Yes, I am a dare devil!

My amazing train jump video on YouTube has had over 31,000 views!

A lot of people think it's real, some people think it's fake, what's your opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yK6BMZN2Bs

P.S. I apologize for some of the coments that people have put about the video, but they are kind of funny to read.

Love Letters

So, I just read this post on one of my favorite blogs, Bloom. It reminded me that I haven't written my sweetheart a love-letter in a while, so here I am.

Mel,

You are the BEST. And I'm not just saying that. I loved being able to eat breakfast with you this morning. I just hope I get to see you long enough to give you a big kiss before I have to run to class tonight.

I love our late-night talks about anything and everything. I love that you're always willing to help with dinner, even when I make you grate the cheese and set the table every time. I love that you like holding my hand as much as I like holding yours. I love how you send me little e-cards for no reason whatsoever. And I love that you don't get mad, even when I haven't made the bed for a whole week.

I cherish all the time we get to spend together, and I love that you make me do my homework before dinner, so we can cuddle in front of the TV after.

I know that your divorce was hard on you, and I hope that I can help heal those wounds. I hope some day that we can take it for granted that we will be together forever, not because we're getting lazy, but because we love each other so much that we simply know it will never change. I want to grow old with you and be one of those cute couples who always hold hands, even when they're ninety.

In short, I love you and I miss you. I'll see you tonight.
Mal

Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Okay, so I'm copying Rachael by showing pictures of the homemade peanut butter ice cream I made. It turned out SOOOO yummy! And it was super easy. I got the recipe here, after I searched for it on google.

These are the ingredients for the ice cream.

This is what I mixed into it.

I then put this mess into the freezer to harden (after I froze it in the ice cream maker).

And this is the finished (and displayed!) product. Oh so yummy!

Halloween!!!

Well, here's some of what I've been doing with my life in the last month.

1. Teaching. I am LOVING my job because these 13 6th-graders just LOVE to learn! They want to know EVERYTHING! It's such a difference from last year when I would ask a question and I swear you could hear crickets chirping. Now, I ask a question and half my class raises a hand. It's so much fun!

2. Learning. My master's classes are keeping me very busy. In fact, I just barely finished a paper (that was actually due yesterday. oops!).

3. Sewing. Before I got my job I was super bored, so Mel suggested that I could make us some Halloween Costumes! I'll give you one guess for what my costume is. You're right! It's Eeyore, and Mel is Tigger. They turned out super cute. I'll make sure and get some pictures soon.

4. Coughing. All week. Need I say more?

5. Reading Bloom, a cute blog that Rachael introduced me to. They have fun giveaways like this one, and all sorts of cute ideas for fun things to do.

6. Getting ready for some fun Murder Mystery parties that we are throwing for our families. Gotta go make some homemade ice cream for tonight's party!

My week has been CRAZY!!

So, I got a call last Friday evening to interview for a job that I had applied for in Provo School District. It was only 10 hours a week, so I wasn't even sure if it would work for the ARL program because they said I needed to be at least half time. I told them that at the interview on Monday and left feeling like they wanted me for the job but we all weren't sure if it would work.

I went to JoAnn's after the interview to pick up the last bits of fabric for my Eeyore costume that I'm making for Halloween (Tigger for Mel if I can get them finished), and I got a phone call while I was there. It was the assistant superintendent from Provo who had been in my interview. He had just talked to James Schindler, the guy in charge of ARL and James said that the 10 hours would work because I worked full-time last year. So he offered me the job! I'll be teaching 5th and 6th graders at the Center for Accelerated Studies. They'll be learning Algebra and Geometry. I think I'll only have about 15 students, so it should be a very interesting experience. I'm excited.

So, because I got a job, I have to start taking classes, so all day Tuesday I spent talking to various people about getting signed up for school and taking the classes I need. If I work hard, I should be able to get my license by the end of next Summer and my Master's degree by the end of Spring 2011!! Wow! So in one day I went from having all the time in the world (hence the Halloween costumes), to having very little time at all. I managed to get signed up in time to attend my first class Tuesday night and I have another one tonight, then I meet my students on Monday and will probably start teaching next week too. Wow! I can't believe it. Everything happened so fast. When I told Mel that I had a class on Tuesday night he said, "Man. Things are moving as fast as when we were dating! ;)" Which is entirely true!

Well, time for breakfast so that will have to be it for a while.

New "look"

So, I guess I was bored today because I found this really cute background and decided that our blog needed a new look. (Mel, I hope you don't mind that it's all "girly" now)

As far as other things go, we had a great time at the family reunion (if you ignore all the mosquitoes and all the rain, and the fact that we left early because of them!).

Mel and I had fun riding the ATV's and hiking around the lake, and most of the rest of the family had fun sleeping in the lake (as in, their tents became lakes because it rained all night). Our tent actually held up pretty well, but by morning there were about three spots where the rain had soaked through and was dripping on us.

So, on our way home, as we were driving through Salt Lake, there was a GEORGEOUS rainbow. I've never seen one so bright! It was double all the way around.

SPOILER ALERT!

My family isn't supposed to know about this project until August, but since they never read or check out my blogs, I think I'm okay.

