The Coopers

One Month Down!

2011-06-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! I've almost been out of school for a month now. Where has this summer gone!!???
I thought I would just update you really fast about everything that is going on in the life of the Cooper clan...if anyone cares.
Josh is a month away from GRADUATING!!!!!! This is insane! It felt like it would never come. He will technically walk in July, and then complete his 3 month internship after that. After stressing for a few months about exactly WHERE this internship would happen, Josh was offered a job by a company in Idaho Falls called Txtwire. This company creates phone and computer applications that send alerts, coupons, ect (from the best of my knowledge...hehe) and Josh is already learning so much. Just like my father always says, everything has a way of working out!!

I just attended a cheerleading coaches conference in Boise, where I learned a lot that I know will get my girls ready for competition this year. We had quite a few shoutouts from the presenters, one saying that "Madison has insanely awesome stutns." I had a 'proud mommy' moment. I may have blushed a little bit.

People keep asking me "so what do you do now that you are out of school?" My easy answer is----"well, I nap."
Which is true-- I take a few naps a week. But I still keep busy with some reading (the summer reading program at the Madison Library District has me reading about 500pgs a week to make my 3600 page goal by July) and I have been working out (I have a relay race I'm running in September, so I'm trying to start getting ready early). I also get to mentor with Cassie Mickelson in a couple weeks! Check her out at http://pinkpaisleyphoto.com/
I am so excited!!!!!
Anywho- so keep your eye out for my photography blog, which will start up in a couple weeks. I am ecstatic!

Kasi is getting close to having her baby!!!! We are throwing her a shower on Saturday, and her little boy is going to get spoiled! I really should get working on that. haha

Well, I don't know what else to say! I'll try to post a little more often. Sorry!

Cool Shelves!!!

2011-04-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

I LOVE the ideas other bloggers have. Check out other cute shelf ideas at the Funky Junk Interiors blog HERE! {Kasi!!! We should do cute shelves like this in your baby room with cute colored books and put stuffed animals and picture frames on top!!!}

KayKay is MARRIED!!!

2011-02-22T15:50:00.000-08:00

What an eventful weekend! Besides experiencing a piercing nausea from a flu bug that kept me dizzy the entire day, Kayla's wedding day went absolutely perfect! Her wedding ceremony was beautiful, and I was able to officiate at the ring ceremony before the reception started, which I hammed up as much as I deemed appropriate. Kayla looked beautiful, and the couple looked so HAPPY!!!! Now, I just need to break it to her that I plan on taking a portion of her gifts as payment for all of the work Kasi and I did to help put the wedding together. :) J/K. But she seriously owes me about 70 hours of babysitting once Josh and I start having kids. hehe. We love you Patrick and Kayla Park!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2011-02-14T16:49:00.000-08:00

What a fabulous day!!! I heard student after student complain about how much they despise 'Single Awareness Day', and yet again, I realized how grateful I am to be married. And not only that, but to have such an incredibly amazing husband!! He was fully equipped with gifts from the Buckle on Sunday night, and he had flowers and chocolates sent to my classroom today. And what did I do in return? Well, let's just say I'm trying to pull a fast one on him as we speak. I am standing amongst a large group of impatient couples, all by myself, getting us a table for dinner while he thinks that I am helping out a family in need from the ward. I'm so sneaky!!! When I get a table, I'll text him and tell him to come to the location that I programmed into his phone last night, and he won't even see it coming!! For now, I'll just dodge glances as I sit in the restaurant waiting room blogging from my phone. :) Happy Valentine's Day!!!

So TIRED...

2011-02-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

By the time I reach fifth hour, I am sleep walking!!! I have been going to bed as early as I can handle, so I can't figure out how am I so sleepy all of the time!

It reminds me of our most recent trip to Texas in October. Poor Landon was so sleepy from the state fair that he fell asleep on the way back to the car and drooled all over Bryan. So precious.

Can't I just be a professional napper? I'm SOOO good at it {when I actually have the time}.
Professional napper qualifications: Can fall asleep anywhere at any time of the day, 4-5 hour naps are easily my specialty, prefer taking a nap to any other activity.

Boys will be boys....

