WATERMELON CARVING

This is what Josh accomplished in my kitchen the other night. Let me be the first and probably the last to tell you that we carve pumpkins for a reason: ease. Watermelons are easy to actually cut out but the juice is continually spilling out all over. It gets quite messy. But then again you do get to eat the pieces you carve out. I am not sure whats up with the "Sloth" mouth but thats Joshy for you - just straight up strange.

QUITE CHATTY TODAY

I need to share my thoughts and feelings on many things right now so I am going to have to turn this post into a list. Thank you for your cooperation.

1. Band: I am in a band. It consists of me on the lap harp, Leslie on the flute, and Allison on the Piano. We had our first concert last night in my living room to an audience of 6. We were really amazing.

2. Goodbye: I met Leslie last year when she and I were forced to live under the same roof. One day I asked her if she wanted to come with me to pull a prank on this real douchie girl and she did. We have been in love ever since. The point of this is that she is leaving me next week for greener pastures (graduation). Good riddance Nessle. I didn't want you to stay over the summer anyway. I am not sad you are leaving. Did I convince anybody? Probably not. On this note, Alisha is leaving me also. You guys really suck. Good thing Heather came back and Jessica got into grad school or I might be suicidal.

3. Prize table: At the Jensen family Easter there was a prize table just for being there. I got some pretty great swag so thanks to the Jensens for letting me take your stuff and hang out with your daughter.

4. Race for the Cure: The 2009 Race for the Cure is on May 9. I am thinking about forming a walking team with shirts for grammie. Who is interested? FYI: there were 20,000 people at the last one and it was so much fun/sad/fun.

5. Countdown update: Just so you know my parents only have 13 fast Sundays until they come home from the mish. June 2010 or bust!

6. Spring Break: Its spring break right now in Alpine School District and its an entire week! I have never had a whole week off before but I am really loving this. When I was in school we had 3 days. And in college we had 0. If this is what Summer is like I am going to be really good at it (except the massive snow storm of course).

7. Nephew: I have a new nephew born to Mark and Lindsay on April 5. Henry Manning Horne is his name. I think he likes me but that is in comparison to how Bennett was treating me yesterday and lets just say he wasn't my #1 fan. But Henry is healthy and handsome. Now Jaimee needs to have her kid so we can have one more boy.

8. With the help of my peers I rightfully reclaimed previous property. Thank you.

9. Calling: With the end of the semester rapidly approaching I hope to get released from my calling. Is that bad to say? Probably but I have had it for two years and I want to be done. Ward hymnbook specialist please.

MORE THAN COLLEAGUES

I don't know how we came to be but we did. And it all seemed to start on day 1, my interview at Orem Junior. I can tell you what Allison and Cameo were wearing, where Kathe was standing when I first met her, how excited I got, and the conversations we had that day. Well that was just the first of many great days with these ladies. If you would have told me a year ago that I would become best friends with social studies department at OJH I probably would have laughed at you. But these ladies have become my life line. It is normal that you can do the following with your colleagues: cry, laugh, vent, share, plan every lesson together, hang out with, work out with, visit their homes, take a Fun Bus adventure with, join their fam for Easter, receive far too generous of gifts, go to the temple with, find one an amazingly well fit spouse, prank people, go on dates with, willing to give up a full time contract so I can stay at OJH, go get ice cream, and still have a professional life with? I don't think so. We have found something amazing in our department and I don't want to give it up or change it. I hate that next year has to come. I literally could not teach without them and I will not teach without them.

PICKED ME UP ONE OF THESE

My Grandma Belnap had one of these at her house when I was a little kid. I loved this thing. It was usually a battle for who got to play it. Well I was roaming Wal-Mart yesterday and saw this beauty for only $15. Can you believe it? If you are one of my Belnap cousins reading this you are probably already on your way out to pick one up because you are so jealous. I have enjoyed serenading folks with musical masterpieces like "On Top of Old Smokey," "Ode to Joy," and "Camptown Races." In addition to receiving 10 sheets of musical classics, I wrote some of my own music yesterday. I have now created more music for this awesome instrument like "For the Beauty of the Earth." Leslie and I are going to perform a duet in Sacrament Meeting with me on the lap harp and her on the flute.