytime. It is really amazing to me. Then we got ready for work and were there by 6:00. We got busy and started working. Part way through the morning, Paul from the Testing Center came in and asked when we wanted to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center. We told him whenever he thought would be better. He said that the rest of the week was going to be rainy, so they got our tickets for today. So we worked until noon and then came home and changed into our comfy clothes and walked over to the PCC, which is right next door. Throughout the day we can hear the drums and activities, we are that close.

What an awesome place! They have six different villages set up, one from each of the main island groups. In each of them they have shows and then activities for people to try. They do dances and then they will teach you to dance too. They also teach ukelele lessons and how to make bracelets and leis. We went to see most of the shows in the different villages. In some off time we looked at the shops and watched the canoe parade with dancers from the different countries. What an amazing feat to teach everyone the dances and to make sure everyone is where they need to be when they need to be there. They also got us tickets to the luau and night show, so we went to the luau next. We ate rice and Kalua pork, fish, taro rolls, salad, pineapple, and coconut cake. I thought it was delicious! Then Tonya and I came back to get our sweatshirts for the night show. We went back over and watched Ha: The Breath of Life. Amazing! I think that a word that comes to mind, but it is hard to really explain it. It is the story of life and death, and overcoming challenges. It is all done through dance and music from each of the different islands. The last act was the fire knife dancers. Wow! They were awesome! So talented! So fun to watch! I am so grateful we got to go. I enjoyed it so much. With our tickets, we can go back again. We didn't get to do everything, so I hope one if the days I can go back again to see some more of the stuff in there. It is just such a fun place.

When we got out, I was grateful that I didn't have to drive anywhere. Traffic was busy! It was nice to just walk back to our cozy little apartment. What a fun day!

Sunday in Hawaii

2010-11-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

Today was a relaxing Sunday. We got up early and went to church at 8:00. There is a ward that meets in the Stake Center here on campus, so we went there and had a really good Sacrament meeting. There has been a really strong focus on the temple in part because of the dedication, so it was nice to be able to reflect on the temple more too. I'm excited to do a session here.

After church we came back and changed into walking around clothes and drove down by Pearl Harbor and back up the west side of O'ahu. We stopped at one of the nastiest bathrooms I think I have ever seen in all of my life. Just thinking about it gives me shivers...Yucky! But when you have to go, you have to go.

Then we walked out to Ka'ena point which is a point where the north and the west sides of the island come together. It used to be a railroad track out there, but then they quit using the train, so now it is just a trail out to the point. It was a nice walk and it was breezy, so I didn't come back completely drenched with sweat like I usually do from walking anywhere we go. As we got up the path, we went by the albatross nesting grounds. We saw a lot of albatross out nesting on these holes in the ground. In some of the ones that didn't have birds sitting on them, we saw young albatrosses. They were really pretty birds. Out on the point there are supposed to be some seals too, but we didn't see any today. Then we walked back. It was a nice relaxing walk along the shore - above the coast, but where we could see the waves coming into the shore all the way. I really am amazed by the ocean and the power of it. It was really neat.

On the way back, we went through Mililani and North Shore and we saw a few big waves coming in. This evening they weren't a strong as they sometimes are.

I was going to write about one other experience that happened, but I keep forgetting to write about it most of the time, but I am really grateful for the experience. When we were walking into La'ie Falls, I was sweating so much that the sweat was running into my eyes and my eyes started burning. Finally I decided to pop out one of my contacts so I could rinse it off. I popped it out and rinsed it out with water and then I dropped it. I looked and looked, but couldn't find it. Tom looked too, but couldn't find it either.

Tonya had gone ahead of us a little bit. Finally, I told Tom to go ahead and I would look just a little bit more and then catch up. After he left, I said a little prayer and kept looking. The turnoff for the falls was just up ahead a little bit so Tonya and Tom came back. Right as they did, I found it. I licked it off and put it back in my eye and was able to continue on. I was so grateful for that simple answer to my prayers that day. I really didn't know if I would be able to find it or not, but there it was. The angels really do watch out for us and help us along.

Relaxing Day

2010-11-27T21:05:00.000-08:00

Today was a good day too. When we got up this morning the wind was blowing and it was raining. Tonya had made a reservation for her and her friend to do a shark dive where they lower people down in a cage to look at the sharks. They take you out in a little boat about 3 miles into the ocean where the sharks feed and they lower people down in the cage and let them see the sharks swimming around. I didn't really want to do it because it just didn't seem like that much fun to me. I can go to the aquarium and look at the sharks and feel a little bit better about everything. It was something she had wanted to do for a long time. I would have gone out in the boat with them, but it cost the same amount to just go out on the boat. I decided I'd like to use my money some other way. When they got out in the boat, the waves were crashing against the boat and it was really rough. Poor Tonya got seasick out there. I was glad I didn't go out with them.

So while they went out there, I took a little nap in the car and then I walked out to the Haleiwa Beach and walked along the coast. I was watching the waves come crashing in. Then I noticed there were some sea turtles right there. I could see their heads pop up mostly and then I saw their flippers come up too and their shells. There must have been five or so out there. It was interesting to see them floating up and down with the waves.

Then we went back into Haleiwa and got a strawberry shaved ice with condensed milk on it. It was a tasty treat. It probably would have tasted better if it had been later in the day when it was hotter outside. We went to the beach and I read there for a little bit, but there was a breeze blowing and the sun kept going behind a cloud. Finally we left and came back to our place we are staying.

Tonya had taken some Dramamine, so she was a little queasy still and really sleepy. I was tired too, so we took naps. Then I read some and looked up places to visit on Oahu. Then we decided to go for a walk, but it was fairly late in the afternoon by then and the hike was a little boring, so we came back and ate at Surfin Tacos (again). We like it there. And for every 10 meals you order there, you get one free. It was another beautiful day in Hawaii. When I look at the weather at home, I'm glad to be here. It feels pretty nice!

Black Friday

2010-11-26T23:10:00.000-08:00

Today was a really good day too. We were off work again today so this morning we went driving towards the Honolulu side of the island. On the way, we stopped at Pali Lookout. When we went on the walk to the Pali waterfall, there is a place at the top where the wind is supposed to be really, really strong, but when we were there, it was just a tiny little breeze. We decided to stop by on our way. It was so crazy! The wind was really, really strong. It really was so funny.

Then we went on and drove to Manoa Falls. Right outside of the park, there is Lyon Arboretum, which for me is a little easier of a walk because it is not quite as slick or steep and there are fewer people. We went in again (Tonya and I went last week) and I really enjoyed it so much. The flowers and plants are just amazing!

After we came out, we went over to the beach. I really wanted to go see the Waikiki aquarium, so I went over to it while Tonya and Tom swam. I really enjoyed the aquarium a lot. The displays were interesting and I learned a lot about coral and the sea life around Hawai'i and the other islands in the Pacific.

Then we wandered around Waikiki where they have everything for tourists. The shops are pretty expensive, but it was fun to be out there. We ate at P. F. Changs and it was really good food. Then all down the Waikiki strip there was a Christmas parade. We watched it as we walked back to our car. Unfortunately, we were going about the same pace as a marching band and the Shriners, so that is pretty much all we heard and saw in the parade.

It was a fun day! A little bit relaxing! It felt good. Really, my Friday wasn't very black. Mostly colorful and warm!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T22:12:00.000-08:00

Today was a day to be thankful! I have had a chance to think about all of the blessings I have. There are so many things to be thankful for! Today was definitely not a typical Thanksgiving. First of all, it was really warm and no forecast for snow! We got up early (actually I slept in a little bit). Then we decided what we were going to do today. We went for a hike up a trail for a ways. It was a little steeper than the kind of hike that I enjoy. It was along a ridge. I didn't go terribly far, but it was fine. Then we went back to the car. We started driving along the coast around to the Makapu'u Lighthouse. Before we got there though, there were a couple of scenic lookouts. The wind was blowing really hard out over the water. Really, the ocean amazes me! Where we were, the waves were blowing every which way. There is some real power in those waves! They kept coming in and crashing along the reef and it was just so interesting to watch!

Then we went around the coast some more and stopped and climbed up a trail to a lighthouse. We wanted to walk down to the lighthouse, but we weren't able to go down there. So we just looked at it from the top. I'm not sure why I have such an interest in lighthouses, but I just think they are fascinating!

Then we went over to Hanauma Bay. This is a bay that was formed by volcanoes long ago and then filled in with water. There is a lot of coral and a lot of fish in it. Now it is a place where a lot of people go snorkeling and swimming because there is a little beach by it. It is also a preserve and an education area by University of Hawaii. There were still quite a few waves out there, but most of them broke out on the ledge and we stayed on the side were it was pretty shallow. I haven't been swimming for a really long time. I think the last time I went swimming was before my mission, so I have a little fear of water. Anyway, I just decided I had to try. I have had a bunch of people tell me that it is so beautiful and interesting and that I would probably like it, but I was still scared. I had bought a snorkel mask and breathing tube the other day, so I decided I'd better get myself to use them. I went out there and it was still really windy like the rest of the day. But I put my face down and it's a whole new world under the water. I felt like the Little Mermaid under the sea. As long as I had a good seal on my mask, I could stay floating quite awhile. It was interesting because when you are out there, you lose track of where you are and the direction you are going. And the fish are amazing. It freaked me out a little bit when they would come over by me. They are big fish! It was just so interesting to me! I never thought I would like snorkeling or feel comfortable in the water like that, but it was really neat. I think I'd like to try again.