2011-02-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

After lunch, two of my students (both boys) came in late to class. They were out of breath, and had to explain in front of the whole class why there were late. Wanting to break their friend's record of 10 consecutive drives around the town's only round-about they had decided at lunch to make it happen. Well, they beat it alright. Arriving at around 12:30, the students spent 30 minutes circling the round- 102 times!!!!!! Seriously???? Oh- to be young again and have fruitless ambitions. {If Josh read this----he would probably remind me about all of my fruitless ambitions: the fact that I answer book trivia on Goodreads because I'm hoping by the 2000th question, I'll have my percentage of questions answered correctly above 50% without skipping questions or cheating; the fact that I pick a new career everyday that I want to pursue in addition to being a teacher; the fact that I enjoy counting my scarves and cardigans, as if I am going to one day be able to show them off to a national audience on an episode of MTV Cribs.} What can I say? We are all a little crazy!

Rant about Reading.

2010-12-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like this when you have read a book? I know that this picture is supposed to make you want to write a letter, but I think that it speaks volumes about literature. {Get it? Speaks volumes...about literature??? haha. A pun that could have impressed the Bard perhaps??} When I read The Book Thief (which is a remarkable book that both topped my list and changed my life), I felt like I was a part of her story. Or rather that she was part of my story. Am I sounding like a weirdo? I cried when she cried. I smiled, sitting alone in my house, when she was happy. I was crushed and devastated when she lost someone. I get so emotionally attached to the characters and their stories that I begin to write them into my life. The sad thing is that I frequently make references in conversation to the books that I have read, which makes for an especially awkward moment when noone in the room has read the book.
I guess when you know so much about a person{character}, you just feel like they are one of your buds. So, I guess if I consider some characters to be my "book friends", should I send them Christmas cards this year??? Well, that seems a little desperate and awkward to even mention. But just for good measure, I'll just make a shoutout to Elizabeth Bennett, Greg Heffley, Sirius Black, Jo March, and Edmond Dantes. Thanks for distracting me so that I don't drive my husband crazy with overwhelming attention. You have kept me sane. Merry Christmas.

(I'm going to use this picture as a writing prompt inspiration for my creative writing class. We will see what they think of it.)

I WANT ONE!!!

2010-12-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

This is the next thing on my list! Now that I have the camera of my dreams, I need a cute bag to hold it!!! I'll just leak this information to Josh and see how long it takes for him to make it happen. Haha! P.S.- I like the Clover and Paris models the best in teal or purple! I wish I would have found out about this BEFORE all of my presents are wrapped and under the tree. Darn it! Check them out at epiphaniebags.com! (I would hyperlink that for you, but I forgot to even mention the website when I first posted this, which I just noticed on my phone. Hence, me fixing the post on my phone. So just type it in the URL box, ok?)

The one with Ron Weasley

2010-12-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

For a Halloween costume party this year, Josh and I dressed up as Ron and Hermione. We had on our official dress robes and Gryffindor ties. I also found a girl's red wig that I trimmed into a super neat Weasley do. Yay for dressing up!

The one where you laugh at this funny video

2010-11-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

A member of my bishopric told us about this video while we were waiting for a meeting to start. I think it is so funny! The high school has a "Bobcat Film Festival," and I want to tell my students to make an episode 2 and submit it. For now, I introduce you to Kid History: Episode 1.

The one where a student sings in class

2010-11-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

One day, I forgot a few things that I needed for school. I gave Josh and a call and asked him to come drop it off to me, even though I would be in class. So, 2nd hour comes, and he sneaks his head in, sets the bag of goods on the floor just inside my door, and tries to sneak away without being seen. My students were a little confused, so I said, "Oh, that was just my cute husband dropping something off. I should go say thanks." So I go to the door, open it, and look down the hall. He was too far away to talk to. So a really funny student of mine sings out, "Baby come back!" hahaha. It was so funny. Perhaps a moment you had to be there for???
Either way, here is a snippet of the song by the band Player, in case you need to hear it to fully appreciate how humorous the moment was.

The one where I catch up....

