Speech Pathology Teaching Program

Whew!! I just received my official acceptance letter in the mail from the Speech Pathology Teaching Program at Nevada State College. I wasn't really worried because the program isn't all that competitive, but it's still a relief to know that I am for sure in. I start classes next month!!

Home Sweet Home

Last night I attended the St. George temple with my parents, sister, and friends for ward temple night. The St. George Temple has always been a favorite of mine. I love old-fashioned things, and have always adored the castle-like look and ornate decor of the oldest temples. Although I had attended the St. George temple to perform baptisms and to witness a sealing, I had never actually gone through a session there before, as my stake is assigned to the Las Vegas temple.  However, the Las Vegas Temple was closed for maintenance, so my ward went to the St. George temple instead.

As usual, I was struck by the beauty, both inside and out, of the St. George Temple. However, I spent the whole time longing for the Las Vegas Temple, for its familiar rooms and passageways. Although I love the St. George temple, the Las Vegas Temple certainly holds the fonder place in my heart. I guess it will always be Home Sweet Home to me.

Last night as I was pondering my strong preference for the Las Vegas temple, I remembered an experience I had during the Las Vegas temple open house when I was 15.  My sister and I decided to volunteer as guides to help direct visitors through the temple. I remember standing outside the temple practically bursting with anticipation as I wondered where we'd be assigned-to the locker room, or the cafeteria, or a sealing room or maybe an endowment room? Well, by some miracle we were assigned to the most coveted location of all, the Celestial Room. Serving in the temple that day was a truly amazing and beautiful experience. I felt the spirit of that sacred room and enjoyed seeing people of all cultures and nationalities passing through it. It was a day I will always remember.

A few weeks later, my parents decided to volunteer at the open house and of course I joined them. As we were checking in my mom mentioned to the person in charge, "Now she's not 16 yet, just 15 1/2. Is she old enough to work inside?"

Let's just say I wanted to kill my mom, especially since the answer was no, I was not. Instead of being able to serve inside the temple that day, I was relegated to helping visitors put on shoe coverings in the parking lot. And to supreme embarassment, I started crying which was definitely not cool for a 15-year-old girl. I ended up having an okay experience serving in that capacity, but it certainly couldn't compare with the one I had experienced earlier in the Celestial Room.

I realized that day the importance of always being worthy to go inside the temple and of just how awful it would be to be kept outside because of unworthiness. Even though my inability to serve inside the temple had nothing to do with choices, and everything to do with age, I still saw an awful glimpse of what it would be like to be kept out of the temple or the Celestial Kingdom because of sin. It was an absolutely horrible feeling. That day I vowed to always be worthy to enter the house of the Lord and that decision has guided my choices ever since. My experience that day is one of the prime reasons for my preference for the Las Vegas Temple and why it still holds a special place in my heart.

100 Totally Random Things About Me

Okay, so this is probably way more info than you could possibly care to know about me, but here it is, 100 random facts about me.

1. I have always been a bookworm.

2. I sometimes get really antsy when I watch movies in a theatre.

3. I hate talking on the phone.

4. I am obsessed with things that smell good-perfume, scented lotions, candles etc.

5. I love wearing really high heels. I fully realize that I will someday break an ankle, but until then....

6. I graduated from BYU.

7. I spent a semester abroad at The BYU Jerusalem Center.

8. I served a mission in Tacoma, Washington.

9. I have a weakness for designer jeans, though I only own a couple of pairs.

10. I think Retin-A is one of the greatest inventions in the history of the earth.

11. I am always trying to lose weight.

12. I am currently the second counselor in the primary and I love it!!

13. My hair is naturally curly, though I rarely wear it that way.

14. I love learning, both formally and informally.
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15. I wish I was a neat freak.

16. I am grateful to have some truly amazing women as my best friends.

17. I have four wonderful children.

18. I wear contacts.

19. I studied Sociology in college, with the intention to eventually go on to get a masters degree in social work.

20. My favorite store is Down East Basics.

21. My favorite books include Rebecca, The Far Pavillions, Gone With The Wind, Jane Eyre, and  Phillippa Carr's Daughters of England series.

22. I like mystery/crime television shows like CSI, Bones, Criminal Minds, and The Mentalist.

23. I love chick flicks.

24. I use four different acne medications to keep my skin clear.

25. I have two older sisters and three younger brothers.

26. My family used to spend a month traveling the country each summer.

27. I get nervous flying on airplanes, especially when there is turbulance.

28. I fantasize about having a summer cottage in England.

29. I have a white/blue personality type on Color Code Personality Type.

30. I am an INFJ on the Myers-Brigg test.

31. I love to go for long walks in the evenings with my son Matthew.

32. My daughter Makenna lives in a constant state of mortification regarding some aspect of my appearance.

33. I really enjoyed serving in the Young Women's organization.

34. I am shy in big groups of people, but usually fairly comfortable in one-on-one conversations.

35. My daughter says I own way too many green shirts.

35. I adore lip gloss.

36. I loved playing with Strawberry Shortcake Dolls when I was a little girl.

37. I'm interested in English History.

38. My son Kevin says I should cut my hair because it is EVERYWHERE!

39. I love taking bubble baths.

40. I enjoy visiting with my girlfriends.

41. I love Colonial and Victorian homes.

42. I lived in Newport Beach, CA for five years.

43. I wish I wasn't such a worrier.

44. I am very close to my mom and my sister Tammy.
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45  President Kimball kissed me when I was a baby.

