WOW! It has been a long time.
During the summer I am so preoccupied with family, friends and working that I don't even remember what the internet is. Nonetheless, that I need to update my blog.
I'm back in MT now but I wanted to put up a few pictures from this summer.
I had a great summer. One of my favorite parts was being with the kids that I nannied. Such sweet kids...

A picture of us from the grand opening of Mary's Place in DL

One morning we went to the turtle races in Perham. The kids got to pick their turtle and race it. So cute.

On the last day I spent with them we went mini golfing. Hilarious Day.

We had a few lemonade stands. Helena decided that if she stood by the side of the road and gave a "puppy face" with her sign she might get more customers. It worked!

I had my hair done the night before then the next day I took the kids to get their "back to school hairdo's". We all were so fresh!

As the year is coming to an end I am looking back on what I was involved in/ did over the year...
-Snowboarded 25+ days of the year
-Became a student tour guide (an Advocat)
-Became a member of Montana's Association of Curriculum Development and ran meetings
-Lived with 5 girls, 3 fish, 2 dogs and 1 cat
-Made a sincere effort to get to know people in my classes just to make things more enjoyable...

One thing that I will not be involved in next year is being a student tour guide. With being a para and my other workload of classes I wont be able to handle the job. It has been such a fun year meeting new people and getting to be a strong advocate for Montana State. Go Bobcats!
Last night we had the privilege to go to President Cruzado's house for dinner to thank us for our volunteer hours. Great food and laughs for one of our last events this year. Our President is so sweet I just wanted to grab her and bring her home with us!
We also took a tour of the Museum of the Rockies yesterday. We looked at the dinosaur, Native American and frog exhibits. After that we got to go downstairs to the paleontology lab and look in more detail at the real bones & replica models being made. I thought it all was pretty cool!...

I know that pictures make a post much more fun so here are some frogs from the museum...

Snow Snow Snow...

SNOW. It never ever stops here! In april we will have a sunny day and the next you will wake up to a foot of snow like I did Friday morning...

Cute Christy in her rain boots cleaning off the truck...
I am enjoying the snow especially because Big Sky has an extended season this year until April 24th. My favorite days of the year are snowboarding in the sun...
Although, I am ready for the snow to be gone to ride bike, play yard games ect.
I can say that this semester has been one of my hardest ones yet. I have been swamped and overwhelmed with the amount of work that has been brought on me since spring break. Can't wait to get through it all and go home in May!

I enjoyed this...

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.
One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with
education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"


To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie .
Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied,
"You want to know what I make?
(She paused for a second, then began.)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their
parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod,
Game Cube or movie rental.

You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked
at each and every person at the table)

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them how to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math. They use their God
given brain, not the man-made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything
they need to know about English while preserving their
unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to
say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under
God, because we live in the United States of America .

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they
were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.

( Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make Mr. CEO?

His jaw dropped; he went silent.

.Rail Jam.

What a FUN filled weekend! This past weekend was one of my favorite weekends of the year. The Bozeman Rail Jam was this past weekend full of snowboarding/skiing comp. & concerts.

Chitty Bang put on an amazing performance Saturday night. If you know me, you know I love my rap...

Picture of the drop-in part of the skiier/snowboarder comp.

Scotty Beans when we were up at Big Sky Saturday.

My favorite couple. Out Dancing Friday night at the Eagles.

Claire, Britta & I.

Ray Ray in that knee deep powder! Woof!

Last but not least... Hanky Panky.

I'm so excited to finish this last week of school and head home Saturday for spring break. Matt and I are planning a trip up to Lutsen to ski. I am also excited to just be a BUM! :)

The Bachelor

I am overly obsessed with ABC's show The Bachelor. If I see a magazine with an article pertaining in any way to The Bachelor I'll buy it, I follow Brad Womack on Twitter and talk to anyone about the show who even remotely knows what it is... Since our house doesn't have cable I have to wait each week to watch the show once it appears online the next day. So on Tuesdays I race home, jump on my bed and watch the two hours of my favorite show in the world. I am not exaggerating, I RACE home from school either on my bike or speed walking. When my room mates come in to talk to me they get one word responses. When someone calls, I silence it. No talking during the best show ever. OH, and while I am watching the show, I am crying throughout the entire thing. (Big baby. I know.)