2010-11-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well, life is insanely busy, and keeping up with my blog has fallen low on my list of priorities. However, I am going to take a few minutes to do that now. I guess I will take a minute to tell you that I changed the name of this blog. And if my eyes stay open long enough, I might even overhaul the cluttered design that I thought was so appealing a while back. So, I decided to name it "The Shelf Life." If you know me well at all, this makes perfect sense. However, I will expound upon my reasoning. Josh and I both have our favorite form of entertainment. He loves LOVES movies. In fact, even as I type, we are watching a movie. I love LOVE books. And I guess it is a good thing I like to read, because I have made a career out of it. Teaching a novel requires a fresh read every time. That is the only way that I can pull insights out and lead discussions about the book with my kids semester after semester. So I read a set of about 6 different novels over and over and over. And I love it!!! (However, it does slow me down from reading new books, since I am reading the same ones so many times.) I spend time between classes looking through my Scholastic book order magazines, attempting to talk myself out of placing another order. While Josh watches movies, I put in my earplugs in and read. (But this is just when we are home with some free time, which is usually just an occasional weekend night.) Since I basically relate everything in my life to a book, I thought it would be appropriate to bring a little taste of that to my blog. Do I sound like a nerd yet?

HP All the Way!!!!!

2010-09-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

The Harry Potter Club is well under way! I'm the club's adviser again this year and I'm so excited to be a part of it! We had our first planning meeting to establish house founders and heads-of-house. What a fabulous group of students! We will start our club sign-ups soon, and we have some really fun ideas for this year! Yay for a new school year!!!!!

Haha

2010-07-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

As I'm walking down the hall of my church with Kayla, I see a guy who I know some interesting info about and this is how the conversation went.
Kelli: "See that guy up there. Josh told me that his is an MMA fighter. Cool, huh?"
Kayla: " Wait....did you just say an MMA fighter?"
Kelli: "Yeah. What did you think I said?"
Kayla: "Oh- I thought you said he was an Anime fighter."

hahaha.
hahaha.
Well----I thought it was funny.

Life as of yet....

2010-07-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

Well, June was a slowly creeping month. I spent my days reading, crafting, and taking naps. I have some fun projects that I finished for my living room that I'll post in the next few days. But overall, I sometimes wonder to myself if I have really accomplished anything since school got out for summer. Then, just when I said a few words to my sister-in-law about how bored I was getting, life took a little turn. I already knew that July would pick up a bit. The month entails camping trips 3 of the 4 weekends of the month, a trip to Lagoon with my Cheerios, a week of hanging out with Josh's brother and fam visiting from Texas, ect. However, the same day that I talked to Krystal about having a lot of time and not a lot to do, I find out that the Buckle wants me back to work for back-to-school AND I have a new calling----Relief Society President. So, now I will definitely have some things to fill up my time over the next two months!!!
In other news, I just ordered my new camera!!!! I am freaking out inside right now! My new Nikon D90 should be arriving at my house any day now! I'm going to get mentored by Cassie Mickelsen from Pink Paisley Photography to learn everything I can from her. So, I'm hoping that in the next few weeks I'll go from knowing NOTHING about photography to being able to work a little photo magic. Whoohoo!!!!!
Anyway-----In the next few days I'll post some pictures of my projects! Thanks for listening! Here goes July and August!!!!!

DEXTER the DOG!!!

2010-06-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

We have a new edition to our family! We just got a new dog! Yay!!! His name is Dexter, and he is six months old. We were a little nervous about getting a dog. Let's face it......it can turn into a nightmare. I would cite the stories of Cookie and Scruffy from my childhood, but I don't know that we have the time. Let's just say that my favorite barbie doll---Courtney the Cheerleader, got her head ripped off. Anyway, we went into this being a little nervous. However, he has been AMAZING. He is a big cuddler. He loves to be held like a baby and fall asleep in your lap. And he also loves to play. He's getting really good at fetch. So, he is a well-rounded little pup. This is as close as we have to a child in our house right now, so if you find I'm talking about him like he is my own son......well, just get over it. I'm not going to dress him up, so I'm not a crazy dog lady, yet.

We decided to get him fixed before he was too old. The poor guy wasn't supposed to lick his stitches. We knew we didn't want to put one of those big white cones around his head, so we came up with a better idea.

