Their is MUSIC in my soul Today

Today we had a fabulous Sacrament Meeting, one I will hold dear to my heart. Instead of the usual line up of speakers, the Bishop gave us all an opportunity to approach the pulpit with our favorite Hymn and express why- then the whole congregation sang one verse of the Hymn. The highlight for me was when Adam got up and talked about how life gets us down sometimes and when that happens we should count our many blessings. After he sat down he whispered to me (cause our car broke down last night). You have to understand that this is a 1996 car which has given us problems the last three years. It has reached the end of it's life as Adam puts it, and we are now looking for a new car. It is depressing. We just got out of debt last February...we have to pay for school each semester and now we are going to have to get a car loan? Anyway I started thinking about blessings that we have- like now would actually be a good time to buy a car while we are not burdened with debt.

Anyway- the program was amazing...after Adam got up I was close to tears, filling the spirit well up inside me. Then someone picked Because I have been given much which reminds me of my mom always...that made a few tears appear but I got under control. Sister Brooksby chose the song "High on the Mountain Top" which made me cry because she talked about the temple. Genevieve Hawks- a little primary girl chose I am a Child of God, followed by Families can be Together Forever (you can imagine what sort of a state I am by this point). Jaden Alisia chose "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief " and then one of my Young Women Carla Josephson was the last to go up. A few people chuckled when she said her favorite Hymn was "Silent Night" but then she explained that we should be constantly thinking of the blessing and miracle of the Saviors Birth. I couldn't even sing it.

It was a beautiful meeting- one I wished would go on forever but couldn't. If any of you are curious, I would have chosen "Their is Sunshine in my Soul Today" and the reason being, Jesus is my Light.

Decision 208

Wow, does anyone else feel like the elections have been going on for three years? I have decided who I will vote for, which may come to a surprise to many of you...but I have reasoning behind it. So here are our candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama. Although I have many oppinions on all the issues, the main one I am highlighting is EDUCATION as I believe the very core of our future rests on the education of our country.

John McCain:

Education: Unfortunately, to me John McCain does not have an educational plan. He wants to build upon No Child Left Behind and continue with the emphasis on standards and accountability through testing. John McCain believes in a Student Centered classroom which according to teacher pedagogy- is a classroom where the students learn what they want to learn based on their interests. His main issue, is getting kids out of schools which are under performing (you know, instead of providing that school with sufficient tools to teach the students) and transferring them to schools of their choice near their area (which means extra funding for transportation for students who most likely will transfer out to play football or be with their friends) which are “better suited to fit their needs.” This means your students are at risk if they live in an area with a desired school- of overpopulation with 40-50 kids in a class. John McCain does not offer support for this however. As far as the teachers goes he’s going to promote Alternative licensure programs which means after I go through all my theory classes and classroom management classes and how to teach “fill in the blank” classes and have classroom experience for five years, Joe Blow can come in with his CPA and decide to be a teacher in six weeks he can become a teacher and I’ll be competing for jobs with him. We don’t need more mediocre teachers- we need more training and certification.

Some things that I cannot avoid agreeing with John McCain are the protection of marriage: The family represents the foundation of Western Civilization and civil society and John McCain believes the institution of marriage is a union between one man and one woman. It is only this definition that sufficiently recognizes the vital and unique role played by mothers and fathers in the raising of children, and the role of the family in shaping, stabilizing, and strengthening communities and our nation. The intolerance of Abortion and the promotion of Adoption. McCain said: "At its core, abortion is a human tragedy. To effect meaningful change, we must engage the debate at a human level." John McCain will seek ways to promote adoption as a first option for women struggling with a crisis pregnancy. In the past, he cosponsored legislation to prohibit discrimination against families with adopted children, to provide adoption education, and to permit tax deductions for qualified adoption expenses, as well as to remove barriers to interracial and inter-ethnic adoptions. Unfortunately for John McCain- these reasons alone are not sufficient enough to win my vote due to the fact that he FLIP FLOPS on them as the wind blows. I cannot in good conscience vote for a man who doesn't hold true to his beliefs- whatever they may be.

