Why I've been away so long...

Ah, it feels so nice to be writing again! I have spent way too much time these last 2 weeks reading and grading, planning and packing, and have sorrily neglected my most cathartic pastime. Since this blog is about being candid and honest, the truth is that writing, and for that matter wedding planning, have been too far down on the "to do" list. I know I've said it before, but I'll reiterate, that life cannot be about one single thing, for instance a wedding, because there are just too many factors involved. For one, work, which is something I am equally as passionate about as my wedding, but that takes up as much of my brain power as I can spare at times, like the ends of the quarter. Luckily I have 2 week breaks to get back to a balanced life. Another distraction is people, sometimes time spent with friends is much more rewarding than time spent writing a blog for friends to read from afar. This weekend we've been skiing, last weekend we were camping, it's all about the outdoors in our house, obviously. Now I have some down time, some "me time", thanks to a week of Spring break in Colorado, driving through the state to visit with some of the most important people in my life, and given time to myself to sleep in, read The Hunger Games trilogy, and write once more. I have many stories to tell, and now that I have the time to tell them, I will hopefully be updating more often and will get back into the habit for everyone's enjoyment.

Brides-to-be out there, remember this: Don't apologize when you get tired of the wedding, because sometimes you need balance in life, and weddings tend to tip the scales in one direction for too long a time. Find that balance, take time off, and don't worry about it!

2011 Review

Of all the years of my life, each one seems to get progressively better. 2011 was an amazing year. I have so many wonderful people in my life, as shown by the tremendous support I've received for my wedding, my blog, and all of life's other activities. I cannot wait to see what 2012 will bring. Here are my top 11 memories of 2011 (in no particular order).

1. Our 2-week fall road trip through Colorado in October. Seeing the beautiful colors that covered the state instilled a sense of awe at Mother Nature and renewed (like it was ever gone) my love for the mountains and fall colors. I got to see Aspen and hike the Maroon Bells, go to Crested Butte for the first time and stay in my first hostel, and visit Palisade and the Colorado National Monument.

2. Experiencing the births of many of our friends' first children. It has been amazing to watch (from afar) the little ones grow and learn.

3. Camping trips with two great groups of people, my coworkers and our annual camping trip friends, and getting to tour Tonto Natural Bridge and enjoy all of Payson's natural beauty, namely tall trees and the Rim.

4. Getting 8 ski days in last winter, with the best snow Colorado had seen for years. I skied Winter Park, Copper, and Steamboat with family and friends.

5. Running in the City Search Challenge in Phoenix, a sort of "Amazing Race" for the locals. It was more work than I anticipated, but a memorable and fun experience. 

6. Getting to go to Chicago not once, but twice, for 2 conferences for work. Common Core left some things to be desired, but NCTE (National Council for Teachers of English) was well worth my time.

7. On that note, getting ENGAGED in Chicago on June 26/27 and feeling more loved than ever before while enjoying each minute of our engagement thus far.

8. Christmas with both families, 3 in 24 hours to be exact, and making it work out so that we could be with everyone and see their faces while they opened all the gifts. 

9. Wedding planning, when it was not too stressful, meeting our photographer and planner and getting excited about the final product (our wedding) with everyone's creative input.

10. Sedona, AZ engagement photo session, from climbing in the freezing cold Oak Creek to get that "perfect shot" to changing outside the Chapel on the Rock to get pictures in my favorite outfit before the sun set altogether.

11. Going to Tucson for Kyle's birthday in January and touring the Mission San Xavier, Colossal Cave, and horseback riding through the desert.

Of course, there were many more memorable nights with friends and family, too many to count, and I have realized how lucky we really are to have the life we have. Aside from the events mentioned, successfully reaching over 5000 views on my blog has made me feel even more blessed and has been more rewarding than I ever imagined. Continue on! See you in 2012.

Maroon Bells October 2011

Kyle lounging with Maroon Bells

Fall Color!