We got him some Dora the Explorer panties and made a hole for his tail. He looked so precious. haha. He got used to them after a while, but I wouldn't say that he enjoyed them!
Anyway----that's all you ever wanted to know about someone's dog and more! haha.

Counting Down!!!!!

2010-05-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Madison gets out of school exactly two weeks from tomorrow! And I have ideas for what I'm teaching to finish off my units. So basically, I'm sittin' pretty. Also, I have been obsessively raiding craigslist every day trying to find some items with awesome potential. And I found something that I'm really excited about. Inspired by the yellow end tables that I wrote about a few posts ago, I found some end tables and a coffee table for sale that I think have a similar style. Josh thought I was crazy when we went to pick them up at the flee market in Shelley. (I guess I don't blame him. They looked a little shady.) But I think he is feeling a little better about them now. This last weekend, my father (who has graciously joined forces with me in this project without even being asked......you know how dads are. :) I love that man) and I cleaned the crap off of them, and went through 5 cans of Kilz primer getting them ready to go. We have a little more priming to do this weekend, and then we'll start painting!!!!!! I'm so excited. I'll post some pictures so you can see the project each step of the way (if you care). Also, I'm painting them yellow, just like the ones from All Things Thrifty. And I'll explain my "spray paint madness" story in a later post. I almost lost my mind! Well, I'll write more later. Bye!

Yay for summer break!

2010-04-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

We found out this week that our summer break will start one week early. Whohoo!!!!! Because of the budget cuts to education, the district needed to find some ways to save money. So, the school board voted and decided to close every school in the district early, doing a "hard core shutdown." They will flip the breakers off and lock the doors, saving the district $20,000 a day!!! So, I have only three weeks left of the trimester for instruction, and the last week will be used to give finals, get grades in, and pack the school up so we can be ready to move into the new high school over the summer. I can't believe this school year is almost over. This is CRAZY!!!!!!!

Craft time!!!!!

2010-04-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

With my new obsession for craft blogs, I have found about 50 projects that I want to do for my house. It was hard to decide where to start, but I found one that I didn't think would be too difficult for a beginner. From the blog "Make It and Love It," I found the hemp ball craft.

This project requires hemp, a few styrofoam balls, spraypaint, a hot glue gun, and a little time. Kristi and I have started working on them together, one or two at a time, and they have taken quite a bit longer than we expected, and we have burned our fingers more times than we can count on those same fingers. However, I know that when we finish, the finished product will be worth the work. Right? Or maybe it is just another excuse for Kristi and I to get together for some girl time... :)
I'll post some pictures when we finally get these flippin' things finished.
(The links to all my favorite craft blogs are at the bottom of the left column on this page!)

Spring Break!

2010-03-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

I start day one of my spring break tomorrow! I have the next five days off to do whatever I want! Things on my list of things to do include: take naps, read books, watch movies, turn my closet under the stairs into my crafting haven, make some crafts in my closet under the stairs, get my hair done!

In other news, the past few weeks have been crazy! I have hired a head coach for the cheer program, Hayli Peterson. And I also hired my good friend Samantha Mortimer as an assistant coach. We also had cheer tryouts, and it was such a hard decision to make as we created the squads. We now have 6 on JV and 17 on varsity. We are going to be competing for sure this year, and we are thinking about going to nationals next spring, so we will have both squads compete together. We had our first practice today, and we have so many talented girls. I'm so excited. Already, with brand new stunt groups, the girls are doing with ease things that I thought would take weeks to work up to. Next week, the girls will be working on double full downs from heel-stretches and scales. Not too bad for our second practice, right?
One of the girls had to get surgery on her ACL the day after tryouts, so I get to stunt in here place until she heals up. I had so much fun with it today. I was pretty rusty, but it clicked pretty fast. My girls said, "What if I hurt you? You're my English teacher????" I thought that was funny. It's hard not to just feel like one of the girls sometimes........ This next year is going to be so much fun!!!!!!

Dreams of the Moment

2010-03-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

So, I have decided that I want to develop some hobbies. I want to list them here as a way to help me be accountable for them.