Barack Obama:

Education: Believes that NCLB is a huge problem with good intentions. The issues are that associated with NCLB are average kids are being left behind, high dropout rates are occurring and people are not going to school because of the cost of college. His plans include a “0-5” plan which will include a universal preschool, and expand on the head start program. He will reform NCLB as teachers should not spend entire years teaching students to fill in the bubbles on an exam. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them. He will make science and math a national priority in order to keep up with the demand in the economy. Expand after school services, and outreach programs. His plan for teachers: recruit, retain, and reward those who are worthy. He also wants to make college more affordable for every American.

Iraq: The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased, directed by military commanders on the ground and done in consultation with the Iraqi government. Military experts believe we can safely redeploy combat brigades from Iraq at a pace of 1 to 2 brigades a month that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 – more than 7 years after the war began. A phased withdrawal will encourage Iraqis to take the lead in securing their own country and making political compromises, while the responsible pace of redeployment called for by Obama’s plan offers more than enough time for Iraqi leaders to get their own house in order. Under the Obama plan, a residual force will remain in Iraq and in the region to conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions against al Qaeda in Iraq and to protect American diplomatic and civilian personnel. He will not build permanent bases in Iraq, but will continue efforts to train and support the Iraqi security forces as long as Iraqi leaders move toward political reconciliation and away from sectarianism.

The Economy: Provide Additional Tax Rebates to American Workers, Establish a $10 billion Foreclosure Prevention Fund: Given the downturn in the economy, Obama is calling for immediate creation of his Foreclosure Prevention Fund that will dramatically increase emergency pre-foreclosure counseling, and will help families facing foreclosure to responsibly refinance their mortgages or sell their homes. Obama’s plan will not help speculators, people buying vacation homes or people that falsely represented their incomes. It is meant to help responsible homeowners through this difficult period. Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families: Obama will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers the tax relief they need. Obama will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. The "Making Work Pay" tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans.

I am choosing Barack Obama because I believe he is the stronger candidate. I believe that he truly believes he can influence our nation for the better, improve our economy and our lives. I have no confidence or trust in John McCain. I am a republican. I live conservatively and would (under normal circumstances) vote republican. Nevada Senator and fellow Latter-Day Saint (and Democrat no less) said in an address to BYU students that it is easier to be a good latter-day saint and a Democrat than a republican- so I guess he would be proud of my very difficult decision. I urge all of you to watch the news, listen to the reports, and visit barackobama.com and johnmccain.com for more information on each of the candidates and what they believe in. Vote for what is right, not for your Republican or Democrat Candidate.

High School Tag

1. Did you date someone from your school?

Yes. I dated Justin "O"

2. What kind of car did you drive?

I never drove, see number 1

3. Were you a party animal? I was always up for a good party...but nothing extreme

4. Were you considered a flirt? Oh yes!

5. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? I was in choir and I loved it! Good ole Mr. Wood

6. Were you a nerd? I marched to the beat of my own drum...I wasn't a nerd, but I wasn't cool. I didn't really care what other people think. I don't really care now what other people think so thats good.

7. Were you on any varsity teams? No.

8. Did you get suspended/expelled? Never. Who do you think your asken? I was a good girl

9. Can you still sing the fight song... For Weber High we Stand FOR WEBER HIGH! Best school in all the land her colors proudly fly High HIgh HIGH...

10. Who were your favorite teachers? Mr. Wood, Ms. Kiem, Mrs. Cale, Mr. Larson, Brother Someone who was my seminary teacher.

11. Where did you sit during lunch? Wherever, see number six. I had lots of different friends, none of them really truly close close friends. I moved a lot to different crowds which were a part of the same crowd basically (choir) I'd hang out with Stacie, Jessie, Kristin, Melanie, and also Bree, Stephanie, Katie, Sarah, etc. AND Jessica, Justin, Gary, Justin F. Matt Lyle....lots of different friends.

