Tagged a long time ago

O.K. So this should have been written forever ago, as it must have been over a month or two that I was tagged, so here goes :) I'm not going to tag anyone, but what you are supposed to do is write 8 random facts about your life(I guess around college time?) If you are reading this and want to do the same thing go for it :)

1. I went to BYU. I was on the 5 year plan, but only because I left during my sophomore year and went to Taiwan with my best friend, Mica, and a group of about 6 other BYU girls during the winter semester. We went with Dr. McPhee's(I think that was his name)group. He had a group going to Russia, too, but I was more interested in the Chinese people. During the fall semester before we went, we all took a class from him where we came up with a book full of activities to do with young children who don't speak English. Then we went over to our destinations and taught pre-school age children how to speak. It was a great experience.

2. When I got back to BYU, I took about a year of Mandarin Chinese and only quit after that year, because by then you are really getting into writing all those characters and it got to be a little overwhelming for me! I learned enough to know the basics.

3. In 1995 I graduated in Elementary Education. I remember before graduating that I couldn't wait to get out of Provo! I had loved my experience at BYU, but was ready to be out of there, or so I thought! I remember my parents coming to get me and all my stuff and I was just so sad to be leaving. My parents were so sweet, they got me a plane ticket to fly home a week later, so I could have more time to say my good-byes!

4. When I finally got home to Colorado, I didn't know what I was going to do. I went on some teaching interviews all over CO. I even went up to Grand Junction for an interview. I remember the night of my sister, Lindsay's, high school graduation party, I got a call from Mica. She had been contacted by ISS(International School Systems) about interviewing to go teach in China at a brand new international school. She convinced me to go with her to the interview in San Francisco. So that was my next job interview. I met her there and we were basically both offered the job. She had been married for a couple of years, though, so it wasn't so easy for her to leave. But I had no other plans, so I signed a two year contract to help start up a school in Panyu, China, and I left 2 months later. It was a wonderful experience. At the beginning we had about 10 kids(ages 2 1/2 to 7) all from different countries. On the first day, we had kids from Germany, Sweden, China, Singapore, Argentina and Brazil. But because of my experience in Taiwan, I had lots of great ideas to help get these kids speaking one common language. It was neat. At the beginning, no one could communicate together, but by the end of the year, they were all speaking English together.

5. Because I missed my family so much, I ended up breaking my contract and only staying there for one year. I went back to Utah, and got a job teaching 2nd grade in Lehi, UT. I LOVE teaching 2nd graders!!! They are the perfect age, as they still love their teacher and aren't cliquey with each other yet. They just love everyone :) And the first grade teachers have already taught them how to read and the basics of math, so my job isn't so bad.

6. After teaching in Lehi for 3 years, I had once again had enough of Utah and moved back to teach 2nd grade in Arvada, CO and lived with my parents for a year. I think the reason I had to move back to CO was so I could meet Keith :)

7. Keith lived in UT, still, but I met him through Instant messaging on AOL. I remember the little box popping up on my screen as I was doing a lesson for church and he said, "So you liketo golf, huh? " What a great one liner, huh? :) After that we kept talking through instant messaging cuz I was on his buddy list and whenever I got on, he'd say hi. Then eventually, it went to phone calls for hours at a time, then when he finally got a picture of me through "snail mail"(I wasn't so computer savvy back then and couldn't just send a picture through the computer) he called me right away and said he was coming to meet me as soon as he could get a ticket! My picture was just to great to pass up meeting in person :) So he came to CO on Valentine weekend to meet me and then from there we would meet half- way with my family skiing or on long weekends and then I moved back to UT on Memorial Day that year and we dated officially. I got a job teaching 2nd grade again in Alpine where I taught for 5 years.

8. We got engaged that October and were married on December 16, 2000. And now we have 3 sweet little boys and we are back in UT where I said I would never want to raise my family:) What a life, huh? :) I love it :)

So there you have 8 random things about me. Now... tag... you're it if you want to be :)