I want to relearn to play the piano. After years of taking piano lessons and then abandoning the instrument completely, I want to once again be able to play. I'm super rusty, and I really sucked when I started anyway, so I just want to start fresh and just rock it. I have a corner of one of our extra bedrooms dedicated as my piano area. I set up the keyboard that Marsha (Josh's amazing mother) bought me for Christmas. This corner of the room is specifically dedicated to "my music." Can you tell that I'm trying to channel my inner Ross from Friends. hahaahaha. I love that episode. I told Josh that I'm going to put some posters of the Jonas Brothers up in the room and wear big headphones when I play so that it looks like I'm in a music studio. If anyone wants a job as my producer, the job opens up shortly and pays nothing. Let me know if you're interested. hahahahaah
I have a list of books that I'm going to read in the next couple years. This list is conveniently located on the right side of my blog ---->. If I can do it in 2 years, it is about a book a week, which is manageable. The only problem with these books is that some of them are DOOSIES. So it is going to require a lot of time to chip away at the list. But I've already gotten through some, and right now I'm working on Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Two thumbs up so far, except that the dialogue's dialect sometimes gives me a headache as I attempt to translate it into Kelli terms.
I want to make amazing cards. I've finally collected everything I need (cricut, cuddle bug, paper, crafty accessories, envelopes, etc.) to make amazing cards. I've made a few sets. But I want to spend more time becoming more creative and crafty at making cards. Oh, and I probably should send them to someone so Josh won't keep giving me the *why are you making those* look every time I get my supplies out.
I want to develop my skills in the art of photography. To read more about this ideal hobby desire, check out the small excerpt on the left by the cute camera. <---------
I want to be a decorating fool. I found a blog that has inspired me to start refinishing furniture. Here is the link of the project that took my breath away: http://www.allthingsthrifty.com/2010/01/yellow-furniture.html (and here's a picture) So I'm going to start obsessively checking D.I., and I'm going to start practicing. I have a desk in our third bedroom that is old and charming, and I'm going to start by refinishing it white with a dark glaze over the top. I'm so excited!
Now the real question is------WHERE DO I BEGIN? Luckily, with my teaching schedule, I will have the whole summer off to foster these hobbies. I can't wait!!!!!!!

Whew! I'm worn out!

2010-03-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

After some tedious hours of overhauling my blog, I can now say that I'm happy with the finished product. I've added some new elements down the side columns, the like a puny list of the temples that Josh and I have done a session in and my list of books that I'm working on. I hope that you enjoy the updated look.....because it took me long enough!!!! :)

Cooper Update!!!

2010-03-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

I'm deeply sorry that I have not posted on my blog for about 5 months. Although life has been crazy, I don't really have a good excuse for neglecting my followers... (since I have AT LEAST two or three people who read my blog. haha) Here 's the latest!

Josh and I just moved into our new townhouse in The Meadows this last weekend! It is so fun to have a place of our own, and we just don't know what to do with all of the space! If anyone wants to stop in, we'd be happy to have you!
So, we're back in Rexburg, which is nice because Josh is closer to school, and I am closer to work. In fact, I'm less than a mile from the new high school, so I will basically be able to walk to work next year. However, anyone that knows me at all knows that I'm far too lazy to walk to work. Lame.
On that note, I'm super stoked for the new high school. We've been talking with the administration about the final plans we need to make before moving in to the school. It is HUGE! It's going to be so fun to have a brand spanking new classroom.

Also, I recently accepted the position to be the new cheer advisor. *save the cheerleader, save the world* We are in the process of hiring a head coach for the squad, and tryouts are at the end of the month! So life is going to keep staying busy for a while. There are some really fun girls, and it is going to be really fun working with them. However, I'm a little scared to think that I'm going to be heading up a program. It doesn't feel like it was that long ago that I was competing in Hawaii with my own high school squad my senior year! Wasn't that just a year or two ago???...ok maybe not. But I am still feeling a little inadequate. We'll see how it goes!

So much is going on in our lives that we are having a hard time keeping up. The second trimester of the year at Madison is coming to a close, and I can't believe that summer break is approaching so quickly. I don't know what I'll do with all of the extra time! But I'm pretty excited to find out! Until next time....

Life is CRAZY!!!