12. What was your school's full name? Weber High School. or as the sign said: Webe High. oh yes and we Be high lol.

13. School mascot? A WARRIOR.

14. If you could go back and do it again, would you? No. oh wait I mean hell no.

15. What do you remember most about graduation? We walked in two by two and the choir was the last to walk in. We were paired from the top of the alphabet and the bottom all the way to the middle (ex A&Z B&Y...) When the choir went out, M is pretty much in the middle. I was the last one to walk out and because an odd number were graduating I walked out by myself like a looser...I got to sit by Stacie I think...?

16. Where did you go senior skip day? I don't remember having one...probably at home doing nothing...

17. Were you in any clubs? Journalism...and I got in a lot of pictures for the clubs on picture day hee hee

19. Who was your prom date? Justin Owen...but Adam says I should have gone with him...he said I should have called him but he was in AUSTRALIA...

20. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Who knows...I may be a whale by then...then again, I could be filthy rich!

I'm tagging the girls I went to High School with: Regan, Steph, Bree, Ashley, and anyone else that wants to :)

When I dream

In the corner of my brain where I store my most precious memories there is a place I often visit. My imagining often begins on a dark, cool road where the path before me is only visible by the headlights of my parents van. Surrounding me on every side are numberless trees which reach heavenward to the billions of stars burning clearly in the night sky. Entering these mountains, you feel as if you are traveling out of the world created for you, into a magical, blissful world of which you are blessed to partake. Anticipation pulses through the caravan consisting of Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins as they automatically turn the familiar curves to the place they love. Even through the skeleton of the car the air changes, fresh, cool, the scent of pine and a fresh trail of dust lingers. As we near the exit a low chant begins among one of the more seasoned cousins "we're almost there...we're almost there..." This chant grows louder as the destination become closer until the squeals echo in the Forrest announcing our return to The Cabin.

Night and day at the cabin prove to be as different as...night and day. The days are filled with hours of playtime. Floating down the river on everything from inner tubes to kayaks, to plain old life preservers, and when i say old, I mean life jackets from the 1980's which could possibly be recalled. The peaceful serenity is broken by the sound of squealing cousins who's leg just brushed up against some big mamma's (sea weed). Fishing is a rite of passage for all who enter the cabin doors- as is gutting your own fish which grows worse once rigormortus has taken it's toll and the smelly trout you've been totting around in that walmart bag has formed a perfect "U" Don't forget to save the fish eyeballs for some brave soul. More important to some than the dead fish are the live frogs which have been known to frequent the bathtub. A small cemetery in the back marks the graves for several unfortunate frogs who have found their way into our unsympathetic clutches. Walks to the river were always a treat for everyone, especially the parents I'm sure after being couped up in the cabin with little froggies hopping around, toddlers braving the questionable staircase leading up to the loft, naughty little boys who carve their names in the wood- and especially poor Grandma and Grandpa who are frequently the victims of suicidal stuffed animals which mysteriously throw themselves off the balcony as grandparents and hormonal teens walk underneath.

The nights are filled with Playmill plays and rodeo races which one of the 80 of us will inevitably win. Poetic cowboys and dancing are a highlight from us city slickers looking for a good time. While the adults watch "Dave" or "The Saint" naughty little boys and girls peek through the cracks of the walls while they pretend to be nuzzled in bed. The fire crackles and discussions are had of the lives we share among each other. Stars are seen clearly in the night sky beyond the reach of the pine trees.

I miss those days which I have only shared once with my sweet husband. Someday I will return to The Cabin and I my life will once again be refreshed.