46. I love frilly, feminine tops.

47. My favorite foods include cinnamon rolls, cheesecake, and carrot cake.

48. I dread the day when my children will start leaving for college.

49. Sometimes I love to cook. Sometimes I hate it.

50. Both of my grandmothers served missions before they got married.

51. I am always freezing cold in swimming pools.

52. I like suspenseful movies.

53. I enjoying staying in touch with friends through Facebook.

54. I was on the dance team in high school.

55. I try to avoid being out in the sun for very long because my skin is so fair.
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56. Every other year I spend a week with my parents in their time share at Williamsburg, VA.

57. I would love to spend a week in the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

58. I love small towns.

59. I wore braces for two years.

60. Los Lupes, The Cheesecake Factory, Golden Corral, and Mimi's Cafe are a few of my favorite restaurants.

61. I love Mexican food.

62. During the past year, my favorite part of each day was watching my five-year-old jump off the school bus and come running towards me with a big smile on his face.

63. I'm not scared of spiders. I wish I could say the same about snakes.

64. I love fashion and clothes.

65. My dream home is the Colllinwood house plan by Frank Betz.

66. I love homes with hardwood floors and crowned molding.

67. When I was in high school I used to memorize poetry while curling my hair into countless spirals.

68. I had HUGE eighties hair.

69. I've always been interested in personality tests and testing, even ones with little scientific validity.

70. Math was my hardest subject in school.

71. I was super studious when I was in college.

72. I am considering the possibility of learning to shoot a gun.

73. I worry about hurting people's feelings.

74. I am most productive in the mornings and the laziest in the evenings.

75. As a kid I didn't like having red hair, but now I love it.

76. I am left-handed.

77. I am horrible at sports.

78. I have little interests in the lives or activities of celebrities.

79. I hate camping.

80. I look forward to General Conference, and not just because it means I don't have to get ready for church. :-)

81. I usually like doing laundry. I hate cleaning toilets, especially the one used by my three little boys.

82. I often listen to lectures from The Great Courses series while I am running errands.

83. When I was a little girl, my brothers and I loved to explore the sand hills behind my parents home. For some reason we referred to them, "The hills of Canada."

84. I love to bake chocolate chip cookies. Unfortunately, I like eating them even more. :-(

85. I like taking naps.

86. I enjoy eating out, although I don't do it very often.

87. I am excited/nervous to go back to school this fall.

88. I am very grateful to have a living prophet!

89. I worry too much about what other people think of me.

90. I am 5 feet 4 inches tall.

91. I enjoy traveling.

92. I have been to 48 states. Someday I'm going to make it to Alaska and Hawaii.

93. I like to volunteer in my childrens' elementary school classes.

94. My world revolves around my family.

95. I love being a mom! The older my kids get, the more I seem to enjoy motherhood.

96. During my semester abroad in Israel, I also visited Jordan, Egypt, and France. I'd love to travel the rest of the world.

97. My last name has no connection to the town in which I live. Just a random coincidence I guess.

98. Each summer I question my decision to live in Southern Nevada.

99. I love hugs!!

100. I just finished  reading the Hunger Games Series.

Whew!!! I can't believe anyone actually made it through all 100 things about me.

The Bachelorette

So, I probably shouldn't admit this, but after years of  avoiding reality shows (with the exception of American Idol) like the plague, I have managed to get myself hooked on the current season of The Bachelorette. Years ago, when the first seasons of The Bachelor and Bachelorette came on, I became a loyal fan. But after awhile I became disgusted by the silliness and shallowness of the shows, and vowed to stay away from those types of programs. And I did really well until one recent weekend when I was home alone and feeling a little lonely. I started flipping through channels and ended up watching the Bachelorette. Next thing I knew my daughter and I were going online to catch up on all the episodes we'd missed and anxiously awaiting our weekly Bachelorette fix.  Yep, we are obsessed!!! 

Unfortunately, my two favorite contestants have already been kicked off.

Lucas-What can I say?? I have always been a sucker for blonds and for accents.

Blake-Super Attractive and Super Smart.

I am still wondering what possessed me to start watching this show, why I became so hooked, and why I continue watching even though I am tired of Ashley and of all the guys who are left. Luckily, it will all be over in a few short weeks.

 I have learned one good lesson from watching this show (besides the fact that I was an idiot to start watching it again). It was that even the best looking, smartest, most amazing individuals get their hearts broken sometimes. That's a good lesson for me right now. So I guess I have gotten something out of this crazy ridiculous show.

My Recent Activities

I finally decided to act on all the recommendations I'd received, and took a stab at The Hunger Games Series. I loved the books, especially the first and second ones. I'm sending out a big "Thank You!" to all my friends who recommended them to me!!

After finishing the Hunger Games series, I decided to stick with the Young Adult Genre by reading "I Am Number Four."  I enjoyed reading the book and am looking forward to seeing the movie.

