Spring Break: Husband-less

This morning I dropped Ammon off to meet a carpool full of people he doesn't really know. He is joining a big group going to Moab for a rappeling trip arranged by our friend Nate. He is invited every year and since we have been married I have prevented him from going in one way or another every year until this one. I told him he had to go this time because it might be his last chance since all of us are graduating and moving on with life.

That doesn't mean letting him go/ having him gone is any easier! Is it pathetic that even after three whole years of marriage we still can barely stand to be separated even for a few days? Ammon really is a big softie even if he tries to act tough sometimes. He really hates not being with me. This morning he kept asking me if I was sure I didn't want him to stay and drop the whole trip. (extremely tempting) He is only going to be gone till Thursday at the latest, you'd think it wouldn't be a big deal! Yes, I did bawl as I hugged him and drove away.

In my defense, it's a little nerve-wracking to send your husband away to spend a week...

•  with 60 people of which he may know about 6
   (some friends and a whole bunch of friends of friends of friends)

•  involving at least 12 hours of driving

            (I'm paranoid about car accidents, especially when he reminisces about waking up in a lane with oncoming traffic and a tractor coming right at him the 

            night before he leaves. Not comforting!)

•  full of going of cliffs for entertainment purposes

         (Have I mentioned his extreme lack of self preservation?)

• with a weather forecast predicting rain and snow today and tomorrow

           (wet + slick rock= not good for my nerves)

How will I be spending my time?

Besides praying excessively, I have a continuous line up of research papers, reading responses, and presentations to plan...with a girls night or two in the mix. Wish me luck (and pray that I have a husband at the end of the week)!

To buy or not to buy...

Here is the sewing machine I have been eyeing for a while. It is cheap, simple, has lots of fancy options, and I can order it through Walmart which means if it ever spontaneously combusts due to user error I can easily get a new one. This being said, I really have no clue what is considered "good" sewing machine-wise. Any of you professional seamstresses (almost put sewers....definitely not the term I was going for...) out there have any opinion?

My New Goal

Sunday night I was thinking about life and what distractions I could eliminate from it. Two things came to mind...

Since Ammon and I have very different schedules I find myself home alone a lot during the day. I usually use this time for doing my homework, but to fill an empty house sometimes the t.v. is turned on for background noise and facebook is opened to give myself a short --yeah right-- break. Unfortunately, these two very addicting distractions often become my focus and I lose valuable time.

I have made it my new goal to see how long I can go without picking up the remote control or signing into facebook. This isn't an easy undertaking because whenever I open the internet, my fingers automatic begin typing  www.faceb...before I catch myself.

  Proud moment: I am halfway through the week and I've made it so far with complete self-control!
(Although there are some who are skeptical about the validity of my previous statement..namely Ammon.)

The benefits so far:
1) 95% of my homework for the entire week was finished by Monday night!
(The other 5% could have been also if I really felt like b.s.-ing another one page paper on assessment, but I just wasn't in the mood...)
 2) I have kept to my exercise schedule for this week
(Don't ask. It's not at all impressive, but at least it makes me feel healthier until Ammon brings home tootsie rolls)

The pitfalls: 
1) I have replaced my usual facebook and t.v. time with even more blog stalking
(Yes, I created a very big loophole for myself in not eliminating blogs...baby steps right?)

2) Any other free time has been spent researching ways I want to spend my share of the tax return.
(For some crazy reason I've been looking into sewing machines. I don't sew...yet...but all those blogs are giving me false hope. In my mom's defense she tried...and tried...and tried to get me interested, but I was a teenager. Enough said.)

"Why I Can't Stop Reading..."

I'm a regular blog stalker, especially when it comes to the craftier, do-it-yourself blogs. (I'm a little obsessed with home organization ideas, not that our apartment would show it right now.) It's not that I regularly attempt such craftiness myself, I just enjoy the wishful thinking that one day I might be able to complete some of the simpler ideas that they offer. I came across an article  the other day that has an interesting take on these "mormon mommy blogs". It was fascinating to learn about the magnetism these blogs have for people not of our faith. Though I cannot always relate with the talents of these bloggers, I definitely know where the uplifting and happy feelings that resonate from these blogs come from. At the end of the day that Knowledge is enough for me.

Trudging along...

Well, we are a few weeks into our LAST semester here at USU. We both are trying to overcome major senioritis. It is hard playing the waiting game, not knowing where we will end up or if there will even be a job opportunity.

 Ammon is enjoying taking only twelve credits, playing working hard at the computer labs, gathering letters of recommendation from his professors, and applying for jobs all over the country.  Places he has applied to so far are firms in...

Honolulu, Hawaii (first place his resume went)
Tampa, Florida
Boston, Massachusetts
Randolph, Massachusetts
Dallas, Texas
Olympia, Washington
Los Angeles, California
...and probably more, but it's hard to keep track.


I am working towards an ESL endorsement which seems to be made up of six identical courses.  Each class basically includes reading textbooks that cover the same topics (I had to buy 9 this semester!! grrr), writing various forms of one page responses about the reading, taking turns teaching the class so the professor doesn't have to work, and writing a final paper/ completing an interview.

In between readings I am also tutoring a feisty little girl in kindergarten at Wilson Elementary every Tuesday and Thursday. During a personal prayer before bed the other night I was praying for the ability to reach this little girl and help her learn. About ten minutes later I realized that I had never finished my prayer because it had turned into a lesson plan brainstorming session. I had to laugh. I hope that Heavenly Father doesn't mind listening to my lesson plan ideas.

What Next?

I just turned in my one and only final for this semester, and I'm ready to celebrate! Unfortunately, Ammon still has three of his own finals to worry about. I will have to try my hardest to keep my celebrations to a minimum so that he can focus. :)

For both of us this spring will be our last semester. It's hard to believe that we will be entering the "real" world before too long.{ I think I've forgotten how to live life without college.} As soon as this week is over we will start seriously researching and applying for jobs for Ammon. (I will look at my own options after we find a job for him.) We are both feeling really excited at this point, but also nervous about the unknown.

If anyone hears of structural engineer jobs (preferably designing buildings or bridges) or if you have general advice about job hunting please let us know! We'll keep you updated on our progress.

The Thanks I Get from My 6th/ 7th Graders

1) a homemade beaded bookmark

2) candied nuts bought at the book fair down the hall

and...

3) a note:

Dear Mrs. Hedin,
Thank you so much for helping me! Your such a great teacher! I hope you get your tutoring job like you said. Sorry I didn't get you anything. It's because you didn't tell the class. Sorry if you can't read this.

P.S. Thanks for helping me again
P.S.S. Have a good time. My mom wouldn't come and give you a candy bar.
My mom told me to write you a note instead.
P.S.S.S. Sorry if I spelled your name wrong.