2009-11-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

We made a last minute decision to head to Texas for an extended weekend to visit Josh's brother Bryan and his amazing family. I have a whole bunch of fun pictures of the kids, which I will post soon. It was such a fun trip, and we hope we can go back soon.
Also, in recent Cooper news, I now have a new job! The school that I wanted to work at earlier this year had a new position open up. My friend and former cooperating teacher, Amy Leatham, stepped down from her position to be with her son, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. Her story breaks my heart. While I feel sad that it is her position I am filling, I am grateful for the opportunity. She is an amazing teacher, and I know her students will be excited for her to return next fall.
In the meantime, I'm going to try not to stress out too much as I prepare for the weeks ahead. I officially start at the beginning of January. The school wanted me to start the November 30, but I just can't leave The Buckle right now. My amazing boss would pull his hair out (or what is left of his hair. haha) So we will be hiring a sub for 3 weeks out of the pool of applicants for the position to teach my class for a few weeks until I am able to start. This has all happened so fast that my head is spinning! Just weeks ago, I had no idea that I would be teaching this school year! Life is crazy!

Salt Lake Trip!!!!!!

2009-11-05T22:53:00.000-08:00

Josh and I needed a getaway! So, at the end of September, we got a hotel in Salt Lake City and hit the road. Being the fashion loving DORKS that we are, we totally had to get some pictures of our cute outfits before we left.
And of course.....a classic car ride video. Josh and I are all about these, even though they never really turn out looking very good. :(

While in Utah, we had to get our favorite dessert at P.F. Changs.....THE GREAT WALL OF CHOCOLATE!!!!!! It is to die for!!!!! The picture doesn't do it justice!

We got to see Tiff, Victor, and the kiddos while we were in Salt Lake. They are so fun! Westwood and Olivia are LOVING the camera right now! I showed Westwood a pose to do, and this is what he did. haha. So funny.

I'll post a few more pictures from the trip when I'm not feeling so lazy. (Who knows when that will be...)

Time to play CATCH UP!!!!!

2009-11-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

These events transpired on June 12, 2009. I know.....I'm a little slow at getting some things posted. Kasi Lee Beorchia (formerly known as Kasi Lee Sucher, for those of you that are a little slow to see the strong sisterly resemblance between us) came to visit me in Rexburg for a Sister/Craft day.
Being so close to the amazing flood museum, we decided that we needed to learn a little bit about the culture of the area. And since my mother and her family experienced the destruction of the flood, we thought it would also help us to gain some perspective on the trials she faced. While this introduction makes it sound like this was a sentimental quest for Kasi and I, don't be mistaken. It was amost the opposite.......we basically just took dorky pictures next to all of the mannequins. :) hahahaahahahhaha

This is Kasi and I posing for pictures next to some pictures. Putting that into words makes it sound really odd.

While in the museum, a very nice lady asked us if we would like to watch a short movie about the flood. Being a part of the "flood museum" experience, we obviously agreed. On our way into the little movie room, Kasi and I joked about how funny it would be if we saw our mom (as an awkward teen) in the movie. We weren't that lucky, but we came pretty close! Just after finishing the movie, we found a picture in the movie room with a lady that looks unmistakably like our mother !

Can you see the resemblance? The lady in the front, tenderly cradling the basket of saved goods, looks just like the pictures I have seen of my mother when she was that age! What luck!
(But for the record, I don't believe that was her.)

After the museum, Kasi and I slipped over to see our Great-Grandma Grace, who is looking so good for her years. And she is just as sprightly as I've ever remembered her!

Our last activity for the day was to make our craft. We started from scratch with a random lady's blog idea, some paper, and a frame, and here is what we created! I think the result is pretty impressive. (The leaf placement was basically the hardest part. Kasi kept saying, "Kelli, your leaves look better!" and I kept saying, "Kasi, I want mine to look like yours!" Where is the grass greener, my friend? On the other side. But they both turned out fine, despite the stress!)

It was a super fun day spent with Kasi! We have plans for our next crafting session. Now we just need to find the time to do it!

Just a recommendation...

2009-10-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

Having graduated in English, I get exposed to great book after great book. So, when I read a book I enjoy, I just write a review about it on my Goodreads.com account. However, every once in a while, I come across a book that just makes me freak out. This morning, I just finished The Hunger Games by Suzane Collins, and I couldn't even breathe! Seriously. The book kept me so captivated that I finished the last few pages barely able to breathe! If you want a book to read, pick this up. Truly amazing!!!! I've got the next in the series coming in the mail and I just hope that I can make it until it gets here!