After we finished everything, we were looking for a place to get some food. We stopped at Zippy's and got takeout. I got some mahi mahi fish and rice and macaroni salad. It tasted pretty good. I was pretty hungry tonight! It wasn't a typical Thanksgiving dinner, but it was good. I hope all of you had a good Thanksgiving day too, with many blessings! Thank you to all of you for all that you are! I love you!

Turtle Bay

2010-11-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

Today was another good day. We were busy trying to make sure that everything was ready to start Student Ratings for campus today. We sent out the email to faculty to tell them to remind their students and then we sent out the email to the students to tell them to take the student ratings. Then we made sure that the system was working. This afternoon after we made sure it was, we left campus and went to Turtle Bay. There is an inlet where the reef breaks up the big waves so people can swim in it. The water was a little bit cold. It was a really pretty day today.

All day we got messages in email and by phone that BYU campus was closing at 3:00 today and that everything would be closed tomorrow because of severe winter weather. It might be kind of fun to stay home snuggled up by the fire with everything closed! But I guess I kind of like the weather we're having here. It is pretty nice, I have to say.

After swimming and sitting on the beach, I got buried in the sand... I must say I had sand all down my swimsuit. Sand is good for exfoliating! Now my skin feels smooth as a baby's bottom. Haha!

Tomorrow all of the power at the CTL in Provo will be down, so I am not sure how much work we will be able to do. I know that Tom has some meetings, so we will still go in early and work until 12 or 1 probably working on some of the projects that don't require us to connect to the CTL. Anyway, it should be an interesting long weekend. Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are not all stranded in the snow. I will be taking some lovely pictures of the beach and the sunset. Actually, I kinda would like to be inside watching the snow come down. As long as I wouldn't have to get out in it!

Temple Dedication, Pali, and La'ie Falls

2010-11-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the dedication of the La'ie Hawaii temple. They had closed for about 2 years while they rebuilt parts of it. President Monson, President Eyring, Elder Cook, and Elder Walker of the Seventy spoke during the session of the dedication we went to. It was neat to hear them talk about the people that sacrificed so much and lived so faithfully. It sounds like the other sessions were different than the 9:00.

After the dedication, we went for a walk to a waterfall. It was so beautiful and so peaceful.

Today we went into work early and got a lot done. Then we went for a walk that is close to BYU-Hawaii. It took about three hours to do. It was an interesting one because all along the trail, the scenery changed completely. We went from lush green to pine tree-type trees, to nothing. to other types of trees, to the waterfall. It was a really pretty hike. Every time we go to a different place, it is completely different terrain. It really was amazing.

We have eaten at a little restaurant here in La'ie. There aren't too many restaurants around here. One day I will probably try out the Hukilau Cafe too. It's a local restaurant that has local food, or so I hear. We'll have to see!

Lyon Arboretum, Diamond Head, and Plantation Village

2010-11-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we worked early in the morning and then left. Tom wasn't feeling well, so Tonya and I went to the Lyon Arboretum. An arboretum has a lot of different kinds of trees and plants. We walked around the different paths where we were able to see all kinds of different trees. We walked up to a waterfall. It was such a peaceful afternoon.

Then we came back and went and got Mexican food at Surfin' Tacos. It actually was really yummy.

This morning we got up and went to Diamond Head. Diamond Head is a crater that is just off Waikiki beach. So when you hike up to the top, you can look down across all of the beach and the city of Honolulu.

Here we are going up.

You can start to see the sweat on my shirt. I came back pretty wet. It isn't a very long hike. The trail is well worn. You go up a little bit and then there are some stairs. And then you're at the top where you can look over the whole city.

Look at that sweat. Everywhere I go here, I sweat! It looks like I must be tired too... Haha! You can see the ocean and the beach and then the city of Honolulu in the background.

Coming back, there was a Farmer's market in the parking lot. We got some freshly made ginger, basil, and lime water. It was so refreshing and good! It really hit the spot!

After we finished, we went on up the coast and we went to the Hawaii Plantation Village. This was a sugar cane plantation. They took us through the different houses of different cultural groups who came in to work on the plantation. There were Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, Puerto Ricans, Japanese, and I can't remember who else. But we went through the houses and they talked about how these groups had come in and what a difficult life it was for them, but how they couldn't leave because they were slaves. Then they talked about how the different groups became part of the culture of Hawaii as they stayed here. I really liked this!

These are taro plants that they use to make poi and I can't remember what they do with the leaves and stalks.

These are the fish ponds. The fish were little tiny things. You can see the houses in the background that belonged to the different groups.

Here we are at the end!
We came back to BYU-H and all of the parking lots are filled with many people here. Right now we are watching the Cultural Celebration going with the temple dedication. Tomorrow will be the rededication of the La'ie temple. I'm excited we will get to be here. It is interesting because the Hawaii temple was one of the first few that were built in the Church. I am excited to be able to go!

Photo Catch up

2010-11-20T20:31:00.000-08:00

Here is the beach at Turtle Bay. We mostly played on the sand and a little on the shore.

Here was a cool tree that we were able to sit on for another photo opportunity.

You can't really capture the green color that is really here. Everything is green. It really is amazing!

Here we are out in the rocks along the coast line.

This is the start of the Lyon Arboretum. It is right outside of Manoa Falls that we went to, but we can't get the pictures off Tonya's camera because it is on another card in her camera and we don't have the cord to connect it. The arboretum captures some of the beauty.

Here is some bamboo.

Just some pretty flowers and once again, the green.

At the top was a waterfall.

Day 5 - Work and Manoa Falls

2010-11-18T21:50:00.001-08:00

Today we started early - 5:00 a.m. We went in extra early so we could leave a little bit earlier today. I spent most of my time this morning verifying the student lists. So I had the list of students in every one of the classes offered here at BYU-H and a list of students that were loaded into the Student Ratings program and I matched them and made sure they were correct. I didn't check every single class, but I did check a bunch of them. After I finished that, I worked on some screenshots for the Exam Builder that we are designing for Provo's campus. We are trying to keep our projects running in Provo as well as doing the work we need to do here in Hawaii.

When we got to a good stopping point about 1:00, we left and changed clothes and hiked up to Manoa Falls. It was so beautiful! Really, it was one of the most beautiful places I have seen. There were so many tropical trees and plants and it was just amazing! It was a short hike, but really, really pretty. And there were all kinds of different plants and trees, palms, bamboo, some really big trees, and vines and flowers. I guess I kind of liked it up there. I will say though, that I probably haven't sweat that much anywhere else. It's about 1 1/2 miles into and back out of the falls, and my face was dripping with sweat. My shirt and pants were soaked. I looked really good! Haha! And my hair. Wow was I beautiful! Haha!

When we got back, we went by Costco and then we went to eat at a Thai restaurant. I had some fried rice and it tasted really good tonight. I like Thai food because it isn't too heavy.

W thought I would get the pictures off Tonya's camera, but I'm not sure where her camera card is and she fell asleep. I'll have to get it from her when she is awake. I think I will probably go get ready for bed too. 4:00 a.m. comes pretty early!

Day 4 - Work and Turtle Bay

2010-11-17T21:33:00.001-08:00

Today was just another day in Paradise. We went in to work early again and had a good day. I went through and checked the data to verify that we pulled in the correct information. Then I started going through the list of students to make sure we pulled everyone into their classes correctly. I also went over and had a visit with Mark Wolfersberger. I worked with Mark at the ELC when I was there. He is one of the coordinators over the English Language Institute here. It was fun to catch up with him.

This afternoon, we went to Turtle Bay, which is a resort area. This is where Tom is staying. They have lots of trails and a beach there, so we went to check it out. We went out and saw the beach and looked at the waves. They were so big! We played in the sand some and had a good time. Then we were going to go swim in the pools in the nice resort area, but we were told we couldn't because we weren't staying at the fancy hotel part. So we didn't swim today. We just came back to our apartment and ate dinner and I worked a little more this evening. It was a good day. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures today either...I'll get some though soon!

Day 3 - Work and Waikiki

2010-11-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

Today was a good day too. We got up early and were in the office by 6:00 a.m. I worked on making a list of things that needed to be changed on our Learning Outcomes website to send to the programmer. I'm sure he was thrilled to get 7 pages of things that have to be changed on the website to make it work better. :) Then we had a conference call back at the CTL with Jeff about our Exam Builder. After lunch, I worked on iClicker questions for American Heritage. Today it was interesting. It was about the Great Depression and the policies FDR put into place in the New Deal. As soon as I finished that, we came back, changed clothes, and went to Diamond Head.

Diamond Head is a crater where you can hike up and then look over all of Waikiki. You could almost compare it to hiking up S mountain, only not quite as high, I think. When we got to the trail head, we found out the trail was closed for maintenance and that it is only open from 6am to 12 noon. We'll have to go back another day.

We went around to Waikiki and put on our swimming suits and went for a little swim. Lori, thanks for letting me borrow your swim shorts. I really liked them a lot! I went in the water for awhile. I decided I'm not much of a water person. I think it is okay. I'd much rather walk along the beach and look around. I like the beach, I'm just not a huge fan of being out in the water and having the waves come crashing into you. I really like looking more.

We changed back into our clothes and went to a little Indian restaurant near the beach. I have had better food in other places, but it was okay. It was a little spicier than I like it, but I ate some daal (lentils) and we had some vegetable masala.

It's about a 40 minute drive from the Honolulu side of the island back around to the La'ie side. In a lot of ways, I think I like this side better. Honolulu is just a big city to me. What is it they say, you can take a girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of a girl. :)

Anyway, it was a good day. I'll download pictures probably tomorrow from Tonya's camera and then I'll post a few pictures of our adventures then. Until then, Aloha!