Dear Brad,
Please pick Emily. I know you will.
Love, Liz

RIDE

This past weekend was pretty mellow but that is exactly what I wanted. The weekends when I have nothing planned (which is almost every weekend) are my favorite. On Sunday Claire and I went up to Bridger Bowl for the afternoon. It was a beautiful day and we had a grand ol' time!




I stick out like a sore thumb. My friends can spot me from anywhere on the mountain...

Bozeman->Seattle->Vancouver & back!

I have had two great weekends of traveling but I am so sick of the car and ready to spend a weekend at home sleeping in my bed! The past weekend my roomate Britta, friend Quinn and I traveled to Washington & Canada. It was my first time even traveling west past Bozeman so it was exciting. We took the trip to go see Britta and Quinn's friends and I decided to tag along. I am so glad I went. I met so many great people!

Happy Late Valentines Day!

Valentines Day is a day to let the ones you love know it! My friends are always so much fun on Valentines Day. They are all so good at reminding us how much we mean to each other. My Mom is always really good about sending me a card it the mail it means so much. This year I got to be with my Valentine instead of making my friends fill in the position! Normally, I will make my girlfriends get dressed up with me and go out to eat but this year it was nice to spend the weekend in good ol' Dickinson North Dakota with Matthew. Since it is about half way we both met in the middle. Just like Diamond Rio's song "Meet In The Middle"...
"I start walkin your way you start walkin mine
we meet in the middle neath that old Georgia pine
We gain a lot of ground cuz we both give a little
aint no road to long when we meet in the middle"
So corny... But I like corny!
We had a Great time! I got a puppy!!! Just kidding... I told my roomates that and they about died...





Going to Seattle/Vancouver this weekend cant wait to update you all!
Love, Liz

Happy Wednesday!

So What Wednesday!

Got this Idea from Matt's sister Emily...

So What:

1. If our house needs a new roof, piping, furnace AND has asbestos.
2. If I lay in bed until 11:30 on Wednesdays because I can.
3. If I plan on cheering for the Steelers instead of the Packers on Sunday.
4. If I procrastinate all day on my homework until 8PM.
5. If I have a teeny weeny shopping problem @ Target because I want everything in sight...

Dear friends,

I have A LOT to catch you up on. My last post was before Thanksgiving and that is way to long ago. Thanksgiving vacation I went back to Fargo/DL for a week! It was so much fun seeing my friends, boyfriend & of course family. I came back here to Montana for a few short weeks and then soon enough I was back home for a month during Christmas time. It was really fun to spend 10 days with AJ while we were home because he gets to come home very rarely. Although- he is moving to Oklahoma in Feb. It will be nice to have him closer!

We spend Christmas at the lake. Its fun being secluded just the 5 of us in the cabin for a few days. But towards the end we are so ready to have a break from each other! ;)

Normally our tradition is to open presents after church on Christmas Eve. This year we decided to switch it up and wait until Christmas Day... Mom opening one of her presents...

Dad got an IPAD.
No way? AJ got one too!
I got some new Ugglies(UGGS)
Clara got a new watch...
After Christmas, New Years came right around the corner. Matt and I had a good time celebrating together...

Another picture of us at a Fargo Force game...

We spend SO much time watching hockey when I visit home. We love the force and love watching the fights! Grrrr!

Sister Clara, cousins Ruth & Grace and I on Thanksgiving...

During Thanksgiving my Mom and I went to the Miss ND Pageant. Our family friend Audra Mari ended up winning Miss Teen ND. Very exciting!

In January my Mom and I took a trip to see Grandma in Orlando. My Mom and I hadn't ever gone somewhere just the two of us before so it was fun. It was great to see Grandma Mary, do some shopping and we took a trip to Universal Studios. It blew my mind how cool it was and I even got my Mom to go on a roller coaster with me.

Now since I have been back at school I have been working on organizing my life and starting some new classes. I am in a lot of classes that I enjoy so that is a plus. I also spend a lot of time up at Big Sky on my days off!

I will try to update this for those of you who read this more often!

Liz