New Semester

Monday Adam and I start back to our University classes after a whopping twelve days of a break! We are both looking forward to it! I'm especially excited for it because I'm only taking 15 credits instead of the usual 18 the last three semesters. I'm also quitting my job shortly after the semester begins once I have my substituting licence which is currently being processed. I love being in the classroom and I find the company of 9 year olds much less depressing than my current clients of 90. You may notice I don't talk much about my job in my blog- it is because my blog is my safety zone where I don't have to think about unfortunate things.

I'll be taking classes such as children's literature, teaching special education, teaching physical education, and something else that I can't remember at the moment. Now I have to go find an institute class. Oh and don't you love this picture!!! The one good thing about Las Vegas are the palm trees I see daily.

Sean's Going on a Mission!

My Official Guesses for Sean’s Mission:

1) Armenia- Yerivan (Because my Mom’s sooo sure he’s going to Albania and I know how sometimes she gets names of places that are hard to pronounce confused hee hee)
2) Albania- Tiaran (Because sometimes my mom IS right about these things)
3) England- Leeds (I don’t know why, it would just seem to obvious that it would be London or something)
4) Japan Tokyo- (Because I would NEVER see him going their)
5) Australia Sydney North- (Because Adam went here and why not)

Five Missions I randomly scrolled through and landed on with my eyes closed:
1) Montana
2) Hungary- Butapest
3) Colorado- Denver (that’s almost Boise)
4) Netherlands
5) Japan- Sapporo

For some reason I REALLY don’t see him going to a Spanish/Portuguese speaking country…I don’t know why but I think he’ll leave the country, and I think he’ll go somewhere in Europe. I guess we’ll find out about October 1st!

Back to School!

This blog is long overdue. From the first day I met my Adam I knew he was different from other guys I knew, especially since he had chosen to go into elementary school teaching. Not only is he a wonderful teacher, but he is also a wonderful person because of it- He loves knowing he is making a difference in the world. Many people expressed their concern over the lack of 'green' that teachers bring home, and I admit, I have had my reservations and concerns, but there is something you need to know about Adam: he was born for Education.

Adam is beginning his second year at Tanaka Elementary. Already he has gained experience from being Tanaka's Intervention Specialist in the 2006-2007 and a Third Grade Teacher in the 2007-2008 school year. This year he's moving up to Fourth Grade bringing some of his students back to his classroom.

It has been an inspiration and honor to watch him transform from the student he was, barley beginning his practicum in 2005 to now. I've had the opportunity to watch him in the classroom with his students teaching. He has such amazing classroom management skills and the kids really respect him. He is fun, yet gets down to business and he's not afraid to express what will and will not be tolerated.

Some of my favorite moments of Mr. Turney are when he was doing a practicum in Utah and a student spotted him walking around campus with his shoulder bag and told his mom that he saw a man carrying a purse. The police were called and very confused until the student spotted him and was able to identify him- the other adults had to explain to him that it was just a back pack to be worn on the shoulders. LOL! Another favorite moment was when a Mom approached me shortly after we'd gotten married to tell me how much she appreciated having such a strong male role model for her son. The boy had heard Adam talk about Australia and saw his CTR ring and put two and two together and told his mom he wanted to serve a mission like Mr. Turney. Adam also has Pizza with the teacher for students who excel and tries to give every student an opportunity to earn it with him. I get to go into the classroom and he's always so concerned with all the students being respectful with Mrs. Turney. That makes favorite moment #3 When not one, but two first grade students at his school asked if he was my dad HAHHAHAHAHAHA.

Not only is Adam starting a new grade next week, but he will also be starting his SECOND MASTERS DEGREE PROGRAM!!! I'm so proud of him! He'll graduate with the first one (Educational Leadership and Administration) in May 2009 and is hoping to graduate with his second (curriculum and technology development) in December 2009 when I'll get my bachelors in Elementary Education.

So here are some pictures of Mr. Turney's first year as a teacher: Enjoy my Handsome Man!

Mr Turney's Third Grade Class

(Does this remind anyone else of Michael Scotts Apology video?)

