Vanity Faire Questionaire

So I was browsing one of my favorite blogs, a certain adorable blond and I cam across this questionnaire that I just could not pass up:

Vanity Fair Questionnaire

1.What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being around the people I love and just living in the moment!
2.What is your greatest fear?
Not accomplishing my dreams!
3.What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Jealously! It's a horrible thing that makes me act in ways I never would otherwise, I am working on it but it's still there!
4.What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Ignorance, there is no excuse!
5.Which living person do you most admire?
My grandmother, she is the most incredible woman and at 80 years old she does more than I can do at 24!?!
6.What is your greatest extravagance?
Jeans & Purses, but I have been much better about spending money lately!
7.What is your current state of mind?
Happy! I am accomplishing my dream of becoming a teacher, living with my amazing boyfriend and have an amazing relationship with my family and friends
8.What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Patience because I am so bad at being patient
9.On what occasion do you lie?
To protect the people I love
10.What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Ummm...I don't like that I have lost my muscle definition in my stomach, but that's my own fault =/
11.Which living person do you most despise?
I don't really think there is anyone I despise
12.What is the quality you most like in a man?
Honesty & Love, I believe those are two things you cannot live without.
13.What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Optimism
14.Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
completely, SO
15.What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Brian Barrett, with him I have the most honest relationship I have ever had in my life and he makes me SO happy!
16.When and where were you happiest?
Well I don't know that I could pick any one moment in which I was the happiest but right now I am extremely happy

17.Which talent would you most like to have?
I'd really like to be able to fly, I think it would be so incredible to see the world from a birds eye view
18.If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Not to be such a jealous person, I believe jealously is wasted emotion and yet I can't get rid of it in myself
19.What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Graduating College and continuing on with my masters
20. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
One of my grandmother's dogs they live like royalty
21.Where would you most like to live?
Wherever I can be near those I love
22.What is your most treasured possession?
WOW! That is a really deep question. I think my most treasured possession would have to be my diamond pendant necklace that my big sis gave me.
23.What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Loosing loved ones, I start to tear up just thinking about it!
24.What is your favorite occupation?
A teacher, they give so much to our future generations
25.What is your most marked characteristic?
My optimism, I have always been able to be optimistic in situations it is something all my friends always comment on
26.What do you most value in your friends?
Their loyalty and love for me! They are the most amazing group of women and they have gotten me through every situation good and bad I don't know what I would do without them.
27.Who are your favorite writers?
Nicholas Sparks is my all time favorite hands down. He has a way of capturing my emotions in a way no other writer ever has.
28.Who is your hero of fiction?
I can't really say I have a fictional hero at the present time
29.Which historical figure do you most identify with? Hmmm... I really don't know. Guess I should since I am currently taking a History class =/
30.Who are your heroes in real life?
My parents & my grandparents, I wouldn't be who I am without them
31.What are your favorite names?
At the moment, Lexi & Tyler
32.What is it that you most dislike?
Ignorant People
33.What is your greatest regret?
I can't say I have one I have learned so much from all my mistakes so I can't regret any of them.
34.How would you like to die?
Peacefully in my sleep when I am old and have lived a full life.
35.What is your motto?
Everything happens for a reason

Lucky in Love

So I am taking a break from house stuff for a moment to brag about how wonderful my boyfriend is. He has been killing himself to make our home beautiful and I know that I do not give him enough credit. I don't know how I got so lucky but for now I am not going to question it. I am just going to try to remember to take things one day at a time and just truly enjoy the time we spend together!

Backyard

So we have a blank slate here for the backyard and I thought that would make things easier but it doesn't!?! We have almost 1/2acre to work with and we can't figure out the best way to use the space. Any ideas?
I know we would like to extend the patio and the overhang off the exsisting one but other than that I am not sure what we would like to do? We have bought 14 redwoods at Costco for along the back fence and we are thinking about mixing them with Queen palms to give the yard some texture and variety. However I don't want it to be patio lawn trees, I know we need to find a way to make it flow?

Love

Bri & I have been working on the house EVERY single day and hardwork like that is bound to catch up with you. So after the family birthdays on Saturday night we CRASHED! My Aunts were still chatting in the kitchen with my parents and Bri and I sat down in our favorite chair and were out! If nothing else we definitely sleep well each night!
Everyone always thought I was crazy because I have non stop energy but let me tell you Bri gives me a run for my money! I swear he's like the energizer bunny, he keeps going and going and going... Sometimes I can't even keep up with him. I kinda wasn't so happy about this picture at first cause it's not he most flattering but I figured it showed exactly how hard we've been working to make the house look nice =)!