Day 2 - Work and Dole

2010-11-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

Today we started to work. We got up early again and we went to the Administration Building where we are going to do our work and met with the directors and got to work. Mostly today I worked on writing information about the Exam Builder that we are starting to work on now. It’s only in the design phase (on paper) so we still have a lot to do on it. Then I was able to get online and so I created some images to input into the Learning Outcomes program that we are going to install while we are here.

About 4:00 we left, came back to our place and changed and we drove up to North Shore. We first went to the Dole Pineapple Plantation and saw where they grow fields and fields of pineapples. It was interesting to see how they are just little plants. It also takes a long time (18 months) to grow a pineapple and you can only get 3 pineapples in the life of a plant. The third one comes at about 45 months. No wonder pineapple is a little expensive. As we drove around the coast, we were able to see the waves crashing along the shore. This time of year the waves are between 10-20 feet high. No surfing for me! (Even one of the guys we work with won’t surf them and he surfs a lot.)

This is pineapple frozen yogurt with fresh pineapple in it. It was pretty tasty!

Hooray for Hula Pineapple woman!

Then we went to eat dinner at a little Thai restaurant. Unfortunately it was not good. I guess we will have to find something better tomorrow.

Aloha! From Hawaii

2010-11-15T21:47:00.001-08:00

The CTL where I work has been developing web-based applications to improve teaching and learning on campus. (We hope they are doing something like that.)

My roommate and the programmer at the CTL were asked to go to Hawaii to install these programs on the BYU Hawaii campus. A few weeks ago, our supervisor called me into his office and said they needed to send one more person to Hawaii to be able to do the work that they needed to do and asked if I would go. So I talked to family about Thanksgiving and my other supervisor and said “Yes!”

We left an oncoming snowstorm last Saturday to come here. The flight was really good (quite smooth, actually.) The pilot kept coming on saying the planes ahead of us were reporting really strong turbulent, but by the time we got there, they had dissipated. We arrived in the afternoon and it was nice and sunny and warm. We picked up the rental car and went to Costco to pick up some food to keep in our room while we are here. We went to a little Thai restaurant and ate and it tasted really good. I think we were all hungry!

Then we drove up the coast from Honolulu around the island past Kaneohe to La’ie. The drive was beautiful. It is just so green and there are flowering trees everywhere! It’s a little bit misty and humid, but just so beautiful. Tonya and I are staying in the VIP housing on campus – Hale 5. It’s a nice apartment with a nice living room with couches and a big-screen TV. It has a kitchen with stove, oven, microwave, refrigerator, etc., two bedrooms and a bathroom. It’s really perfect.

One of the men that Tom and Tonya have worked with before went and bought us some apples, grapes, water, pineapple, cookies, etc. for while we are here. It was really sweet of him. He also got leis for Tonya and me, which are absolutely beautiful. They are so full and they smell so good!

We were so tired the first day!

Sunday we woke up really early (jet lag) and read a little and tried to plan out the things we want to see and do while we are here. Then we went to church in the Stake Center here on campus and then we went to Pearl Harbor. On the way to church we stopped to take some pictures of us on campus. Then it started to rain, so we looked good to start and then got rained on. So much for doing the hair!

Pearl Harbor was a good experience. They have made a movie talking about the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor and the ships that were here. Then we got on a boat and went across the harbor to the USS Arizona Memorial. There was an almost sacred feeling there. Then we went over to the USS Missouri and toured the battleship, climbing up on the decks and looking at the guns and everything on it. Finally we went into the USS Bowfin, a submarine. It took some ingenuity and skill to build it and to design it to work just right. It was interesting to learn about it.

Here we are on the boat going out to the Arizona. You could still smell and see the oil coming up from the ship. It really was amazing.

Host a Murder

2010-10-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

Our latest adventure was a "Host a Murder" party. The theme was a disco murder... So we invited some of our friends over and we all dressed our parts.

The people who came were (left to right):

Dan (not in the photo) was Sonny. Dan has come to a few of our other activities.

Kevin (Bruce Lee) - Kevin is from our program at school.

Jeff (Andy Warhol) - Jeff works with Tonya and me at the CTL.

Julie (Gloria Steinem) - Julie is Jeff's wife.

Karl (Disco dancer (I forgot his name)) - Karl has come to another one of our date nights and is also in Jeff and Julie's ward.

Vibeke (Lyza) - roommate

Me (Cher)

Tonya (Diana Ross) - roommate

We had a really fun time and we laughed a lot as we put our costumes together and as we saw everyone else's costumes. Everyone acted their parts so well and we had a lot of fun.

We just made snack foods for everyone to munch on. We made veggies and hummus, chips and black bean salsa and guacamole. We also made ginger snaps and pumpkin dip and peanut clusters. It was so much fun and we enjoyed it alot. We didn't take any close-up pictures, but we all looked really good and had a lot of fun.

Lori was my make-up artist and hair specialist because I needed lots of help in that area.

The Dirty Dash

2010-09-27T20:35:00.001-07:00

The Dirty Dash was quite an event. Here is where I will chronicle it for you.

We started our Dirty Dash on Friday night when we had all of our team over for Taco Salad. We also made some Tres Leches cake. Mike and Jeff each brought their wives and Jenni came. All of our team consists of people that I work with.

Saturday morning, we traveled up the canyon to Soldier Hollow where they held part of the Olympic ski events. Just FYI, the Dirty Dash is a 10K with lots of crazy obstacles all along the way and a lot of mud. Here is our crazy team left to right:

Jeff - aka "Speed Freak"
Jenni - aka "Superwoman"
Me - aka "Batgirl"
Mike - aka Ninja
Tonya - aka Popeye

Here we are being so tough...

Look at those muscles! What a pyramid!

We took about 10-12 shots of this trying to get all three of us in the air at the same time. We laughed a lot.

We had to take a few of these to make sure we were all in the this picture too.

Someone decorated their van for the event. Most of the stuff on this van was fresh manure - man, did it smell. The back had a pig tail and everything.

From the start of the race, there was a big sprinkler that had been running for quite awhile. It was a sloppy mess. Then we ran awhile and then we crawled through the tubes. They had tubes of different sizes. I guess I picked the biggest one. I must have a little claustrophobia.

Check out this mud! MMMM-good. You may also notice some costumes of people in the background. There were definitely some interesting ones!

Here we are climbing over the walls. I went over the first one, but the next two were really hard because there was so much mud in front of them, that it was impossible to jump to push yourself over the wall. It was neat because everyone helped each other.

We made it that far. Not too bad so far!

Then we crossed this muddy, muddy stream and I couldn't get up. My feet kept spinning out. Finally the guy standing there helped me get up...

This was the nastiest, swampiest blackest mud. The background looks really good. The mud was nasty though, and smelly.

We ran a bunch more and then went down the largest slip and slide in the world. I didn't go down very fast. I kept getting stuck....

After the slip-n-slide, we had to crawl through the mud pit. It was really crazy. The mud was probably 18 inches - 2 feet deep and really soupy.

Here we are after we finished! Almost as clean as we started!

How about the mud?

So clean!

Here is where we changed into something a little cleaner after showering in the world's coldest outdoor shower before going home.

We came back to our house and ate some leftover taco salad from dinner the night before. We also looked at our pictures and had some good laughs. We were glad Jeff had his camera to document the journey around a very muddy track.

We took showers and naps and felt much better after the day's events! It was really fun, and probably something I would do again next year.

The Boat Race

2010-08-26T20:12:00.001-07:00

One of my scouts came over to build his Raingutter Regatta and this is how it turned out. He was really excited with how it came out. I was pleased too. During the first race, he did really well and it went really fast. Then the second round, he had taped the sail so it didn't turn around when he blew it and then it didn't go as fast. I am not sure why. It turned out really well. The boys had so much fun and they were so excited. There were some really creative boats. At our pack meeting, we had more people there than we have ever had since I started working in scouts. Two of my scouts turned 11 this month, so now we are down to four. I'm sad that they are moving on, but I'm excited for them.
It made me happy that his mom was so pleased with it too. It was a fun evening.

Raingutter Regatta

2010-08-24T20:22:00.001-07:00

My scouts are having a Raingutter Regatta race tomorrow. I had never heard of a Raingutter Regatta and didn't really know what it was. So a RR is like the Pinewood Derby, only instead of cars, the boys build boats. The hull of the boat is made of wood and it has a sail. The boys put their boats in a raingutter full of water and they have to blow it from one end to the other. One of my scouts needed help building his, so he came over tonight and we put it together and he painted it. I don't really know how it will do. I have the rudder and keel on the bottom drying. I don't even know if they are going to hold. I guess I'll take it out of the stands tomorrow morning before I go to work and if necessary, reglue them. I just hope it doesn't sink when he puts it in the water. I guess we'll see what happens.

The New Hobby Continued

2010-07-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

So the Pioneer Day 5K in Manassa was not my best running day. I was disappointed that I didn't run well. I decided I had to keep trying though, so today I ran 3 miles, which actually turned out really well. It felt good and I made it just fine. I think I am starting to understand the "runner's high" - too bad I don't always feel it.

Some friends and I are going to run The Dirty Dash up the canyon in September. My roommate sent me a link to a news article about it too. Check out the picture. If anyone wants to come join us, feel free. It's going to be one big mess! But it should be really fun.

A New Hobby?

