Cheese of the Month!

So Al and I decided to have a cheese of the month and we started that in November. We're super poor newlyweds who enjoy delicious cheeses of places like Paris, London, Rome, Geneva, and more! SO since we can't afford to have it all the time.... ONCE a month we choose a cheese we want to try or that we've tried and loved!

November's Cheese was Chevre-- basically goat cheese. It's delicious and creamy and ALEX loved it!
December's Cheese was probably Al's least favorite of the two... lol, he just didn't like it. It was Brie! I love it and so does his mother. This is a native french cheese that does wonders on a baguette!
SO... I suppose since Christmas just happened we should talk about it a little. I got Al a journal that he really wanted. He's an English nerd and has wanted a nice journal to write his book ideas, movie ideas, and teaching ideas, and analyzing ideas, and really just his ideas in general. My sweet boy is so funny! He says that one day years after we've passed away someone will find the great journal of Alex M. Christensen and publish it and it will be a great work! So I got him this beautiful journal from Barnes & Nobles leather covered and looks like one of the oldin days atlases. I also got him some little toys for his stocking as well. Alex bought me 7 pairs of crazy socks because my socks are old and not fun! I will now be known as the crazy sock lady.... THe best gift I was given of all is a sweet song my baby wrote for me. In high school he had a SKA BAND named 2 Fat 2 Fly. Well everyone from that band is finally home from the missions. THe last one got home 3 weeks ago. SO 3 weeks ago he called the last band mate and begged his band mates to help him play this song and record it for me. He wrote all the instrument lines by himself and the lyrics and spent hours for a month coming up with this song!!! I wish I knew how to upload it, but if they ever come up with a music video for I'll definitely post it! I love my hubbie!!!!!
Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, Eat Cheese!

Ten things that make me Happy

Thank you Sister Sorenson! I was tagged, but I secretly love being tagged because it gives me a reason to BLOG!

Ten things that make me Happy... in no particular order ( I think these are also blessings Heavenly Father gives to me!)

1) Realizing that it's been a half of a year being married to my best friend! ( isn't that crazy!)

2) waking up on time

3) Watching Al get excited about anything

4) water ( I'm thirsty a lot)

5) The children in my ward ( they are all so beautiful and honestly make my day better)

6) Having a job to support my family

7) Serving in the Temple

8) Watching Al play music

9) Talking to my family -- even though they drive me insane

10) Reading and taking walks ( not necessarily at the same time lol, I just wanted to sneak an 11th one in there)

I love my friends and they really help life seem a lot easier and help me think less of the "bad" things and more of the GREAT things! They make me happy.... THEREFORE I am going to tag:

1) Jaclyn Robbert

2) Vicki Matheson

3) Andrea Bowman

4) Jenaca Jett

5) Julie Pack

6) Bekah & Hannah Hintze!

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

I don't like buying gifts

I feel like gifts are supposed to be meaningful, but I'm not good at it. Trying to get Al the gift that helps him know how much I love and appreciate him has taken the joy out of Christmas this year. I hate buying gifts.

Christmas Card Photos!

Okay so TODAY our best friends/ neighbors, The Shirleys, went with us to take pictures of each other for our Christmas Cards. Thank you Jaclyn Robbert for giving us the opportunity to get free Christmas Cards... since ya know we're poor College Students we can't afford real ones! Anyways... So this first shot is the Shirleys and they look dang hott ;)

This is the Shirley's personal favorite of ALex and I. Aren't we just attractive!

I would have to say that this is my favorite one of us. The only problem is that you can't really see our faces... but do people really need to?

This one would've been great if I'd been smiling. What was I trying to do??

I REALLY like this one. Isn't it romantic!

This one is really cute too. You know that the snow is so beautiful even if it makes you soakin wet!

I miss taking engagements and wedding photos. Getting to be all over AL for no real reason is great ;)

The Shirleys took this very artistic shot. I liked it a lot!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm tellin you why!

Santa Claus is comin to town!! ( with mrs. claus too!)

This one is cute, huh?

I wanna hold your hand hand hand!

And there we go... Christmas Card photos!

SO which one is YOUR favorite?