My first family bar outing (the youngest is finally 21) in Denver October 2011

"The Bean"- Chicago, IL

City Search Challenge Starting Line

Christmas #3 in Minnesota

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wednesday's Wish- Thanksgiving Edition

Today's wish is not as tangible as the last few weeks' have been. I always try to concentrate on the things I am grateful for during the Thanksgiving holiday. It all started with my dad making us go around the Thanksgiving table and say what we were thankful for each year when we were younger. I try to carry on that tradition with my students by reminding them to be grateful over the weekend, and not greedy like the Black Friday deals may cause some to act.

So I want to start my wish off with a great, big thank you to those who read what I happen to write. One coworker this week, well we were team building, wrote that he/she "loved to read my writing". This meant the world to me, coming from an English teacher. Even if it is the same people who read every post, I really appreciate feeling as though I am heard, and the relief I get from sharing my worries, plus the joy I get from sharing my happiness, makes this worth it for me with or without an audience.

The second part of my wish is that I get 5000 views before the end of the year. I am getting closer and closer to that goal. I am not sure why, but 5000 just feels like I've made something of this blog, like I've become an accomplished writer of sorts. So my Wednesday wish is that you'll recommend my blog to a friend. Maybe it is just a single post that suits someone you know well. Maybe you remind a mutual friend to check the latest updates. Maybe you even subscribe to my blog via e-mail, but whatever you do, please help me to reach my goal. I in turn promise many fulfilling entries, hopefully some laughs, some crazy Friday confessions, and pictures galore!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Thank you.

Friday's Confession- Literary Inspiration

This week I have been hanging out with English peeps at the National Council for Teachers of English conference in Chicago, IL (yes, where I got engaged this past June!- this time without Kyle, unfortunately). Overheard the other day: "Oh my gosh, Nicholas Sparks is going to be here! That is AH-MAY-ZING!" An adult said this. An adult who teaches LITERATURE. An adult that should have in her repertoire much more complex and intriguing, not to mention realistic, love stories. Austen? Bronte? Hell, Shakespeare. I am more than supportive of a variety of literary texts that are out there about the nature of love, which need to exist to support any number of readers and different reading abilities and preferences. But I expected more of you, English-Teacher-who-cares-enough-about-English-to-go-to-a-national-conference-about-it. And thus, my Friday confession this week brings out the literary snob in me:
CONFESSION #2:
I love a love story, but only when it is a tried and true classic love story, and I don't like sappy romance of the modern popular fiction genre.

The thing that irks me beyond all else about this topic is when people deem Romeo and Juliet "the greatest love story of all time." It is a LUST story. It is about suicide, about death, about loss and tragedy of friendship. NOT LOVE (Taylor Swift). Nice allusion, if you would have gotten it correct.

So as I think about my wedding, I hope that I can produce a fabulous, tried and true, authentic love story to continue to share with all of you, my loyal readers, and prove to you that you don't need the shallow or sappy "happy endings" of the contemporary literary world to find out what love is really all about.

Thursday's Digression

Today is the National Day on Writing- as sponsored by the National Council for Teachers of English. In honor of the day, I shared the reasons I write with my students (including showing them my blog!) and here is what best sums up my motivation:

I write because it is a release of emotion. Catharsis is a very real phenomenon. When I am overly stressed, feeling sad or joyful, or even just needing support, I can reach out to everyone through my words. By writing my emotions and thoughts on paper (figuratively), I can take a step back and observe them to learn from them, or I can isolate them so that they are not controlling me.

I write to build intimacy. When I share my ideas, and others can give feedback, I can build upon my already established relationships, and hopefully inspire new ones. I write so I can connect, with empathy, with excitement, and with love.

I am blessed to be able to write about these experiences, and blessed that people (you!) are out there reading. Thank you for your continuous support. I've hit over 2500 views, and that alone is enough to motivate me

to

keep

writing.