How much does your husband love you?

Even though it is late, and I should probably go to bed, I decided to sacrifice a little sleep to record this funny moment.

Yesterday I decided I wanted to get up earlier than I usually do, just for the sake of gaining a little more self-control over my desire to sleep all the time. Anyway, I hit snooze a couple of times and then peeled myself off the bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. After a couple of minutes of standing up, I realized I was still really tired and just kept thinking about going back to bed. Well, the natural woman in me won over that morning, but the logical side of me didn't. In my tired state I decided that I would just take a quick nap on the floor next to the bed with a pillow and blanket. I convinced myself that it would be so uncomfortable, that I would only sleep a little longer.

Well, Jason had gotten out of bed when I did, and when he came back into the bedroom and saw me laying of the floor he asked, "What are you doing?" I replied that I was taking a little nap, and before I knew it . . . he was on the floor next to me. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Well," he said, "if my wife's going back to bed, then I want to go back to bed with her."

The funniness of the situation did not keep me awake more than a couple of minutes. And my little nap turned into another hour of sleep. Apparently the uncomfortable floor wasn't enough to make me get up. It's times like these that I realize how much my husband loves me. :)

Motherhood 101

So I spent 3 1/2 days last week taking care of my two adorable nieces, ages 4 and 1, while my brother and sister-in-law took a cruise to the Bahamas. They needed a break from being parents, and I'm very willing to practice the art of motherhood. After three-and-a-half days, I don't know who learned more, my nieces or me. Here are a few of the lessons we learned:

Kira learned

• she'll survive if her parents are gone for a week
• how to wrap her aunt around her little finger with her adorable smile
  

Talisa learned

• that her aunt and uncle can be really gullible
• a few new places to hide for Hide-n-Seek
• the phrase "ready or not, ye shall be caught"
  
• that when her aunt says 'no,' she means no, even if the result is a 20-min. tantrum

I learned

• that it's nearly impossible to get "work" done when being a mother
• that it's common for mothers to not eat much during meal times, or have delayed meal times when feeding children
• that nap times and an early bed time are a must
• that although TV shouldn't be used as a babysitter, it sure does help have a few minutes to get myself ready for the day
• a new way to warm up milk
• which battles are worth fighting a 4-yr-old for
• when two little girls are bathing at the same time, there's a good possibility you'll end up wet
• the importance of fathers taking the kids for a while at night when they get home so the mother gets some personal time
• how nice it is to live close to family while being a mother!
  

A Sucessful Defense

Well, I’m happy to report that I passed the oral defense of my master’s development project. I was a little nervous about it, but it went really well, and I passed with very minor revisions. Jason, Kristilyn, Anne Makin, and my supervisor Larry Seawright were all there to support me. At first I was a little nervous to have people there, but now that it’s over, I was actually really glad that they came to support me. It’s kind of hard to believe that it’s almost over. These last two years have gone by very quickly, and I’m not sure if I’m ready to let go of being a BYU student permanently. Even when I was teaching 3rd grade, I still lived in Provo, and when people would ask if I was a student at BYU, I would actually tell them yes half the time before I remembered that I really wasn’t anymore. Anyway, I’ve identified myself with BYU for so many years now that it’s hard to imagine it any other way. I have a feeling that it’s going to be hard for me to let go of that and try to find something else by which to define myself.

Reflecting back on the last two years I must admit that I have grown a lot in how I view education, the world, and myself. I feel that I have conquered a mountain of sorts. A few years ago, a master’s degree seemed so far out of my reach, and yet although the journey has not been easy, I suddenly find myself nearing the top of the climb. The unexpected part comes in that while I am enjoying the view from the top of this most recent mountain, I find myself still dissatisfied and looking around for another mountain to climb. Perhaps it is in the climbing that I feel that I am progressing, or perhaps without a mountain I lose my sense of purpose. I don’t really know, but before I start another mountain climbing adventure, I want to gratefully recognize the influence of many professors, friends, and family members—and also ultimately the Lord for blessing me with the gifts and talents that make this accomplishment possible. My only hope now, is that I will be blessed with eyes to see how I can use what I have gained to bless the lives of others. For in being a teacher, I recognize there is little value in knowledge and skill unless it is shared.