As the only Man in Third Grade Mr. Turney was well fussed over by the lovely ladies!

Just an Ordinary Day...

So today began like every other day, I woke up and went to get ready leaving Adam behind to dream a few more dreams, after getting ready I kissed him on the cheek gently and he stirred to consciousness. When I kissed my husband on this day, I didn't realize that it would be the last normal day of our lives.

I got in the car and headed to work, nothing extraordinary, a little traffic, and arrived at promptly 8:27. Not long after arriving I received a phone call from an unknown number. "Hello?" I answered as I tried to make the coffee and popcorn for the anticipating customers pacing outside the door, (my manager wasn't too pleased that I answered my phone). "Is this Mrs. Turney," A solemn voice replied back. A chill ran down my spine as my subconscious felt something was very wrong. "Y-yes...this is Melissa Turney, who is this?" The reply was harsh and curt "we have your husband, meet us at Valley View and Arvill with everything you have in your vault in exactly 45 minutes or he will be thrown off the Stratosphere." I shook as I realized this was no joke. I wanted to scream but I couldn't find my voice. The line was dead.

I worried if I got the police involved that I would possibly have problems, there was no way I was going to risk the life of my husband. Thinking quickly, I went to our safe deposit box and pulled out our passports, some cash, and our gun. I tried to be as casual as possible when I asked the lead teller if I could use her keys because I forgot mine. I knew she would have the key to the top lock on the vault which would make my key to the bottom half effective. I slipped back to the vault undetected in the scramble to get ready in the morning. I quickly realized these men were not going to be happy whoever they were because their was only about 25o thousand in the vault. People always expect banks to carry a lot more, so I began pulling teller drawers out of their nigh time slots and dumping the cash into my purse, my shirt, my pants anything I could do. What seemed like an eternity passed by in about one minute. I threw the keys to the lead teller as she asked where I was going as I awkwardly hobbled away..."uhhh, I have to go to the bathroom I'll be right back." I knew I wouldn't be back and I only had about five minutes at most before people started to go back to the vault to get their drawers. Once out of sight I ran to the car spilling one dollar bills out of my pants as I scurried. I was almost in an accident as I pealed out of the parking lot and sped away.

My heart was racing, my head pounding as I dodged cars and ran through lights, I would not stop until I was at Valley View and Arvill, about 12 miles away. My cell phone rang, causing me to jump, looking at the caller id I quickly decided to avoid that call- my manager...no doubt he'd want an explanation before he called the police. My heart plummeted as I heard the sirens behind me, I took a few sharp turns, thinking I'd lost them once or twice and then I heard the helicopters overhead. My cell rang again, Adam? "WHERE ARE YOU," I demanded. "Uhh I'm at school setting my classroom up, where are you? Your work just called and-" "Listen to me Adam, someone is trying to rob the bank using me, you have to meet me at the airport. They know who were are and they want to kill you...and they'll want to kill me once I don't show up." Not waiting for a reply I hung up the phone, and began throwing stacks of cash out the window- at this point I don't even know why, I just want to get rid of the evidence. I guess I panicked ok? I entered a tunnel and with my purse strapped onto my back I tucked and rolled out my car running up the side of the underpass as I went. I was pretty sure the cops didn't see me as they turned the corner because they were probably distracted by the fiery crash that used to be my car. Proceeding on foot I ran to the nearest street which happened to be Desert inn and Paradise- Perfect. I found a taxi quickly who didn't ask questions when the dirty out of breath twenty something asked to be taken to the airport quickly. I arrived at the airport just minutes before Adam and purchased two tickets to the first flight out of the country which happened to be a direct flight to Paris. I didn't breath until we were off the ground, then kissing Adam I explained everything to him. Now we are looking for an apartment. Don't look for us, don't call us. We will contact you when the time is right- this blog will self destruct after it is read...