2010-07-14T20:33:00.001-07:00

For Independence Day, Lori ran a half marathon, which I thought was pretty exciting. After watching her, I decided I wanted to start running. I have always thought I couldn't run, so I never really have. One mistake I made, was I told Lori that after watching her, it made me want to run. So she called me back later and made a recommendation that we run a marathon relay where 4 people run 1/4 of the marathon. Basically, each person would run a 10K or a little over 6 miles and that it was in 6 weeks. I thought, "There is no way in the world that I can do that." All of the training plans I have looked at suggest that it takes 6 or more to prepare for a 5K.

Anyway, I talked more to Lori and to my roommate, who is a runner, and they said I would be fine. Basically each week, I have to increase by one mile. Last week I ran one mile all the way. This week I am trying to work up to 2 miles. Next weekend is Pioneer day and in Manassa they have the Pioneer Day 5K. So Lori and I are going to run it. Eeks! What am I thinking?

Actually, I just barely got back from running 1 1/2 miles without stopping and I felt good. It really does feel good (when I'm done :))

PIDT

2010-05-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the chance to go to a conference in Estes Park, CO called Professors of Instructional Design and Technology. It really was one of the best conferences I think I have ever been to. Mainly I liked how laid back everyone was. The schedule was a suggestion, but the topics were up to the people there. For example, someone would say, "I've been wondering about ____. I was hoping we could talk about ___." and then if there were other people interested in that topic, they would find a place to sit down together and everyone would talk about it. In the afternoons, we tried to find good hikes. Sunday we went up as far as we could go in Rocky Mountain National Park and then got out and walked around and then drove back down to the YMCA where we stayed. It was nice to build relationships with people at the conference that were professional, but also "real" relationships that are based on doing things together.

One of my favorite parts was that there were about 1/4 of the participants (10/40) that were LDS, so on Sunday morning before the conference really got started, we got together and were able to have a sacrament meeting. It was neat to be with good friends doing something so important. It made Sunday into a special day for me. It was a fast sacrament meeting, but so nice. We sang, had the sacrament, and then shared a few scriptures. And then everyone started coming for the conference, so we finished up.

BYU was in charge of hosting the conference, so we (some other graduate students and I) got to hand out keys, keep the munchies tables stocked, and keep everything running smoothly. It really was a lot of fun.

On the drive back from CO yesterday, we hit a really bad snowstorm between Laramie and Rawlins. The wind blew so strongly and the snow was coming down hard. We had to go slowly in order to make it okay. I was glad the vehicle we were in had 4wheel drive. Anyway, we made it back last night and were glad to be back!

Lori is amazing!

2010-05-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

Just in case you did not know, Lori was in charge of two big events in the last week.
Last weekend, she was in charge of the food committee for the stake Relief Society Humanitarian meeting. She led the committee to plan, buy, prepare, and serve the food at the meeting. I got to go take a sneak peak at what she did and here is how it looked:

Unfortunately the picture is a little limited in scope and it doesn't show all the good stuff they had. But they had fruit cups, baby quiches, cheese slices, sweet rolls, and juice and water to drink. It was so nice. All of the sisters that she worked with talked about just how awesome she was! They were so impressed that someone so young could manage an event like that so well. Way to go Lori!

Then last night, she put on the Mother-Daughter Activity Days program in her ward. They prepared a cruise for the girls and moms. It turned out so nice. Lori had made passports for each of them (girls and moms) and they had different activities on different "islands" to participate in. She found some great deals on all of her decorations and on the materials for the activities. They also served a dinner. Lori had all of the place settings prepared and organized so she knew where each person needed to sit and by whom. I wished I had taken a picture of last night, but I didn't even think about it until today, but I just wanted to share how great Lori is (in case you didn't know). Love ya, Lori!

Scouts and AERA

2010-05-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here I am in my official Scout uniform. Yes I am taking a picture of myself in the mirror... :) We had our first Pack Meeting last week and we had three of our boys receive their Arrow of Light and they moved on to the 11-year-old scouts now.

This week, I have been in Denver for the American Education Research Association conference (AERA - the biggest conference dealing with research in education). It has been a good conference and I have learned some things that I feel will help me with the work on my dissertation. I have decided I really do like Denver. The people here are just good people.

I was looking for a cheap hotel close to the conference, but there really weren't any. Most of the hotels were $300-400 per night. Tonya and I decided we would find one a little further away, so we didn't have to pay so much. I made reservations at a Days Inn on Federal Blvd. Well, I talked to Clint the day before we left and he said to really be careful in that area, so I got online and was looking at pictures of the area and the way we would need to walk to get to the convention center. I decided we didn't really want to stay there, so we canceled our reservations and found this other little hotel called the Knight's Inn that was only about 1.5 miles away and the area looked pretty good. I called to make a reservation and the guy that answered the phone said I was calling the Ramada. I was a little confused. He said they had rooms, so when we got here to just ask for "Joe." We got in the next afternoon and got a room.

The hotel is definitely old, but it was clean. So the Ramada and the Knight's Inn look like they were two that merged and they run both of them out of the Ramada. They have had internet and they have free breakfast. We have been super impressed with the staff. They have been so professional and definitely customer-service oriented. Even when people have asked dumb questions, they have been patient and they don't even joke about it after the people leave. The hotel has worked out great. It is over by Elitch's and there are also nice walking paths all along the Platte River. I have enjoyed my time here. Now we are on our way back to the real world again...

A Publication

2010-04-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

I thought I would let you all know that an article that I worked on with my friend and colleague in Teacher Education recently came out. It is one we were looking at using a video of a girl from one of the schools here in Utah to help future teacher educators think deeply about students who are learning English as a second or other language. It just recently got published.

I also got my Scout uniform (well, I'll have to save up for pants...) so I'll post a picture of me after I get my patches put on it...

From Nursery to On my Honor...

2010-04-21T19:38:00.001-07:00

This week has been a first for me. I got called to work with the Cub Scouts. Now, I have to say that this is not a calling I ever thought I would have. But alas, I am going to be working with the Webelos (the 10-year-old boys). I feel like a fish out of water, but I think it is going to be a lot of fun. Last night I met with the lady who got released and the lady that I am working with as my partner and we talked about a few things that have been going on in scouts. It was good to listen to them talk about the things they have been doing and how everything fits together.

This afternoon was my very first Cub Scout Den Meeting. Wow. I forgot what 10-year-old boys are like. I think that is all I really have to say about that.

Actually, we have a really good group of boys. Three of them are getting their Arrow of Light next week at our Pack meeting and moving onto the 11-year-old scouts. Then we will have six boys in our den. I was really impressed with the depth of thought that some of the boys demonstrated in our discussion about respect for each other and respect for nature. We worked on our Naturalist pin this afternoon because they went on a hike on Saturday. Today we finished up the requirements that they had.

We also made paper bag kites. It really was a good day to fly the kites, until it started raining/hailing as everyone was on their way home. It wasn't a little sprinkle either - it was full rain. I don't know if any of the kites made it all the way home without being soaked through.

I hope that soon, I will understand how the program works (although they are making significant changes to the program starting this fall.) I am looking forward to getting my very own book and some training. I'll keep you updated on our exciting activities.

On another note...It's the last day of finals for another semester. I have been working on writing and I feel good about the direction of my projects. I am excited to work on them throughout the summer. :) So now I guess Spring is officially here!

Italy

2010-03-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

We have had quite a time coming to Italy! I came with a group from work (Tonya - my roommate and Tom - the programmer at work) for a Distance Education conference. While we came for the conference, we decided we should spend a few days seeing the country as well.

Beginning the Trip
We started by missing our connecting flight in New York. Then when we arrived on a later flight to Rome, our luggage didn't make it and the Italian airline didn't know when it would arrive. We decided to go ahead and go on to our trip like we had planned. When we got to the main bus station, we got to our track and boarded the train. By the time we got to our car in the train, I noticed every pocket on my backpack had been opened and all of my cash was gone. Oh wow. The trip was not starting out so well.

La Spezia/Cinque Terre
We went on a three or four hour train ride to a smaller town called La Spezia and went to these five towns (Cinque Terre) that are built up on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Wow the water was so beautiful! It was so blue! We spent one day there and then we had to go to Pisa to pick up our luggage from the airport there. So we then went to see the Leaning Tower. It was leaning alright...We got home late and then we got up the next morning (Sunday) and went looking for the church. It was a good thing we left when we did (2 hours before it started) because we barely arrived on time. It was a branch of about 40 members and it was nice to be at church. We went back to Cinque Terre that afternoon and enjoyed being out in the beauty of nature and being able to see how people lived and built their homes and livelihoods on a bunch of cliffs, including planting their gardens and their grapes.

Then we went to Venice, Orvieto, and now we are in Rome, so I will have to post some more when I have more internet. I feel like our trip is going quickly. We are constantly on the move. We have stayed mostly in Bed and Breakfasts and they really have been nice. I have been really impressed. While we are at the conference in Rome, we are staying at a very classy hotel. We sort of feel out of place because it is so nice. I will have to post some pictures when I can too!

The Founding Fathers

2010-02-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

This semester I have been attending one class about the founding of America. It focuses on the historical events, the market economy, and the political structure that the United States was based on. It has been so much fun to attend! I feel like I have learned so much. (Poor Lori has to listen to me spout off the economic principles I've been learning about when we go to the store and all of the Valentine's stuff is half off while all of the Easter stuff is 3 times the normal price. Really, it's about supply, demand, and the equilibrium price...or something like that. I remind her of the importance of the market economy. Haha!)

