The Andersons

I can't believe it's been ten years! Since being baptized my life has been drastically different. When I describe my teenage life people often don't believe me - because it is honestly light years away from where I am today. As I reflect on this monumental decision from my past I realize that everything that has happened since is because I had the courage to hope in good things to come, to hope in Christ, and to hope I could become something and someone more. Hope is powerful! My journey of faith, over the past ten years, overall, has been relatively easy. I have been very lucky. Many of my trials have come from the ways that my E.G.O (Edging God Out) slips into the crevices of my life. Turns out ego and faith don't mix all too well. I often find myself turning to God simply because I've been stubborn and like to think that I'm capable and independent. It's a very humbling experience to have to turn to Him multiple times each day to ask for help with th...

Dear Family and Friends, We're sorry we're terrible at keeping everyone up-to-date on our lives. We are in the busiest stage of our lives thus far. Jeremy is really putting in the time and effort to develop his skills to become the best dentist he can be. He comes home both physically and mentally tired, but invigorated about what he's doing. As his wife, it's so inspiring to hear him talk about his passion, and to see him so engaged in his work (studies).  Chloe is growing incredibly fast. Not height-wise (she didn't hit the gene jackpot there), but her motor- and verbal- skills are expanding rapidly at this age. She's 21 months old today. We stopped counting how many words she could say around 16 months. At her 18 month appointment her doctor said she was speaking like a 2year old; and it's only kept growing. She regularly speaks in 3-4 word sentences, and loves repeating our dinner prayers (I still have yet to be sneaky enough to get it on cam...

Hello there! We have been busy busy busy! But usually with the normal day in and day out sort of stuff. I have been loving working as an intern - management of a 2nd grade classroom was hard at first, but I think I've got the hang of it (with the exception of 2 students who really try to push the limit). I have also been able to pick-up a few more shifts with Eleutian, which helps to make up for the fact that I'm only making HALF-salary as a FULL-TIME teacher! I have started to find my niche on my team - Mrs. Davies was the intern in 2nd grade last year, and we get along really well. Her husband is a smarty-pants nerd just like Jerm. We were able to go on a double date up to Sundance for a haunted ski-lift ride on Halloween. While it was super fun, it was a little toooooooooo freezing to go over the crest of the mountain at night - we seriously couldn't feel our toes, feet, or legs - making getting off the ski lift very painful, until our legs thawed a little. We a...

at-a-glance: - I got an internship in Nebo School District! I am teaching 2nd grade at Barnett Elementary. - We spent Summer Term in Portland, Oregon and Hawaii! Highlights were the helicopter tour of Kauai, and the hundreds of sea turtles on turtle beach in Oahu.  - I lived alone (with my cats) for a month while Jeremy finished shadowing dentists in Oregon. - Started teaching 2nd grade - which has been a bit crazy, and slightly stressful, but overall a really good experience. I have really stinking cute kids. - Jeremy is attending school full-time at BYU; he has his hands full with Physics, Genetics, and Chemistry this semester; however, he always manages to clean and cook multiple times a week to make-up for my slack.

These are the two school districts I am allowed to apply for an internship at. However, I can choose one, and only ONE district to apply for. My decision had basically been made since applying to the Early Childhood Education program at BYU last year. My choice has always been Alpine. I completed my observational requirements in Alpine, class volunteer requirements, and now my practicum experience in Alpine. Sign-ups for interviews came around (last Thursday), I went to sign up and didn't feel settled about my decision at all, even though I  had thought it all through, there was no reason for me not to sign up for Alpine. Except... Feeling that it wasn't right for me. I walk over to Nebo's sign-up table. Talk to the representatives there. They were friendly, warm and inviting. But still, my mind is swimming, almost shouting "But the prospects of getting a job at an amazing school right after my internship look incredible in Alpine if I intern there!...

ROCKS! Not only have I inherited a whole other awesome family (that makes 2 incredibly fun-loving families for me - or just 1 BIG one), but there are a ton of other great things about it too. And one in particular that I cash in on frequently. Test taking abilities. Or just performance abilities in general. It seems that when I married Jeremy, and we became one, I got his brilliance as well. Jeremy and his siblings are all amazing at anything they do, and test-taking was definitely one of those things. I know it sounds silly, but truly, I was terrible. Now, somehow, overnight it all changed. What. A. Blessing! This semester is one where my examinations are a combination of (1) everything we are supposed to have learned up to this point and (2) our ability to implement all that knowledge in a classroom. First, I received passing scores on all parts of the PRAXIS certification exam on the first try. Second, I have received a 97-100% on all exams this semester. Third, I was rated ...