**Adam told me everything I write about is boring and I need to write something to make my life seem better, so there you go Adam**

California Weekend

Thursday morning we got up and got ready for our trip to California for David and Tera's wedding. I was so happy to get our house really really cleaned scrubbing and organizing and fixing and all that good stuff...nobody can clean like me, except maybe my mom, but I'm so detail organized and it takes me three times as long to do anything because I like to clean with different layers of different products lol. So I had plenty of time to do that, the drive to Visalia is about six hours but we were picking my MIL up from the airport so we couldn't leave until about 1:30 pm. We spend a couple hours chillen with my in laws. My brother in law Avery is so big and his voice is changing! Its weird to see after three and a half years of little Aves. Addison had quite the adventure last week which should be saved for another post lol...

That morning we quickly awoke and got ready for San Fransisco! It was a 3.5 hour drive from Visalia so we were there a little after noon. We began the day by going off to Fisherman's Warf. It was a beautiful experience to step out into beautiful fresh air where you can breath and feel weather on your skin. It was about 70 degree's. People don't realize the blessing of four seasons. In Vegas you are just too hot to feel anything else but the scalding on your skin and it is difficult to breath. We went to a place called Chowders where I had a sourdough bowl of clam chowder and Adam had some Fish & Chips. We walked along the street for a while playing a little in the museum of mechanics and chatting with some street performers. This aluminum man started talking to Adam saying "Hey good goen man she's a babe" Adam replied "I know I'm going to keep her" and he said "good luck with that, I hope she's not high maintenance." Lol he has no idea how little it takes to maintain my happiness lol...We drove around trying to find China town to no avail but we did find this cool street market with these neat sculptures in the park. Next we headed over to the Golden Gait Bridge and made lots of jokes about Full house :) It was a good opportunity to just be together as we were stuck in traffic for about a half hour. The fog had rolled in and completely covered the bridge on one side, we felt like we were going into King Kong land as we ventured into the foggy haze. After a full day in San Fran, we decided to go back to our hotel which was really nice and we had a 50 dollar off coupon from David and Tera, so we had a good nights sleep and got to swim in the hot tub.

The next morning was the wedding. Worried about my contacts, I put them in a cup of water to sort of polarize the chlorine right after i got out of the shower. I left the room and came back two minutes later to discover that my dear husband had flushed my contacts down the drain...I was mad to say the least and it put a damper on the day, I won't lie about that. Adam was pretty rude about it at first being very defensive and after he softened up and truly apologized I softened up too, although i was not happy about it. The wedding was beautiful and the Oakland Temple was beautiful as well. Tera and David deserve some happiness and I hope they find it with each other. David's daughters looked so beautiful as well, though they didn't remember Adam and I at all. Too bad. That didn't stop them from playing and being affectionate with us. I couldn't imagine marrying into four daughters! Anyway, They are off to Germany now for their honeymoon and then by October they plan to move to the San Jose area where they can try to gain custody of David's girls.

All in all it was a fun trip!

Why we will never have guns in our Home.

In Loving Memory of Lori



We-Serve regrets to inform our family members that our much beloved supervisor Lori Booth was taken from us due to an accidental firearm discharge on Monday August 11th 2008 at her new home in Florida. In talking to Lori’s family we have learned that a firearm that they owned had accidentally discharged and striking her. Lori passed instantly and without pain.

Lori was one of our most capable and down to earth supervisors that loved both We-Serve and the people that she worked with. She was loved by all of us and we will miss her dearly. Let our thoughts and prayers go out to Lori’s family in the midst of this tragedy and remember the good times we all had during her time here with us. Lori had a strong love of life and for her family. She will be missed by all of us.



Lori was a supervisor for Adam and me at our ushering job. She has been living in Las Vegas with her kids for two years while her husband lived in Florida, visiting frequently back and forth as jobs would permit in this terrible economy. She left Las Vegas only a few weeks ago to join him. In her farewell speech to us, she talked about the difficulty and hardship of her physical separation from her husband and though she was sad to leave us, she was happy to be reuniting her family.