As today is President's Day, I have been reflecting on the things I have learned maybe more than I normally do. I'm so grateful for the Founding Fathers who were willing to rebel against the Crown and to then fight for a new way of life. I have been so impressed with the early founders and their ideas about how the government should be set up and for their diligence in studying and learning from history in order to design a government that provides us with so many blessed freedoms. I am grateful to have been born in this land that has so much to offer to all who set foot on her shores.

One day in class, the professor said that some people debate about who the "best" president of the United States has been. Many say Lincoln while other say Washington. His take on it was that if it hadn't been for Washington, there wouldn't have been a Lincoln. I, too, am grateful for the humility of Washington and his virtue. This really is a blessed land.

As for the rest of my life...This semester, I have only been working and writing. Every day I go to work and I get to do fun things - Mostly what I do is talk to professors and students about the different products we have developed and I get their feedback on them in order to improve them. Sometimes I do focus groups (which are a group interview) and talk to different people about the things they are doing in their classes to improve teaching and learning. I really really enjoy my job.

After work, I go over to the graduate lab for my department and I spend some time writing and researching. Really there are two main things I have to do before I graduate. I need to finish a development project. Right now, I have almost finished the proposal for it and I have about half of the written project completed. I have also submitted an application for a fellowship that could finance the research for my dissertation. I am working some on my dissertation as well. Each week I work with a small research group so we can make it happen. I really am excited and I feel like I am seeing progress, which really makes me happy. Then when I finish working on it, I come home and then we all play. Usually there isn't much we do, but it is nice to be able to relax some in the evenings.

One thing I have been doing is attending a gardening class that my stake is sponsoring. I'm really excited for spring to come so I can garden! In the next few days I will post a summary of the things I've been learning.

A red sweater

2009-12-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

Last year sometime Lori gave me a red sweater (a hand-me-up). I like the sweater a lot. She said that she didn't like it because it clashes with her hair, but I think I've discovered the real reason she doesn't like the sweater. I'm wearing the sweater today and it goes something like this. I went in the bathroom a few minutes ago and I could tell which stall I went in before. I can find every seat I've sat in today. My black pea coat has a red tint to it. I just de-linted my black pants because they were red too. Everything I've touched today has turned red.

OK- I think that's still not quite it. Really it comes down to the fact that she doesn't want this fabulous quote to be said of her, "She was wearin' her red, fuzzy sweater with her front all stickin' out..."

And one more thing...It's a cow neck sweater. I'm not sure I like the name of that. Does that mean I look more like Bossy or Twinkle-toes or Pencils?

Oh well...I'm still wearing the red fuzzy sweater and it actually looks really cute. Just don't look at everything I've touched today.

Idaho...good country folks

2009-10-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

At the Center for Teaching and Learning we are working on a project for the Testing Center. As a part of the project we are trying to put all of the test set up and their answer key and everything online. BYU Idaho is doing some interesting things where the Testing Center actually prints the students' tests for them. Right now in our Testing Center in Provo, they do everything on paper and they want to do more online. So my roommate Tonya, Tom - the programmer at the CTL, and I came to Idaho to see their testing center and to talk to the director and instructors and to see it in action. We came up yesterday and we met with some people today and have had a really good experience. The director is really nice and we saw some really neat things that they are doing. I decided I really really like BYU Idaho. I remember coming up when Amy was here, and liking it then, but coming again is really good. I like that it is a small-town feel and there are more "country folks" and I'm a country folks too and I like it that way.

Report and Update

2009-08-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

I got to go home last weekend and saw the grandparents, Mom & Dad, Steven & Candace & family, and Amy & David & family. It was so much fun! Thank you all for the good times.

Monday night was our big special musical number at the Family Home Afternoon with the little ladies in our ward. I got home from work and found the RS program and realized that the FHA was actually going to be a potluck. Because I hadn't been home, I didn't have any food made. Tonya had made some zucchini bread, so we sliced it and took it. Our program also said it started at 5:30, so we took a few minutes to eat a little snack and to practice our song. We got there at 5:45 and they said that they decided to start at 5 instead, and had called everyone, but us. So we were super late, but we ate a little and visited and then we went into the living room for the "entertainment." They were disappointed that we only had one number to play, but then they all introduced themselves, and were so cute. We just love them so much. We think they are so much fun. We found out also that they all have season tickets at the Hale Center Theater and they were going to the play that night. I think it would be fun to join them. They were just as cute as could be. We want to invite them over sometimes too.

A new hobby

2009-08-04T11:09:00.001-07:00

On church Sunday, we had lots of comments and smiles from different people. They thought we were pretty funny. Many of them said our write up "made [them] smile." Or laugh... :)

Before Relief Society one sister came up and asked us if we would please come to their Family Home Evening Enrichment group to introduce ourselves a little bit more. It seems like we have a lot of older sisters in the ward, which we really like. Anyway, then she said she noticed that we have a little band and she would really like us to play a little number at the FHE group. So we went home, and I don't have my recorder here and Michelle doesn't have her xylophone. Tonya got out her harmonica and said to try it, so I did. I figured out how to play some little songs. Last night after we did our painting for the evening, I told Vibeke and Tonya that we should go to the mall because I wanted to get my own harmonica. So we went and bought one.

When we got home, Tonya and I pulled out the Hymnbook and started playing different hymns trying to find one we could play for the little group. We had so much fun. It was really fun to learn how to play it and I think I should practice some more though. It was fun to learn a new hobby.

Welcome to the new ward

2009-08-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

So, in case you didn't know, I moved to a new house (I know Mom said it is a miracle and that she thought it would never happen. We have been having a lot of fun since we moved in. None of is is getting any work done, but we are having tons of fun. Lately we have been fixing and painting the basement so some other girls can move in. It has been a lot of work, but a lot of fun to learn also.

When we went to our new ward, one of the sisters came up to us and asked us if we would write up an introduction to ourselves for the ward newsletter. We had so much fun writing it, so I thought I would share it with you. This way you can also get to know my roommates. Vibeke isn't in the write up because she is going to the singles ward in the stake. Michelle and Tonya are my new roommates.

Michelle Baron, Cary Johnson, & Tonya Tripp
Here’s a story of three lovely ladies who were single and looking for a spouse. They couldn’t find one, so they moved in together and that’s how they all became the bachelorette bunch.

We are originally from different states (Michelle-Massachusetts, Cary-Colorado, and Tonya-California), but we have been in Utah long enough to call it home. We met in the Instructional, Psychology, and Technology PhD program at BYU. We figured since we already spend our days and nights together, we might as well live together too. Upon moving in to the Peterson’s house, we discovered that we have seven crock pots, 60 lbs. of oats, more than enough paper products to supply the next ward party and enough Christmas villages to create a metropolis.
Together we have traveled to all 50 states, 5 continents, and 24 countries. We speak English,
Spanish, French, ASL, Chinese, Cambodian, and Vietnamese (Well, at least enough to haggle at the markets). We spend our evenings and weekends writing scholarly articles. We’ll even share our writing with you if you are in need of something to help you get to sleep at night.
Although we’re in graduate school, we prefer to read children’s books, and we have a few
thousand in our library to choose from.
Our hobbies include crocheting random household items, painting random household items, and going to yard sales to find random household items. We also enjoy running and swimming. We have run 2 marathons, 2 half marathons, and 20 5Ks, and according to our estimations, we have swam enough miles to cover the distance of the Nile River. We love cooking and baking, so we are glad we have a large kitchen. However, we are definitely in need of a second refrigerator to store all our creations. Our Sunday band consists of a harmonica, recorder, and xylophone, and the average age of our fan club is 85. This may be due to the fact that they are either hard of hearing or bed ridden.
In the future, we hope to get jobs at the same university in the same department, so we can continue to spend all our time together. If that doesn’t work out for us, we’re thinking of becoming the next hosts of Design on a Dime. Ultimately, were just “looking for a few good men.”

La Oficina aka The Office

2009-05-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a little car. She liked to go many places and she carries many interesting things. Sometimes she carries people. The missionaries that I go with fondly refer to her as "la oficina" or "the office" because they leave their stuff in her while we go into church. Sometimes she carries plants. Sometimes she carries bags of dirt or bags of bark. She has even carried bags of manure for the garden. The other night, my friend and I went to Home Depot to get some stuff for my friend's yard and she was concerned about my car carrying all of the stuff that she was buying, but I wasn't worried because "la oficina" carries many, many things.

This week she carried something new that she hadn't carried before - trees. Kj asked me to pick up some peach trees for him. In my imagination, the trees would be fairly flexible as young saplings are. So off I went to the greenhouse/nursery to buy the two trees. I looked for the right kind and then I thought that they would do. So I bought them and pulled them out in the little red wagon that they have there. Of course I was wearing my new white blouse and nice skirt. I decided to put the short one in the back seat, so I put the first one in and it fit just fine. Then I slid the front seat all the way back and started putting in the taller one. When I tried to bend the trunk to get it in, I knew it wouldn't work. Then I racked my brain to think what to do next. I had a brilliant idea to roll down the window and I angled the trunk through the open window and closed the door. It was great! Then I tried to drive slowly so the leaves didn't all blow off the trees. And "la oficina" did it one more time - she had a successful hauling trip and we arrived safe and sound with two trees in tow. I tried to get a picture with both trees in view, but the light and the angle didn't work so well, so here is the only one you get. I must say that not only "la oficina" had provided lots of good transportation, she also carries many, many varieties of things. And I'm grateful. As small as she is, she carries lots of stuff! And I hope she will continue to want to play for many years to come!

Happy Birthday Holli!

2009-03-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hope you have a fun day with Holli on her birthday! I can't believe she is one!!!

