Spring Break!

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

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.

1. 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
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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. <---------
5. 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!
6. 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!

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!!!

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!!!

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!!!!!!

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!!!!!

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!