Adam and I are deeply saddened by this news, Lori was a sweetheart who really watched out for us and she will be missed by her family and friends alike.

I don't do toilets

Over the last four years, the graduating class of 2004 has dwindled as we've paired off two by two. Watching my friends begin their lives and start families has been a fun, sometimes sad thing. Becky was first, followed by Sarah, who was the first to have a baby (who passed away three years later) My best friend from High School Jessica got married and was divorced less than a year later which was heartbreaking to watch. Several of my friends have since had babies or are trying to have babies and we are all growing in different ways.

That said...

I've often heard these friends complain about certain responsibilities: cooking, cleaning, etc...(mine is grocery shopping...this I loath) my favorite is my friend Regan who claims to lack the domestic gene olo...(I guess that's like out loud...something it was meant to be lol but I had a dyslexia moment apparently). Nothing compass to the one I heard from someone who will remain nameless: "I don't do toilets. I don't like them, its gross, I don't do them." Now I don't like grocery shopping- but it needs to get done and so I drag myself to the store. Many times I don't like cooking (but I often enjoy cleaning, I don't know why. But I don't NOT do something because I don't want to do this...

I thought about this last night as I was scrubbing toilets in my own home...the thought that someone could be so averse to the thought of toilet cleaning that they avoid it all together-and I have prof that she did...I have cleaned her toilets...

In 2005 before the Christmas season started Adam and I went to this friend's house to clean it as a favor to her and her husband while she was away...we knew that he would have done nothing but make messes as this is what he usually did- He has since become a very different person in his defence. So we cleaned up the downstairs of his town home. I went to work on the toilet- which hadn't been cleaned in probably over a year... it was discussing to say the least but I went to work on it. Finally after over 25 minutes of scrubbing and bleaching voila it was clean.

So as I think of the phrase "I don't do toilets, I don't like to" I often wonder what would have happened if our forebears had uttered phrases like " I don't do diapers, if he wants to learn he's going to have to grow up and do it himself cause I don't like it. Guess what- sometimes you gotta do what you don't wanna do.

12 FREAKING AWESOME DAYS!

I just took my final final for the summer semester which means I am done with my 18 credits and looking forward to twelve days of freedom before it starts all over again! Good times!

For an update- I have completed my schtuff for substitute teaching and hope to have that completed so I can quit the bank ASAP and finally have a life again...for those of you who don't know, I am the lobby manager at wells Fargo and the service/store manager are always seeking out ways to tick me off and criticize my performance...example: Today I had a pencil stuck in my ear and my service manager said: "Melissa, come on, you need to take that out of your ear, that looks ridiculous go take it out right now that is not professional." In the time it took her to say this 7 people walked by with pencils in their ear...even when it is not me that is being criticised she finds a way to sneak me in..."Richelle, you have to take your break outside of the lobby. That's why we have a break room, otherwise Melissa cannot get her work done, three people have walked past her (Two) who were not acknowledged (false)." So you can see I'm very excited to leave and get out of banking. I'm off now to my first ever mutual project! Wish me luck!

New Calling!

I was so excited today to be called as a Beehive Advisor in the Young Women! I can't tell you how happy I am to be working with these awesome girls. It's kind of fun, because Adam teaches them Sunday School and now I'm their advisor...

Some of you may be thinking, what happened I thought you and Adam were the Activities Chair and Committee all in one? Well it appears that Heavenly Father was looking out for us, with our busy schedule we couldn't ever seem to find time to plan and orchestrate entire events for our entire ward by ourselves (with of course the help of our bishops AWESOME wife). We were in charge for a total of two and a half loathsome activities which were the cause of much strife.

Anyway, I am thrilled to be working in the Young Women's Program! The Bishop did warn us that everyone who is called to the Young Women end up pregnant lol so we'll have to see about that :)

Two Tags From My Aunties :)

The first one is from my Aunt Leslie:

TAG#1 FROM Lesley
scattegories...{it's harder than it looks}
use the first letter of your name to answer the following. they have to be real places, things, names...nothing made up! try to use different answers if the person who tagged you had the same first initial. you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.