In the first week after Christmas, my true love gave to me...

2009-01-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

This week I started school again! Sometimes I wonder if the end is really in sight...and it is, but sometimes it seems far off. I am really excited about my classes. One of my classes this semester is an evaluation class, and we will be pursuing different studies in evaluation. The other class is very exciting to me. It is an introduction into Open Learning. It has to do with a movement by universities to open their classes up to the world so individuals can have access to knowledge. I am writing about it on another blog if you are interested. I'll be blogging about the history, legal issues, the production issues, and sustainability...I think. I'll blog about it at http://iptitsallaboutlearning.blogspot.com. Every week I'll be posting at least one thing about it. I wasn't sure if I should take it or not, but I attended the first day and I loved it! As I prepared for this week, I almost felt giddy inside as I learned more about the movement and the goodness associated with opening up education to be accessed by the world. I just think it is a brilliant plan. To provide education to everyone. Then I am working on a project at the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) where we are designing a university gradebook that will be really awesome if we can actually come up with something valuable. I started working with my team this week and we began some of the initial brainstorming and designing. We are hoping that by the end of the month, we will have some samples to take out to get feedback from professors in different departments so we can make it actually usable. It is fun to create something that hopefully will be meaningful for others. I am really happy to be back at the CTL. It is such a fun place to work!

Thank you!

2009-01-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone for the phone calls and emails and everything for the birthday! It was a special day and I did enjoy it. It was good to talk to everyone. I hope everyone has a good week! I love you all!

Mesita

2009-01-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

It was so nice to be home with everyone this Christmas and New Years. It was good to visit and to catch up. Thank you all for making it a nice Christmas and for making it fun. I was so glad to be able to be with family and to enjoy our time together.

Tomorrow is the beginning of another semester. I can't believe it. The last one went so fast.

Today I got a new calling as a Ward Language Missionary assigned to the Spanish ward, so I was thinking about how it is similar to having a calling to go to Mesita. I was thinking about the days of going over to the old Rock Church and to have to fire up the heater so we didn't freeze to death. Or how about when we made the wrinkled apple head people that the mice got into. And what about the "weee" road - going over all of the bumps and laughing. Those were good days of lots of fun. I'm so glad we had the Mesita experience because it was a good one for our family.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-16T08:16:00.000-08:00

I don't know about where you are, but I woke up this morning to about 4 inches of snow and more coming down! I think we are going to have a white Christmas after all. I was beginning to wonder. I went outside and scraped my driveway enough that I could pull my car in because the mail lady doesn't like to have to try to maneuver around to get to the mailbox, so now I am out of the way. Looks like I finished just in time. I just saw her drive by. :)

I am in the middle of finishing up my final projects. I pretty much finished up a big paper yesterday. I have been trying to get it to come together all semester, and I just could not get it. I worked a lot on it last Friday and I felt good about it. Then Saturday, it just wasn't there. Finally yesterday, I felt like it finally all fit together, so I was happy. I need to finish just a couple of things on it this morning and then I'll make the long trek down to campus so I can print it and submit it. One class down!

I am also finally ready for Christmas. I have just a few more things to do for it, but I am excited now!

Blessings

2008-12-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

I have so many things to be thankful for. I hadn't planned on going home for Thanksgiving, but when Monday came and Lori and not had the baby yet, I just decided I would go. So Tuesday morning I left early and had a good trip home. Thanksgiving was really small with just Mom, Dad, Grandma, Papa, and me. We had a really nice day!

I was also able to make the traditional fruitcake while I was home. I asked Grandma if it was going to be bad if I did it on Wednesday. The traditional day to make it is on Friday after Thanksgiving because you can feed the family leftovers so you have time and energy to make it then. But I knew Dad was going to be off work on Friday, so I made 2 1/2 batches for Grandma and 1 1/2 batches for Mom on Wednesday. It turned out so well!

Every time I talk with Grandma about the recipe for fruitcake, she reminds me of when she was up at the State Fair and the judge was walking around tasting all of the different fruitcake samples. The judge picked up Grandma's and said "Now this is a fruitcake." And it is. The recipe is really good, and when you put as many raisins, dates, and nuts as we put in it, it is very heavy and very yummy. I really do enjoy that family tradition.

On Friday afternoon Grandma Coleen called and had just gotten home from her trip to Colorado Springs, so I was able to go spend some time with her. I have been attempting to crochet a little white baby dress, but I wasn't sure if I was doing it correctly. I took it over and she said it was okay, so I guess I will keep going on it!

Mom came back with me on Saturday and we had a good trip back. We laughed a lot and enjoyed being together (at least I enjoyed it). We got back and enjoyed seeing Lori and Jordan. We were even more excited to see Lori and Jordan at the hospital on Monday with their precious little Mckenzie. She is so sweet and I am excited for them to be able to go home today.

Last night Mom and I were able to go to see Savior of the World up at the Conference Center Theater. It really was amazing! We talked about how cool it would be to do it for a pageant. It was just so awesome.

Video chats

2008-11-13T07:38:00.000-08:00

Do you remember sitting down and watching the Jetson's when we were kids and instead of talking on the telephone, they had video discussions? Then they had their little flying machines? I have been playing a lot with video chats and video exchanges in the classes that I'm teaching and I just remember Mrs. Jetson having those types of discussions. I actually just had this recollection this morning because that idea is now a reality. Yesterday Gmail lauched their version of Video Chat and so I've been playing with it. So now we are experiencing the "future" that we looked at as we watched the Jetson's and thought about how "far out" it was. But now it's here.

Denver

2008-11-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

I always feel excited to go home, but I have to say that just being in Colorado was good, even just being in Denver. I kept hearing people in my group talk about how kind people were in Colorado and how they appreciated their driving, etc. This made me proud to be from Colorado. Just one more reason anyway.

So I just got back on Saturday night from Denver. We drove there on Wednesday morning and had a good trip. I went to the American Evaluation Association conference this year and had a chance to give a couple of presentations while I was there. I stayed at the Comfort Inn Downtown near the 16th Street Mall and we were very comfortable there. One of the highlights of the hotel was the Workout Room. They had really nice equipment and the best thing of all was the cucumber water they had for after you were done. On Thursday I went to the conference and then That afternoon, Jennifer (a colleague from the Russian department that is in my research group) and I presented our evaluation/research project on the Foreign Language housing at BYU. The presentation went really well and people seemed interested in it, so that made us happy. That evening, we went to the business meetings (for the food mostly) but they really did have good refreshments.

Friday morning I went to the plenary session, but it was a little over my head, but that was okay. Right after it, I worked with two other colleagues, Steve and Mike, and we had a roundtable discussion/presentation. This was a good experience because the room was packed with people interested in using blogs and web analytics in evaluation. I felt like we had a lively discussion for the 45 minutes that we had in our time. I felt like everyone there really did have lots to contribute and they are interested in the topic. There were actually a lot more people in our room than I anticipated, so that was exciting. That afternoon we skipped out of the conference because we wanted to do some sight seeing. We really wanted to go to the Mint, but it was closed when we got there. But we did go to the Capitol and walked around a little bit and we also went to the Molly Brown house, so it was fun to find out more about her.

Friday night we walked down to The Cheesecake Factory, probably one of my all-time favorite restaurants. I ate a really yummy chopped vegetable salad because I wanted to make sure I had enough room to eat cheesecake. I ate some key lime cheesecake this time and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Saturday morning we got up and pretty much got packed and then we drove back to Utah and got home around 9. We had a good trip. Every trip to Colorado is good!

Happy October

2008-10-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is already October. So that means that one month of school has already gone by. I know I said I was going to post more often, but for some reason, the days fly by and it doesn't happen. Here's the update for the month:
My classes are great! Here is what I am learning:

Qualitative Inquiry - We have been talking a lot about how to complete studies that look at more information than just numbers - it really looks at the stories that people have to tell and how that can help us better understand whatever it is we are studying. We are also trying to understand how to better tell the stories we are interested in telling in order to help others as they read the stories we tell.

Learning Theory - We have mostly focused our efforts on studying Behaviorism (mice going through mazes, or Shamu doing a trick and going back for another fish to eat0 and now we have moved into cognitivism (our brain functions like a computer a little bit in that we have short term memory, long term memory, etc.). I decided that these theories are okay, but human agency is often overlooked in the arguments for and against both of these movements. As I looked at the history of both of these theories, I was surprised how linguistics was one of the driving forces in moving from behavioral learning theories to cognitive learning theories.

Project - I am working really hard on the re-design of the class I am teaching. I am working with a professor up in the Teacher Education department and we have been able to come up with some really exciting things. This week the students are on Week 5 and we only have five more lessons to go! I feel like overall, it is going really well.

Fun things - I went up to Salt Lake last weekend for a Utah Association for Bilingual Education conference and I was happy to see the principles that we are teaching our students are really important issues in the field of education, so it validated a lot of the things I have been teaching this semester. I was really glad also to be able to watch the General Relief Society meeting and to hear President Uchtdorf talk about creativity and how important it is in our lives.
Right now, things are really busy, but I feel like they are going well. I have been going with the missionaries to teach a lady called Lilian. On Monday, we had a really powerful discussion with her. I feel like she is almost ready for baptism. She has several questions about the Church, so I am glad we have been able to answer them. We also taught her about the glossary in the back of the Spanish Book of Mormon and how she can use that to enhance her study. I think it has helped her a lot. My Sunbeams are really cute. I have one that just moved in and is new. She is so adorable because she has the cutest red hair and a sweet smile. We also had a our Primary Sacrament Meeting last Sunday and the kids did such a good job. It made me happy. I love the music of primary and the lessons that are being taught to these really small children because they are powerful lessons.