Loving gLee!

2009-09-25T22:58:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite telly show that combines my adoration for broadway music, my lifelong fetish for chart-topping hits, my love for catchy dance moves and flashy costumes, and my guilty pleasure for quirky high school shows. (I watched "High School Musical a good 30 times in my single college days. I know....I'm lame.) Aside from a few racy dance moves that would make my mother blush, I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. It's funny, but watching has really made me reminisce on the memories of Kelli Jean Biddulph and I singing "Rent" songs at the top of our lungs in her family suburban. And I think there is a hidden desire in all of us to be the amazing performer that stands up in front of the whole school, as a nobody, and delivers an amazing vocal performance that makes the whole school give a standing ovation in approval. Oh wait...that was only my fantasy? -awkward-
For those that didn't get to see the episode this current week that had me and my mother rolling, here is a hilarious clip. Oh- and if you haven't seen the "Single Ladies" music video by Beyonce, then 1. You need to crawl up out of that hole you've been hiding in, and 2. you need to look it up. That lady can shake it.
So, without further adieu, here it is........:) hahahahahahahahahaha

Back to blogging...

2009-09-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

So, after a long recess from filling out my blog, I'm back to try again. Much has changed since the last time that I posted...but I guess that is what 5 months will do to you, right?
Josh and I are now living in Idaho Falls and loving it! It's nice for both of us to be so close to work. Oh, and did I mention that I am now Josh's boss? Josh left his job at Melaleuca in exchange for a pay raise and his sanity back. He now works as a teammate on my team at the Buckle, showing more potential in his first few weeks than I could have hoped for. He's a natural. Which makes my job a lot easier! We get the question every day, "Is it hard working with your spouse?" Thankfully, Josh and I get along like Pam and Jim from The Office. :)

Josh and I are happier than ever, except for the seasonal allergies that keep us sneezing all day. Mer........

Well, I'll post something else soon. Peace out.

Bring on the SUMMER!!!! (Part 1)

2009-05-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes waiting for the heat waves of summer can be long and depressing. To help invite pass this awkward phase between an Idaho winter and brief summer, I am going to reminisce on the fun events of last summer that never got posted. Oops!
CAMPING!!!
Camping is always the big pastime of the summer that Josh and I look forward to. Both sides of our families enjoy camping, so it is a great way to hang out with our loved ones.
Here are some highlights from Sucher Family camping trips last summer!

This was our little trip to John Sack's cabin, which was just a few miles from Buffalo, where we went camping!Look how precious my parents are in this picture!

Kayla and I always find time to take goofy pictures.

This is my favorite picture of Kayla. haha. I caught her taking a picture of herself. I think it is hilarious. She looks so cute.
This is Josh and I posing in front of Johnny Sack's cabin! Despite how boring this attraction appears, it is actually quite amusing to tour the cabin! He was very short, and there are really old antique pictures of him. I would say he was probably under 5 feet or so. He built everything himself, which makes you wonder how such a small man got the roof on. Well, that is what I wondered.
I think Josh looks so handsome in this picture. I, on the other hand, have my infamous curly "Sucher Fro" to try to tame without the use of modern conveniences. But you're not supposed to look good when you go camping, right?
Icky! I can't remember if Josh found this on the side of the road or if he squished the can of his own Mountain Dew. Either way, he was looking out for Mother Nature: saving the planet one soda can at a time! Mom and Dad! Dad is always decked out in his Wheeler's paraphernalia and sucking on Life Savers mints. And mom always shines the brightest in candid pictures...mostly because if you tell her you are taking a picture, she either frowns or tries to hide. hahahaha This is Kayla and I feeding the fishies. The fish were huge!

New Opportunities

2009-04-24T17:48:00.001-07:00

Well, I unfortunately didn't get the job at Madison High. Today I got texts from about 20 students from the school. Here are a couple samples:

"Mrs. Cooper! You were an amazing teacher and you will get an awesome teaching job someday really soon. You totally had my vote!"

