a favor

Please check out Just Cook Already. It is a wonderful blog with amazing recipes and fantastic giveaways! (Great adjectives, right?) They gave away Williams-Sonoma spatulas, and now they are giving away these two awesome kitchen gadgets! Thank you.

New and Improved

The Truth

I’m not going to lie, it sucks being alone in Idaho. I loved it when I was in college, and I dealt with it when I was married, but it seems like the worst place to be when I am divorced. Maybe it’s just my own self-conscious thinking, but I feel like people are walking around judging me. Even if I don’t know them, I feel like they can somehow tell I’m divorced and they say to themselves, “Oh my, what a pathetic person to be divorced. How could she? Doesn’t she know that no success can compensate for failure in the home???”. Granted Rexburg is a bit more conservative (is that the right political word?) that way. I know when I move somewhere else, it won’t seem as bad. But living in a city with 378,561 young, “happy”, Mormon, marrieds sucks.

I hate that I always have to be dressed to the max whenever I leave my house, for fear that I will run into Tyler or his sisters. (You might be thinking how possible is that? The answer: very. I’ve run into his sisters a few times.) I wish I didn’t care, but I do. I want to be like, “In your face, look how hot I am!”, but I really can’t do that in sweatpants or without my bare minerals. So instead, I primp it up before I leave.

Luckily I will be busy enough with work and school, and I have a few really great friends to pass time by with (and soon a new baby to play with... hurry up Baby Watkins!). Before I know it, it will be summer again, and I will be moving back to Canada (crossing my fingers for Calgary!), or Arizona, or Vegas...

Now I am off to my classroom, because that place makes me so so happy.

The End Result

Click here to see the before.

Thanks to my wonderful friends, my storage unit is all unpacked! It feels so good to have everything in its place. It was so overwhelming to have millions of boxes filling my apartment. Now it feels wonderful!

I found my futon! It is finally available for anyone to sleep on! And it really is comfortable, especially with the memory foam on it.


Look at that beautifully organized bookshelf! Nice job, Jess!


Such a wonderfully organized closet! I can find everything now!

PS Something’s up with my camera. These pictures are awful. I think I need a new one.

Dear First Graders,

How did you get to be so wonderful? You make me so happy when you finally raise your hand to talk. I especially love when you randomly raise your hand and say,”I just love first grade. It is so fun.” Or when you bring me the “most special rock I could find” as a gift from outside. I think you are so cute when you come in from recess shaking and crying, “I yost my choose duh wight wing in duh gwass!”. How sweet and tender you are! I am so excited to spend this year learning, growing, and laughing with you. Now I must go gather up the energy to teach you again tomorrow.

Love, Ms. Van Orman

boxes, boxes, everywhere

This is my project for today.







Emptying, and organizing everything from my storage unit.

Although I would rather be here



or here



or most definitely here

blah

So tired.
Incredibly worn out.
Forgot how helpless and needy first graders are.
Too many whiny, dependent children.
Seriously going to bed before 8 o’clock.
Because I can.
And have to do it all again tomorrow.
Good night.

Camping

10 members of the Van Orman family
9 loops around the camp ground pulling/pushing a wagon/stroller to keep Gracie happy
8 rounds of cards (war, crib, pass the trash…)
7 hours at the beach (not nearly enough)
6 attempts at the log roll (I eventually gave up)
5 aphids swallowed
4 camp fires
3 trips to the awesome tree fort
2 yummy desserts
1 lifetime of memories

Shower Power

Last night we had a baby shower for my friend, Michelle. Since we didn’t have much else to do during the day, Michelle and I planned a big party! We had yummy food, fun games, and a great turnout!

Decorating cupcakes

Fabulous decorations

Party favors complete with "It's a Boy!" ribbon

The beautiful mommy to be!

The aftermath

Mothers and daughters