Here are a couple photos from the family reunion film that Malinda and I are putting together. Malinda plays the role of Satan. And (no offense baby) she is good at it. :) It's in post-production now. After facing major computer difficulties it's coming along.

Anyway, to see the final film, come to the family reunion.

All I can think to say to that last posting is: "You deserve it."

I love that you will actually play x-box with me. That you will humor me in my hobbies and support me in the little things I enjoy doing. Even if they are a little strange. I love that you will do little things even if it is for the simple reason that they are important to me. I love that you appreciate me when I pamper you. I love how we try to encourage each other to become better people and work on our unpleasant habbits. I love that you strive to grow stronger spiritually with me and that we can support, strengthen each other. I love that we are tender to each other and care about each others feelings so much that we are careful with what we say and do.

I hope many many years down the road, we can read these postings and realize that we still respect, love, cherish, and enjoy each other the same, if not more.

Thank you for your kind words of encouragment. They keep me going and growing. Finding you was nothing less than a miricle. My Heavenly Father above, saw me hurting, and feeling low and decited to pick me up in the best way imaginable.

I love you Malinda Jean. More than you will ever know. :)

Love letters

So, I always used to get pretty jealous when my sister-in-law would post things like this because I wanted to be able to do the same. So, here's my love letter to my husband.

Mel, you are the best. I love the fact that you would get up with me every morning at 6 just so you could spend a little time with me and that you would make me breakfast so I could get a good breakfast before I went to work. I love the fact that you want to come home to me as much as I want to come home to you. I love the fact that you want to work on making our marriage stronger even though it's already really strong.

I'm so grateful that you will "help" me with the laundry and making the bed (and by help, I mean that you do most of it!), and then you'll do most of my dishes and help me make dinner.

I love how you like to cuddle with me all night, even when you're too hot, and how you'll always get up to close the window if I'm too cold.

I love that you'd rather play games with me when you could get with your friends on x-box. I love that you love camping as much as I do, and that you'll help get things ready instead of making me do it all.

So, on this day, six months from the day we met, I'm so very glad that I married you and that we both got divorced (as much as that sucked!), so we could get married. And I'm glad that we're re-trying our first date, and hopefully it will turn out better than it did that day (though that date ended up being pretty fun).

I love you Mel, and I'll see you when you get home.
:-*

DISNEYLAND!

Click on the image to see a larger version.

We had a wonderful trip playing for three days at Disneyland and California Adventure. We went with Malinda's sister Tara and her adorable neice Lena.

Here is a collage that we put together to show you some of the fun things that we did.

Grrrrr

I'm sorry for not posting anything yet. Teaching school and being married at the same time is proving to be VERY time-consuming. Plus, I was called as the ward choir pianist, which I couldn't turn down but I really don't have time for right now. Though, school will be over in 2 months. As far as next year goes, I don't know what I'm going to do. The school has chosen not to renew my contract for whatever reason (which I REALLY don't want to get into), so I have to find a new job. The question is, do I try to get a job teaching or do I go in another direction? I guess we'll see. I'll try to keep you posted. :D

Two Month Anniversary!

Yes, that's right, we have been offically married for two months now. We are loving life and each other. Monday evenings we have Family Home Evening, Tuesday evenings I have class, 3 left. Wednesday evening we spend it together or go to Institute, Thursday evening we go Roller Skating, and Friday we take dance lessons together. The weekends we have all kinds of fun and do the things that need to be done to prepare for the upcoming week.

Right now we are living in the downstairs of Malinda's parents house. It's nice and her parents are great. So far, it's working out well.

I am now working at Nu Skin and enjoying it. The company treats me very well.

Malinda has her up and down days teaching Jr. High Algebra in Lehi, but for the most part, she seems to enjoy it and she makes pretty good money. We are both glad to have employment in this terrible economy, even if they are not the best.

We read the scriptures together every night, pray together, and are striving to keep our relationship strong, healthy and happy.

Mini Honeymoon

Yes, when I say Mini Honeymoon, I mean we are planning something a little more extensive later on. You will hear more about that when the time comes.

But for now, Malinda and I were married in American Fork on the 23rd of January! We disappeared for the weekend. Starting with a romantic night at the Hines Mansion Bed and Breakfast in Provo. Then, headed up to Lava Hot Springs in Idaho to spend another night at the Moose Hollow Bed & Breakfast. Where we are now.

We met on the 5th of December, after flirting with one another from online for about a month. After a lengthy courtship of 20 days, I asked Malinda to marry me and purchased a ring from her from the Shane Company. On the corner of State Street and 7200 South. Good thing I have a friend in the diamond business. 'Cept she preferred pearls, so she found a beautiful one that she adores.


Then on January 6th, on bended knee, and much to my surprise, Malinda proposed to me asked me to be her husband. It was an amusing surprise, to which I, of course, said yes!

So after dating for exactly 7 weeks, we were married! So, after 10 years of blogs and we are still together, you will know that a very short dating experience can last forever if it's right!

Our parents and family are very happy for us both and have welcomed each other into the families. Since we are both from a family of seven, reunions should be quite the party!