I am excited to watch General Conference and to hear the words of our church leaders as they give us the scoop for the next six months!

Something exciting

2008-08-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

Last summer I worked with people in my class to write a paper and then we were able to send it to a journal to publish. It was published early this year. I received an email yesterday that said that our article has been selected to win the 2008 Marlowe Froke Outstanding Publication. This is what they sent us about the award:

2008 Marlowe Froke Outstanding Publication Award

The Association for Continuing Higher Education initiated the Outstanding Publication Award in 2002. The ACHE Board voted to name the award in honor of Marlowe Froke, first editor of The Journal of Continuing Higher Education. This award recognizes the most outstanding published article in The Journal of Continuing Higher Education in a given year. It allows ACHE to honor quality research and/or information relevant to continuing higher education.

The award selection committee initially rated articles on the basis of both content and style. They then selected the article that they thought stimulated the reader to think, provided new ideas, showed innovation, and contributed to the profession.

This year marks the seventh year that the Marlowe Froke Outstanding Publication Award has been given. The 2008 award winners are Jeff E. Hoyt, Scott L. Howell, Lee J. Glines, Cary Johnson, Jonathan S. Spackman, Carrie Thompson, and Chandler Rudd. The title of their article is “Assessing Part-Time Faculty Job Satisfaction in Continuing Higher Education: Implications for the Profession.” It appeared in the Winter 2008 issue of The Journal of Continuing Higher Education.

In selecting this article as the award recipient, the committee noted:

The winning article addresses a critically important topic as continuing higher education as well as higher education in general depend increasingly on the talents and satisfaction of a part-time faculty workforce. The authors conducted a high quality, extensive, and useful literature review on satisfaction of faculty in general and part-time faculty in particular, which alone adds to our knowledge about how to work with and support part-time faculty in our programs. The methods employed were appropriate to the research questions and addressed the research problem at a high level of sophistication. The authors draw extensively from their findings to highlight several important implications for continuing higher education practice.

This was really a surprise and something exciting about some of the fun things I get to do.

New Semester?

2008-08-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

Since I've been told that I'm bad for only posting once a semester, I'll try to post a little bit more.

I was able to go to California with Mom and Dad and we had such a fun time. It was great to be with them and to also see Amy's family. It was great fun! We also got to go to Sea World (Shampu, Shampu) and the beach. It was so nice! Thank you Mom and Dad and Amy and David for hosting us there!

Over the weekend I was also able to clean house and do laundry. I guess I need to do my room next. ;) I'll work on it!

Anyway, I'm back at work today trying to finish up everything that needs to be done before school starts. I can't believe it's already time. The summer just flew by!
Love you all!

Life is Good

2008-06-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

I just realized that my last post was at the beginning of Spring term and now Spring term has finished and Summer term has begun. I had a really good Spring term with 6 students. I was really impressed by them. I did try to have activities that really involved them and had them share their experiences. It worked really quite well. I had fun with them.

I also started working at the Center for Teaching and Learning here at BYU. I had the opportunity of helping at the ICED Conference (International Consortium for Educational Development). A lot of the conference was about faculty development and training. I did get to go to a couple of sessions, but mostly I was a volunteer so I ran lots of errands, sat at the information table, and that is about all. It turned out really well.

In addition to the Conference, I was assigned to work on a project with the College of Nursing. They are working on their practice labs and want the students to work with real "patients" (mannequins) that have a whole history and story behind them so they can develop better critical thinking. The faculty developed some scripts and then I got to put them in a format where one student would be the assistant and one would be the nurse and then they would switch for a different scenario. With their scenarios, they would practice everything they learned in their classes and the demonstrations.

I spent two days down in the basement of one of the buildings here on campus that is a fully-filled hospital (but no patients). But they have the beds and all of the equipment and materials that you would find in a hospital. I learned so many fun things (i.e. how to give a bed bath and change the sheets with a patient inside the bed, how to wet-dress a wound, how to insert a catheter, how to provide oral care for someone with head trauma). It was really neat to work on the project and now we are almost finished with it.

Yesterday I started taking a class called Applied Creativity. I am really excited about it and am looking forward to unlocking creativity (I just hope there is some inside to unlock). Yesterday we talked about barriers to creativity and now I want to learn how to overcome those barriers.

Anyway, that's the update on me. I love you all!

Beginning a New Semester Is Fun

2008-04-30T11:51:00.001-07:00

The last three days I have worked really hard preparing for this new semester. I am teaching a class on Literacy Development for teachers of English Language Learners. I finally solidified everything this morning. I decided I want my students to have something practical when they finish this semester, so I decided their final project (with parts all along the way) is going to be a book project. I want them to pick a book that they could teach to a class of ESL students. After we talk about each of our topics, I want them to create an activity or two that will correspond with their book that they have chosen. Then when they are finished with the semester, they will have a complete book project that they can take into a classroom that they enter. It would also be good if they are able to share, so not only will they walk away with their own, but they will also have one from each of their classmates. I hope they don't hate it! I think it would be really useful, but their viewpoint is often different than mine. I feel a little bit mean because they are going to have a lot to do, but I feel that it will be valuable.

So, I went to my Learning Theory class and I was the only person signed up for the class. I talked to the professor and we decided that it would be best if I just took it in the Fall. I am really pretty excited about it because I will have a break this spring. I have talked to the Center for Teaching and Learning and I will work for them starting on some projects probably next week. I'll probably only work 10 hours per week and then I'll teach my class. It is going to be a great summer!!!

End of Semester

2008-04-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

The semester has finally finished. I submitted my project and my grades today!!!!! Hooray! I was so excited about my final project (excited that it is finished, that is). It feels s/o good to have it done. You can check it out at this website
http://ipt.byu.edu/~johnsonc/menu.htm

It is the last project listed (Units 7-8).

So now it's time to prepare for my first class on Wednesday. I need to work on a new syllabus. Shall I be a mean teacher or shall I be nice? I hope it's a good summer. I only have 8 students signed up for class. Won't that be nice?

Congratulations to Lori! Jordan, good luck on your last final!
And everyone else - Love you all!

Sweet Sunbeams

2008-03-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got to church and sat down in my pew and was getting ready for the meeting to begin when my twin Sunbeams came up to me and handed me a rose and said, "This is for being a nice Primary teacher." They were so cute and I just thought the flower was so pretty. It really was the sweetest thing!

I think the kids are getting used to what Primary is all about. They are doing a lot better!

I love you all!

Being grateful

2008-03-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday and today I attended the Utah chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education (Utah NAME) conference. My friend Ramona was the chair of the conference. This morning they had invited a group of Native Americans to post the colors. They did it to a drum song on a really big drum played by about 8 of them. It was one of the most touching experiences I have had with the posting of the colors. I stood and cried during most of it. Then after they brought the flags down, one of the girls sang The Star-Spangled Banner. Once again, the tears just came. I was so moved by the gratitude I felt in being here and the blessings that I have. I feel that I often take my blessings for granted.

One of the sessions I attended today was about the refugee placement that is going on here in Utah. Utah is one of the sites that receive a lot of refugees. The presenter talked about how so many of these refugees have lived in refugee camps for 30 or 40 years because they escaped horrible conditions in their countries. The refugee camps had very few amenities and many of the people have been malnourished. Now the US has agreed that they can come here and receive protection. Life is very difficult for these refugees because they have lived in fear for so long, and now they have come to a new land and culture where they have so much to learn. Just listening made me feel even more grateful. We have so much and we don't even think about how much we enjoy. Even things as simple as being able to read and having clean drinking water.

In like a lion

2008-03-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

I decided (it wasn't very hard) that March has come in like a lion. Hopefully it actually will go out like a lamb.

This last little bit has been so busy. However, I'm hoping that will change a little bit. Two of the classes that I have been co-teaching have gone out to do a practicum in the schools, so they are not at BYU during the day for the next five weeks. So that means I can hopefully write a paper for our conference in Washington DC (March 28-April 1) and write a proposal for a paper to present at the Evaluation conference in Denver next fall. So it actually won't slow down any, but hopefully I will be able to focus on my writing a little bit.

My classes are going well. I really enjoy all of them. Right now in my programming class, I am learning how to write a quiz. So that is a lot of fun. It has been interesting to me how the concepts I learned when I took programming in BASIC lo these many years ago at Adams State have come back to my memory. It has been amazing. It has just been so long ago.

In my distance education class on Monday we talked about creativity. I was excited to think about the fact that creativity doesn't necessarily mean "artsy" because I'm certainly not that. But really, it is being able to think about things in a new or different way.

I have also been thinking about the power of networking. Some of that networking is virtual, but a lot of it happens in everyday interactions. I listened to a presenter (David Wiley) talk about the benefits of networking and how to go about doing it (to listen to his presentation, go to iptso.wordpress.com) and I realized that the "pick me" syndrome that I have is really a good networking tool because I am able to work with so many people. So being a "pick me" person is not all bad. :)

New Hair

2008-02-13T16:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I decided it was time to do something new with my hair. So Lori was home from school and had some time, so we went to Fantastic Sam's and I got a haircut. Then the stylist styled it for me. Wow, was it big when she finished. We went back to my house and "fixed" it so it wasn't quite so big and fluffy. I really like it. Of course, today, I tried to do something similar, but it didn't turn out like I thought it would. Oh well. That's how it usually happens. Que va a hacer?