What is your name? Melissa
4 letter word: Move
Vehicle: Motor Boat (motor boat...why so slow motor boat motor boat GO GO GO)
tv show: Matlock (that's for you Grandma
City: MOSCOW!
Boy name: Mohinder...yeah that was a good one...
Girl name: MINDY!
Occupation: Maintenance
Something you wear: Makeup
Food: Mango
Something found in a bathroom: Menstruation lol
Reason for being late: Moping around
Something you shout: "Mom MOOOOM!"

Tag #2 I WON SOMETHING FROM MARIVIC
(Although its just a pleasure being Nominated)

The SMILE AWARD!!!

Now for the tricky part. This award came with rules (Ha! How ironic that Miss-Think-Out-of- The-Box got the award and now have to follow the rules):

1. The recipient must link back to the awards creator. My Auntie Vic Vic who is the sweetest grumpy angle: (http://www.grumpyangel.blogspot.com/)

2. You must post these rules if you receive the award. CHECK

3. You must choose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself.

4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere. Awesome! I more than qualify...because I am amazing. Ask my Grandma

5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient. (Easy enough.)

6. You must create a post sharing your win with others. (Check!)

7. You must thank your giver. Thanks for giving this to me Auntie Vic Vic!

Characteristics for the Smile Award:1. Must display a cheerful attitude (Unfortunately this is part of my job description as Lobby Manager at Wells Fargo.
2. Must love one another. I love a lot of people, and I like a lot of people, and I tolerate a few people...and when I can't stand someone I just walk away before I commit homicide
3. Must make mistakes. (Oh, yes! I make lots of mistakes. Every day!)
4. Must learn from others. (The only way to become better at anything I think.)
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world. This is post #51! Go me!
6. Must love life. (I do!)
7. Must love kids. (Most of the time!)

Ok so the five people I chose are...

1) My mom, cause she is always happy about something weather it be the symphony bar she just ate, the trip she just took, the funny kid she just substituted, or the drunk man on the street of Las Vegas she preached the gospel to and then proceeded to invite to our church that Sunday...there is always something that she is smiling at!

2) Bree, who is always trying new things and striving to find out what she wants- she is way too creative for her own good- and she has always had a beautiful smile on her face, even when she hurts.

3) Joy- First of all, your name is JOY so that is something to smile about, plus your baby is growing bigger every day and soon you will know if he/she is a he or she!

4) Grandma- because she always makes me laugh about something, intentional or not. And because she has found joy in her life for the last...uh oh, I don't remember...I think her 69th birthday is coming up this month? Anyway, well just say she has found joy in her life for at least 52 years cause that's how many years she's been married to my grandpa

5) Lesley- Because the other day I was driving though town when I came upon a school bus yard which had a fresh fallen show upon the roof...and it made me smile!

The Best Two Years!

I am one day late in posting but I need to pay tribute to the happiest day of my life! Yesterday (August 5th) marked the two year anniversary of our wedding day! To celebrate, Adam took me to a fancy Italian restaurant the day before (we both had classes yesterday) followed by a romantic dinner at home by candle light (provided by myself) last night.

So here's to the best two years of my life, being married to my best friend in the world, and loving life a little more...also to growing up together, having to pick each other up once in a while, struggling along together, having/being comforting arms...Marriage is so much more than I ever knew, and sometimes its a lot to take, but if you do it with the right person, life becomes a little sweeter, and a lot more worth it!

August 5th 2006

Dreaming of my Prince

For Time and ALL ETERNITY
Mr. And Mrs. Turney

One Year Later...

Anniversary Dinner

Trip to California
Eating one year old Wedding Cake

And another year after that...

Trip to Las Vegas...wait...

Two years married, two years in Vegas