Quarter of a Century Club!

If I would have known that turning 25 was going to be so freaking fun, I would have acted more excited about it beforehand. I don't know why, but 25 just sounded so.... old er...mature? Not way old, but like, shooooot I'm old enough to rent a car + I should probably stop asking for suckers at the bank? But I'm over it, because 25 was probably my best birthday yet!

It all started last Thursday when I walked into a fully decorated classroom + presents from previous students and co-workers (all of whom know my love language is food). Oh, and if you ever want your birthday to feel really special, be a jr. high teacher--your students are more excited for your birthday than you are ("Do we have to do anything today since it's your birthday on Saturday?"). It also didn't hurt that I had the next day off from school.

Sadly, Chris was in St. George on my day off on Friday, but he totally made up for it with the vinyl machine that I sent multiple emails to him about a month in advance ;) Saturday (my actual birthday) started off with my most favorite, most artery clogging breakfast--The Champ from Ernie's! Then I took advantage of what I like to call "birthday Chris," and had him take me to Ulta to pick up my free gift there (makeup is my second love language) and then we headed up to Salt Lake to stay at the Marriott Hotel up by the U.

I had to say bye to "birthday Chris" when we got to the hotel, so that he could watch the BYU game. BUT the hotel brought up a beautiful tray of delicious food and I was able to play with some new makeup while the Cougs played, so I was okay with giving "birthday Chris" a break.

After the game was over Chris took me to one of my fav restaurants, Alamexo! Kind of pricey, but definitely worth it. If you ever go there please order the queso fundido! You can thank me later for it.

The rest of the night was spent shopping at City Creek and hot tubbing at the hotel. I really don't think I could have planned a better birthday than that. And it sounds so stupid to say, but I feel like this fun birthday and little staycation was just what I needed you know? I feel refreshed + recharged + more accepting of the fact that I'm part of the quarter of a century club.

With each passing year there's always one thing that remains the same on my birthday--Remembering how blessed I am! I have the best family and friends that always take time out of their day to wish me a happy birthday, and I am always so grateful for it (even if I forget to proclaim said gratitude on Facebook... oops!)

As you can tell, year 25 of life is already off to a great start! The only thing I'm not so sure about is giving up suckers from the bank.... that might have to be a half century kind of thing. We'll see.

Cheers 25, cheers.

because I haven't mentioned teaching in a while

If you're wondering why September's almost over and I still haven't posted about my students/teaching in general, you're not alone--I'm wondering the same thing! Because it's definitely not for lack of content... there is never a dull moment in jr. high! I'm certain of it. I guess you could blame my lack of blogging this month on the fact that season 14 of the Ellen show started! Chris walks in from work almost every single day to me in mid-ugly-crying-from-Ellen-feels-face, and man, that can really take it out of ya! In all seriousness though, there have been a lot of changes (good and bad) going on at the Gourley house, and teaching has remained my constant, and I am so, SO grateful for that!

With September almost being over, I'm at that stage where my student's personalities are fully showing--I love it! The best is getting to know them through some of the assignments I give at the beginning of the school year. My favorite is probably the Bucket List Book assignment, where I have my students write down 10 things they want to accomplish before they die, and then they take a few of those bucket list items and turn them into "SMART" goals. Giving this assignment has taught me that there are 2 kinds of kids in jr. high: the kids who make goals like, "get married, become a doctor, or publish a novel," and then there's the other kind who make goals like, "fill a hot tub full of jello" or my personal favorite from this year, "Get a first kiss." Behold:

And in case you're wondering what "romance" is in jr. high.... it's going to the movies.

Aren't jr. high kids just the best?! They seriously kill me. They also think it's a really big deal that I have fake Yeezy shoes, and I'm always flattered when they think they are real and that I can afford $600 shoes. Yes, jr. high kids are a good breed. A good, hilarious, weird, confused little breed that I enjoy getting to know more and more every single day.

I'm sure there's more I can fill you in on for this 2016-2017 school year, but I'm just going to leave it at that for now, because it's my day off and I have a birthday weekend to prepare for + mourn the loss over Brangelina (JK. I was always team Jennifer!!) + let my basic white girl out and make pumpkin everything in celebration of it officially being Fall now.

Happy Friday! I've missed you, blog world.

Never Forget

I know I was very young when this event took place (I was only 9 years old), but this day still stings for me. Like the rest of the country, I completely remember where I was and what I was doing that September morning. I remember seeing my mom staring at the TV and she just kept saying "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh..." I remember entering Mr. Andrus' classroom to all my classmates buzzing and asking "did you see the news?!" and then the principal calling over the intercom to the teachers to not discuss anything about it (but my teacher did anyway). I remember just being so confused... maybe a little scared, but mostly just confused. I think that's why this day stings to me... because every day after September 11, 2001, I started to understand more and more about what really happened that day.

It's crazy to me that 9/11 happened 15 years ago, it feels like only a few years ago. But it's even more crazy to me to think that I'm a teacher to students that were not even alive yet when it happened. Do my students even understand how scary that day must have been? Do they even care that their country was attacked? Will they "never forget" what happened that day? 

May September 11th always fuel our love for our country, our respect for those who serve it, and our desire to fight for peace in our world.

I will never forget.