"I think you're a great teacher. I'm sorry about the job. Don't give up. Keep trying. When you get a job, you'll be the best!!!"

When I first heard I didn't get the job, I was sad. But as you can imagine, given my emotional tendencies, reading these texts just made me break down and cry. I really will miss the kids. It is a great school. However, today proved to me that sometimes when one door closes, another one opens. Or even a couple of doors. Stay tuned.

In the REAL WORLD now!

2009-04-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

So, life since graduation has been great, but it has also given me a little taste of the world of adults. After working at the Buckle for five years, it has been a while since I have been interviewed for a job, especially a REAL job. I did my student teaching at Madison High School, and one of the teachers in the English department, Diane Madsen, is retiring after this year. The school held interviews for the positions and narrowed the applicants down to a top 5. Lucky for me, they liked me enough in my interview to include me in that 5. Unlucky for me, they wanted the 5 applicants to teach a lesson in front of the Principal and any teachers in the department that want to come. The past days have been filled with the stress of putting together a 20 minute lesson that would be interesting, interactive, and instructive (now that is a parallel sentence, right?) Now, a 30 or 60 minutes lesson would have been a little more ideal, but I made the 20 minutes work. I got to teach my lesson in Ryan Snelgrove's CREATIVE WRITING class, which was so fun!!! For part of my lesson, I morphed the face of the Principal, Mr. Hampton, into the face of my dad. Here is the before and after.

Before

After

I really think that Josh and I did a great job manipulating the photo a little bit! I really see Dennis Sucher when I look at this picture! I do think that I'm channeling a little bit of my uncle, Mike. However, my dad and Mike are practially twins anyway, right? My lesson went really well, and I couldn't be more happy with myself. If I don't get the job, I'm happy to know that I did my best, and that it is just not meant to be. It was a great day!

Graduation!

2009-04-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

On April 10, 2009, I hit a huge milestone in my life: graduation! I finished my degree in English Education, and it feels so strange not to be starting school with Josh this next semester. Although I am going to miss school, I am really loving the extra time that I have to read. In the time since I finished school, I have read The Wednesday Wars, the second and third Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and started The Atonement. Once an English major, always an English major, right?
It was so fun to have some of my family up for my graduation. Unfortunately, they make the graduation gowns the size of a circus tent. Thankfully, Josh bought me some really cute shoes to make up for it. :)

Marsha and Bob came to my graduation. I chose this picture because it displayed Bob's natural talent for looking like a big goof in most pictures. He's so funny. Bob and Marsha share have really got us hooked on American Idol. Bob agrees with me; Lil Rounds has got to go

My family also made an appearance. I especially like the look on my father's face. I wonder what he was thinking when this picture was taken. Here is my guess:
I wonder if I can see my job from here....
That man takes pride in his work. :)
I think Grandma Bonnie looks particularly vibrant in her purple sweater.

Altogether, it was a grand day, and not nauseatingly formal. Now it is just time to answer the question that looms in the mind of every college graduate: What next? Fortunately, a wise man (my father) once said (almost every day) that "everything has a way of working out."
So regardless of what my next step is, I know that it will be the right thing for me!

Hanging with Mr. Cooper

2008-09-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

I had to put this picture on the blog because I think it is totally hilarious...Kelli Cooper and Alice Cooper. I was shocked to see him and his family walk into the store. He was actually a really nice guy and chatted with us for a couple minutes. After the fact, someone asked me, "So, did you recognize him when he walked in, or did someone have to tell you it was him?" I thought to myself, I watched way too much music television growing up to not know who this crazy man is! I replied that I knew it was him right when I saw him. Needless to say my family got a big kick out of it...especially my dad.

First Timer!!!

2008-08-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

This is my first posting on my new blog! This is a very exciting moment for me. After about 2 hours of mulling over the tedious tasks to create a cute blog, I am finally ready to start writing. I hope that this blog might be of some interest to someone, even in Kasi is the only one who reads it! I am still in the stage where I think to myself, "What do I have going on in my life that could possibly be of interest to someone other than my mother?" I'm hoping that I'll be able to think of some interesting "post material" to keep my posts from merely becoming playful banter that makes eyes droopy. Wish me good luck!