Japanese Maple

So I have always wanted a Japanese Maple, I know that's a really strange thing to want but there are just certain ways I always pictured my first house and my Japanese Maple was always a part of that picture when I pictured my yard and guess what we have one now =)! Bri and I have been working so hard on the yard, he a little more than I, but I have been helping too =)! He brought in a load of dirt mixed with horse manure (no it didn't smell so great at first but now that it's mixed it's not bad at all) and we raked it into a mound and planted the Japanese maple in the center. Anyone have any ideas for what could go underneath it on the mound? I have never had much of a green thumb but I am hoping my luck changes because everyone in our neighborhood has such lovely yards and I want ours to be the same.

New Trees!

So I took this picture last night at Sunset cause it looked so gorgeous! Unfortunately it didn't turn out quite as well as I had hoped but at least you can kinda see our new redwood trees. Brian worked so hard to get five planted in the front yard. I can't believe how quickly the house has transformed into a home. I'll post pictures of the inside when I get a chance to take some! It all came together so well. And I just LOVE our neighborhood, it is so quiet and I love our neighbors as well. We are going to the nursery this weekend to get a Japanese maple for in front of the house and some flowers for the mound we're creating.

Student Teaching

So I am having a dilemma:
For the past four years I have been volunteering, observing and recently substitute teaching in the classroom of MaryAnn Evans at Dillard Elementary in Wilton, Ca. Working in MaryAnn's classroom has been wonderful and I have learned SO much from her. It has always been my plan that I would do my student teaching with MaryAnn and she has happily agreed to this. However, last month I moved to Arbuckle, CA. So I am now struggling with where I should do my student teaching. I know I would learn so much from MaryAnn but I don't know if the hour plus commute everyday would be too much while doing student teaching. However being that student teaching isn't that long I don't know if it might be worth it to make the commute in return for the valuable things I could learn from MaryAnn that I will be able to take with me wherever I ultimately end up? Also being that I do not think I want to work in Wilton once I become a full time teacher, should I student teach where I would like to work? It would be wonderful to student teach in Arbuckle because it is so close to home, but I do not have any relationships with the teachers there?

Lovely Day

Yesterday was just SO wonderful. I worked all day. Then my brother came home with me and helped Bri put up the cabinets in our garage. He works SO hard making our house beautiful. I swear he does not rest for a moment. I just can't get him to sit still. However we did get 5 redwoods planted in the yard last weekend and they look wonderful =)! We're going to the nursery Saturday morning so we can get more plants for the front yard. Anyways got a little sidetracked there. After they finished with the cabinets we went to El Mexi-Kal, the little mexican restuarant in Arbuckle with my brother and Kurt and DeeAnna. It was delicous! Then we went home and watched a movie. It was a really fun relaxing evening. I just love that my brother and sister both get along with Bri so well. It is such a blessing! I am so very lucky! I cant' wait to get home today and work in the front yard some more. It is really coming along!

I Phone

So after much much thought I finally purchased an i phone upon losing my blackberry. I LOVE it! It is amazing. It does everything I could ever want a phone to do and more. However, yesterday evening while I was out to dinner it FROZE. I could press the home button and unlock the phone, but once I was in all I could do was look at my contacts, recent calls, favorites and voicemails. I was extremely panicked. My phone is like my lifeline I just expect it to work. I gave it to Brian in an attempt to let him fix it but nothing. All the sudden the screen just went white and nothing would work. I plugged it into itunes and it did the same thing it normally does. As soon as it was unplugged WHITE SCREEN. I searched the internet and found a blog that said you could hold the home screen and the restart button for 10 seconds to reset the phone. So I tried it and it WORKED. So far so good! My iphone is working again PHEW! =)! Technology! I can't believe how much we depend on it now!

Teaching

I always thought in the back of my mind that it would be extremely rewarding to be a teacher. However, it always seemed like a far away dream but now it's in the near future. I am a substitute teacher, ME! I walk into the classroom and teach children. AND I LOVE IT! I can not believe that my dream is coming true. When I started my credential program last April it still felt incredibly unreal until now. I am actually going to be a credentialed teacher before I realize it. However, until then I have ALOT of work to do. I have tests to pass, observation hours to finish and homework to complete. However, it's going to happen. I am going to live my dream and become an educator!

Life

If someone had told me one year ago that I would be living in Arbuckle with an incredible boyfriend who I am head over heels in love with I would have fallen over laughing. But no doubt it's all true. Brian and I now live in Arbuckle, CA. He bought a beautiful house and we have made it a home! Our 2 dogs LOVE the 1/2 acre yard, and we'll love it more when it's landscaped instead of mud =)! But one thing at time right! Anyways I guess my point is things really do work out the way they are supposed to! I LOVE my life! I don't think I have ever been happier!