While running errands in my car, I've been listening to a series of lectures on British History, a topic that has always interested me. They are part of The Great Courses Series, which I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in learning.

My daughter Makenna has been watching a lot of Twilight Zone episodes lately. Often, the whole family, myself included, end up watching them with her. I actually kinda like them. :-)

This n That

Just wanting to share some of the things I've been up to lately....

First of all, I was accepted into the Masters of Social Work program at UNLV. Second, I decided to decline admission. It was a hard decision. I still second guess my choice at times, but overall I feel good about it.

I've decided instead to study speech pathology. Nevada State College has a two-year post-baccalaureate program that prepares students to become speech pathologists in the schools. After that I can  pursue a masters degree in speech pathology. Although I've always been interested in becoming a licensed social worker, there are more jobs available and significantly higher pay in the field of speech pathology. Plus, the educational requirements seem somewhat more family friendly than those of an MSW program. Anyhow, I feel good about my choice to pursue speech pathology. My application is due on July 1st, so I've been scrambling to fulfill the admission requirements, one of which is passing scores on the Praxis 1 Exam.

I drove to St. George this morning to take it. After three hours of intense test taking I came out with a 188 on the Math Section and a 186 on the reading portion. Both were passing scores. The writing section included an essay section so I will have to wait for my score on that one. It's a relief to have it over with!!!

I recently finished the book Chesapeake by James Michener. I loved it! More books by James Michener will definitely be on my future reading lists.

I took a short break from listening to lectures on Egyptian History and switched over to English History, something I've always loved learning about.  One of my dreams is to someday spend a nice cool summer in a little cottage in England, far away from the hot desert sun of Nevada. Someday.....

Serving in scouts is something I'd always hoped to avoid, so I'm embarrassed to admit that I wasn't incredibly thrilled when I found out that as second counselor I would be overseeing the ward scouting program. To my surprise, I have quite enjoyed being involved in scouting. The boys are at a super fun age. I helped out with day camp yesterday and had a lot of fun.

So...that's what I've been up to lately.

Alton and Zelma Leavitt

This is a picture of my grandparents, Alton and Zelma Leavitt. They have both passed on. I miss them very much. I am dedicating this post to writing a little about them and their lives.

My grandfather was born April 6, 1906, the fifth of six children to enter the family of Alonzo and Udora Hunt Leavitt . When he was a young teenager his parents left Virgin Valley and moved to Overton, NV. The family, who had always been poor, lived in a tent-like structure for about a decade until they were able to transport a home from St. Thomas when the city was evacuated after the completion of Hoover Dam.

My grandfather excelled at academics and anxiously awaited the day when he could attend college. After completing his High School education, he snuck on a train and traveled to Salt Lake City to study engineering at The University of Utah.  He had a wonderful first semester and looked forward to continuing his educational studies. However, upon coming home for Christmas break, he discovered that his family was barely surviving. His dad was arthritic and could no longer provide for the family as a farmer. With a heavy heart, my grandfather chose to abandon his formal education to stay home and help support his parents. For the rest of his life, he mourned his lack of education. Nevertheless,  he did not regret his decision,  for he said it allowed him to know his parents as few children were given the opportunity.  He spent many years working as a custodian at the local school and was always a little embarrassed about it. However, I admire him for the self-less decision he made.

My grandmother grew up in Ursine, NV, the daughter of Samuel and Laura Blair Hollinger. She had two older brothers and one younger sister. Her father, like most men in the area, was not a member of the church. I imagine that must have been difficult for the family. The family was dealt a heavy blow when he died from a tooth infection at a fairly young age. My grandmother eventually served a mission in the Northwestern states back in the days when few women served mission. (Incidentally, my other grandmother served a mission as well.) Back in those days, Overton and Ursine were part of the same stake and she briefly met my grandfather when she came to Moapa Valley to report her mission. Shortly afterwards a well-meaning relative sent a note to my grandfather and signed my grandmother's name. My grandfather realized it wasn't really from her, but they ended up getting together nonetheless. They were both in their thirties when they married.

They settled down in his home in Overton, raised two sons, and enjoyed a quiet life in the country. They raised their sons to value education and made great economic sacrifices to send them both to college. After their boys were grown they served a mission to Kentucky.

I grew up next door to my grandparents and they were an important part of my life. I remember bringing my kindergarten class on a field trip to see my grandfather's immense garden. I remember my grandmother calling on the phone to tell us that she was making pull candy or tuffies (scones). I remember my grandmother holding me on her lap as she rocked me in a rocking chair. I remember running down the hill to their house many, many times. I remember them working in the temple and telling me stories about their mission. They were both very kind and very dear to me. I feel blessed to have had such wonderful grandparents!

It's been many years since they passed away, but I still think of them often. My grandmother died when I was a sophomore in High School. One weekend she, along with my grandfather, my dad, and my brothers, went up to Eagle Valley to stay in the house where she grew up. She died that night, probably in the very bed where she was born. My grandfather greatly mourned her death until the time of his own passing when I was in college. I often think about them and wonder if they are watching over me. I hope they are. I can't think of better guardian angels.