Proud of Myself

2008-01-30T14:07:00.000-08:00

Hehe. I just finished a little programming assignment from one of my classes where I am learning to do web programming. So all I can do are simple little things...but I wanted to post the link to my project page so you can see what I have done. It is exciting what you can do with a few little tags and words and numbers. I got really excited when it actually worked!

http://ipt.byu.edu/~johnsonc/menu.htm

Enjoy!

Wow!

2008-01-15T12:51:00.000-08:00

What a wild semester already! But it's so fun! I love my classes a lot. I am taking a Distance Education class (how to create one). I'm learning a lot about the theories behind it, and how to do it. I'm also taking a computer programming class (how to do web programming) and I'm learning a lot there too. I wish I could pick it up a little more quickly though. I have to think about it.

I am also teaching. I have my Linguistics 230 class, and it is a lot of fun. I have good students and they are working hard. I need to work on my activities to make sure my students are always actively involved. I am enjoying them though. Then I am team-teaching two sections of Foundations of Bilingual Education with a professor from the Teacher Education Department. I am learning a ton from her and I am enjoying what I am learning. It is a great experience.

Today I got to hear President Eyring as the Devotional speaker. He spoke about how the Savior is the Great Deliverer and how He will comfort and guide when we lose loved ones to death, when we are faced with great challenges, and when we need to repent. I love listening to him talk.

Thank you EVERYONE!

2008-01-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone who made my birthday special! It was a crazy day, full of meetings and organizing everything, but it was a good day! I couldn't believe how much I actually got done. I wish I had been there when Lori came for lunch. Sorry Lori! :(
Thank you for the nice gifts, for the dinner, the flowers, the books, the money, and all of the nice thoughts. It was a special day! I am so glad to belong to a good family. Thanks for all you do! I love you all!

Happy, Happy Thoughts

2007-12-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

YAY!!! I finished my paper today! I am so excited. After I finished, I felt like jumping up and down. I felt better about it than any other review of literature I've ever written, and I had FUN writing it. That has never happened before. It's a beautiful day!!!

Grading, Yes I Am

2007-12-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

So now I'm grading and writing. I'm excited because I feel that my paper is taking shape and I feel that I have many things to say in it. Now I'm working on grading my students' projects so I can return them to them on Wednesday. I'm almost done! WOW! I really am impressed with my students this semester. It seems that they have done a lot of extra things that students in other semesters haven't. It has really been very impressive!

Paper, Paper, Paper

2007-12-11T07:34:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted anything in awhile. I've been working really hard on my paper and projects and grading, but I still have lots to do on all of them, so I guess I need to get to working more!

Last night was so great! We went on the Polar Express train ride with Lori and Jordan, Clint, Megan and boys, and Vibeke's family. It was so neat! What a fun (and probably expensive) hobby to have! They had it set up really nicely and we had such a fun time. Then we went back to Lori and Jordan's for hot cocoa and a little visiting. It really was a good night!

Twinkies!!!

2007-11-19T11:27:00.001-08:00

We were trying to be like Nuni and Sofi, except it wasn't planned. We both went to walk in the indoor track and noticed we both had on khaki pants and green shirts. Aren't we funny?
So ladies, when you come, be sure to bring your khakis and green so we can all be the same. ;) ;)

Fun things in Baltimore

2007-11-19T08:26:00.000-08:00

While I was in Baltimore, I got to do and see some fun things. First, I got to go to the Cheesecake Factory. Mmmm... was my key lime cheesecake good. I had to get it to go though because I was too full to eat at the restaurant.

The next morning, we decided to tour the USS Constellation in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. It is one of the last sail warships the Navy built.
It is really quite a fascinating ship.

Staying in Baltimore was great! I don't think I've ever slept so well in a hotel. Wow! I slept hard every night and the bed was super comfortable. It must have been all of the pillows.

And then I had to come home. It was a fun trip. Here I am in the Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Airport.

The End.

Baltimore

2007-11-09T04:50:00.000-08:00

I finally have been able to get onto the internet. Baltimore has been great. It is a beautiful old city! It has been somewhat cold here, but it is November. Our presentation went really well and we had some good attendees. I am feeling a lot better and have taken several opportunities to take naps! ;) It has felt really good. I'll post some pictures of what I'm doing here when I get back. I need to get over to the opening session, so I'll write more later. Love you all!

Pictures

2007-11-02T13:08:00.001-07:00

Clint told me I didn't post enough pictures, so here's one of the Disneyland Magical Castle, Mickey Mouse, and the hotel I stayed at while I was in Anaheim - It was the Quality Inn Maingate - Just about 3/4 mile from Disneyland.

Horray for Friday!

2007-11-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's Friday!!! I can't believe how quickly this week went! So about Saturday while I was at AECT, I lost my voice. It was pretty much gone on Sunday too. I did go to Sacrament Meeting, but I found someone who could sub for my primary class. I basically slept all day. Monday was interesting because, although I had a little more voice, I still didn't have very much. So my portion of class was very short and my students talked in groups about their projects. Monday afternoon, I just slept too. Tuesday, I decided I'd go to the doctor, and he said that I had lanryngeal tracheitis or something to that effect. He gave me some cough medicine with codeine (that wakes me up) and some expectorant drug that opened up my lungs really well. So I've been coughing and spitting and being a real lady as I've worked to get over the craziness. I am feeling a lot better today than I have all week.

This weekend I'm getting a presentation ready to present in Baltimore. I'll be going there on Tuesday. I am also going to grade my students' midterms that they did while I was gone last week. Then I'll work on creating a bibliography for a paper I need to write before the end of the semester. Then I hope I'll have time to take a nap...I guess I'd better get busy. Life is good!

Last week was too crazy...

2007-10-22T16:12:00.000-07:00

I didn't think I would be so busy last week, but I had lots of meetings and lots of things to do. The weekend was busy too. Now I'm on my way to California. I hadn't heard about the fires there until I arrived at the airport in Salt Lake. I'm sitting in Phoenix now waiting for my next flight. I am hoping that I'll be able to make it there okay. I am going to a conference at the Hyatt in Orange County - They say it's really close to Disneyland. So won't that be fun! The conference I"m going to is the Association of Education Communication and Technology. I haven't been to a conference for IP&T before, so it might be really interesting. I think this one will have lots of techies (sp?). It'll be good. It's nice to have a few minutes to sit for a little bit.

If I see Mickey Mouse, I'll take a picture!
Love you all!

Busy, Busy

2007-10-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was so funny. For IP&T, we started having a lunch once a week so people can mingle and network with each other - faculty and students. So I decided if I took a crock pot with soup in it, then I could drop it off and leave it during the day. So that is what I did. Every time I walked into the McKay building, I could smell the soup all the way down the hall and a number of other people told me the same thing. So I made chicken soup and Sara Joy made chili. I also made some rolls and we had chocolate chip cookies and pink icing cookies. I was really excited to see how people did start to meet other people. It made it all worth it. We even had other people from other departments coming by for a cookie. :)

Last night I worked on my research synthesis assignment and I think I know what I want to do my research on. I want to understand how ESL teachers learn how to teach. I want to look at Elementary/Secondary teachers, Higher education teachers (like the ELC) and I also want to look at schools that are not affiliated with a university to see if the program that the students attend affects their learning. I am really excited now!

I also had an insight that was interesting to me. I was reading in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

16 Know ye not that ye are the ^atemple of God, and that the ^bSpirit of God dwelleth ^cin you?

17 If any man ^adefile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is ^bholy, which temple ye are.
Always before, I have just thought of this as being moral cleanliness, but really, I think it encompasses all of caring for our physical bodies. It includes feeding them, exercising them, expanding our mind through our studies (spiritual and temporal), resting, and caring for our emotional needs, etc. So I decided I need to work more on taking better care of my own body.

Great Day

2007-10-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today has been an interesting day. I attended the BYU devotional today. The Senate-Majority Leader, Harry Reid, spoke on Faith, Family, and Public Service. I was really impressed with him. He talked about growing up in a mining town in southern Nevada. He said his education is what changed his life. Especially because that is where he came into contact with the Church.
Afterwards, I had agreed to meet a former student to help her on her paper, but she said we needed to go eat lunch first. She is funny because if I order something small, she gets mad at me. I decided I'm going to take dinner to her family on Sunday because it is her birthday on Saturday. Then I helped her with her paper.

This afternoon I have been researching a couple of different topics. I'm trying to decide what I want to research for my class this semester. For one of the classes I am going to write about how students develop their language in study abroad programs. In the other class, I think I want to research how people learn to be teachers. I don't know why finding a topic is so hard. I guess there are many topics I am interested in, so I have a hard time pinning it down to one focused topic.

Tonight I'll go teach my Daily Dose class. We have had a few new people come to class, so that has made it really nice. It's good to have a group to teach rather than one or two.

2007-10-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

Please Help!!!

2007-10-08T12:46:00.001-07:00

Does anyone have a good soup recipe to use in the crock pot? I need to make a soup on Wednesday and need some good ideas! Thanks!

The First Day

2007-10-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

So here's the first day on my blog. I should have been reading an article for class, but I created a blog instead. Lori was my assistant. So... this morning I taught my class about understanding how the context of a conversation helps us understand the meaning of it. It was pretty exciting. Or not. Then I met with one of my students because she missed class the other day, so I caught her up. Lori came by the office then and so we've been working oh so hard. In the middle of our "studies" I got an email saying that I had messed up a test for a project I am doing. I had to fix it and try to find a new test to give the students. It's making me a little nervous. It'll work out though, or it won't.

Now, it's time to hit the books.