Utah Has Indeed Been Good to Us

Utah has indeed been good to us. One of our most favorite things about being in Utah is just being so close to family! Taylors family is just down the road a few minutes and we love spending time over at his parents house with everyone. It is a well known fact among the Linton clan that although we have the entire family within one or two hours from each other now, it wont last long. So we take advantage of every opportunity to get together. We have really had some great times in the past few months. We all took a week long vacation to the Oregon coast and spent some time in a beach house there. We just relaxed and spent hours on the beach. The water was super cold, but that only encouraged us more to be the only ones on the beach brave enough to see how cold the water was once your whole body was submerged.
We also just took a weekend trip down to Moab and I got to experience, first hand, the infamous Elephant Hill. I've heard stories about the crazy roads...or lack or road, the Linton's love to drive over in their Land Cruiser, but never before have I experience such a thing. It was amazing. I didn't know vehicles could make it over stuff like that. Taylor was entrusted to drive over the scariest stuff!! He did great! I was so proud. (I'm just glad that he did all the learning/experimenting on driving over crazy roads before he met me.)

It's also been so good to be in Utah to be with my side of the family too. My sister Meredith and her husband Rich just had their first baby, Noah Thomas Bauman. He is just "so yummy" as his grandma likes to say. The Pratt family couldn't be more excited about this addition to the family, the first of the next generation. My family came up from Arizona to see him and be with Mere and Rich. It was so good to be together even if it was just for a couple days. I volunteered Taylor and I to watch Trevor and Jeremiah while Mom and Dad assumed their Grandma and Grandpa roles. Taylor and I had a lot of fun hanging with my little brothers. They are growing up so fast. It is amazing. We are planning on going to Arizona for Thanksgiving to spend it with my family. We can't wait!!!

I don't think we mentioned anywhere the real reason for coming down to Utah. I actually am doing my student teaching this semester while Taylor is off track (meaning this is his semester off, then he goes to school in the winter and summer). I've been teaching 4th grade in Centerville and it has been a great experience so far. I come home completely wiped out and full of stories for Taylor every night. (He is such a great sport) If there is one thing that I have learned it is TEACHING IS HARD! I always knew that, but never realized why it is so hard. Everything about it is hard. I know it is supposed to get easier, but wow, teachers could spend their entire life at the school if they let themselves! I have really gain a huge respect for teachers. It amazes me looking back because the teachers I have had always made it look so easy. Amazing! I have been in the middle of doing my big unit on the Indians of Utah. It's been really fun to learn all about them and then think of fun ways to teach about them. The students are really getting into it and it makes me really excited to see them want to learn! Poor Taylor though hears me talk aloud while I plan each of my lessons and then hears an overview of how each one goes. I think he has learned more about Indians now then he did when he was in 4th grade. The other night he told me he dreamed about Indians all night long. What have I done? haha I only have about a month left of my student teaching! I'm done the week before Thanksgiving. It has gone so fast! It will be exciting to be completely done and have my degree, but I'm dreading saying goodbye to my students. They are so great and I've really loved being in class with them.

Taylor has been busy busy busy. For the past month or so he has been working for a guy he knows who lays tile. He is really really good at what he does and it's been so great for Taylor to learn tiling skills from such a master. I like to tease Taylor that now I just need him to work for a electricion, and a plumber and then he will have all the manly/husband skills covered. painting, carpeting, framing, auto mechanic, tiling, he's got it all. What a lucky wife am I.

Taylor can also pass as a great nurse. The past few days I was down with the swine flu. Not fun! Taylor had a few days off of work so he was my nurse. He was absolutely the best nurse anyone could have asked for. I'm feeling much better now and will be back in school tomorrow! It's an absolute miracle that he was in close quarters with me all weekend and didn't catch it.