Baby Hungry

I think that babies are beautiful and I want one!!!! Well.... we all know it's up to Heavenly Father, but here are some cute babies I like to spend time with. This is McKenna. Her mom is my RS president and one of my best friends. They are such an incredible family with an incredible baby... I know the picture is side ways but it takes so long to load them on I didn't want to do it again!

This is David and Sydney! They are so cute. I baby sit them every once and a while and they are the funnest!!! I just love David so much, if you know his family you should check out their blog. There are Davidisms on there and they are the cutest thing that you'll ever read!

This is Nathan, he just woke up from a nap! Isn't he the cutest thing!!! He's really funny especially on halloween when he was dressed up as a little waddling chicken!

This is Caden. HE's a sweetheart! He loves to read and spell his name and he's only 3!! I just love this little cutie pie!

This is who we know ( according to Caden) Baby Valene! She's the cutest little thing and just the sweetest baby!

This is Licoln. He's gone now sadly. Al helped his parents move out and stuff so he took pictures of this sweet little boy!!

Here's AL & Lincoln! AWWWWWWW!!! I hope I have a little blonde boy. You know I have the chance. Al was blonde and so was his sister when they were babies!

I baby sat on Wednesday this sweet little girl Briley! Isn't she beautiful! She's helping Al with his homework here.

"But I really want to watch T.V. Orchid!" Yeah she's too young. I rather her learn to love PLAYING!

Oh dear look at that dimple! SHe's SOOOO CUTE!

I guess this is either making my baby hungriness worse or it's helping it until we're ready to have our own, but isn't it wonderful to be in a family ward where there are so many cute little angels of Heavenly Father! I sure think so!

One Mountain climbed forever to go!

I have been so blessed so blessed this semester. Student Teaching was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I'm done and I have this bittersweet feeling inside. Some of my little girls cried, a boy that hates pictures took one with me, I had all these sweet gifts. I love my students so much and I will miss them. Ammon Elementary such an awesome school and has a great staff.

I guess I don't have much to write about right now. I'm done student teaching and looking for a job. I applied to be a substitute and I'm waiting to hear back because it'd be good to be in the classroom while I'm waiting to get a "real" job. I hope I do get some sort of job though I need to sugar momma my sweet husband through school. I'm also looking for a night job if I sub during the day because subbing isn't a full-time gig and I should be working at least 40 hours a week don't you think?

I'm excited for Thanksgiving for a couple of reasons. I do honestly love Thanksgiving, but I am more excited for Christmas. I say this because to me these two holidays blend together to me! Christmas is the season of Christ, the season of our Savior's Great Sacrifice! At this time we are extremely grateful for him! Does that not have to do with Thanksgiving!!!!

The other reason I love Thanksgiving and am so excited about it is Thankful lists.... So here mine goes

I AM THANKFUL FOR...

1) First and fore most my Heavenly Father

2) Jesus Christ

3) My husband

( from this point on NO particular order)

4) My life

5) My family and my in-laws

6) The Gospel

7) The scriptures

8) The Ensign

9) Conference, and the Conference Edition of the Ensign

10) my apartment

11) my car

12) my friends

13) my straightener

14) my students

15) a college degree

16) BYU-Idaho

17) Rexburg

18) Snow

19) Musical Theater

20) Music

21) the piano

22) Lola & Rosie ( Al's guitars)

23) babies

24) Disney movies

25) my health

26) food

27) cute crafts

28) visiting teaching

29) stuff animals

30) and so much more.... that's just what I was thinking of

Saviors on Mt. Zion

We've been so blessed to have been given the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this day. There are so many sweet and sad souls out there that have no one to hold on to. No one to look to. Al & I went to Stake Conference tonight and it was incredible. We must all try to be Saviors on Mt. Zion. We must all try to lift the burdens of those around us. I love my Savior and I want to so badly become more as he is. I have such incredible examples in my life, such as Alex. I love him so deeply and I look up to his great and sweet hearted soul. What a service oriented man I married. How blessed am I? My healthy family, my lovely lifestyle... what more can I ask for. I must give it back to the world.

Mosiah 18:8-10 8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are ^adesirous to come into the ^bfold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are ^awilling to mourn with those that ^bmourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as ^cwitnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the ^dfirst resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being ^abaptized in the ^bname of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a ^ccovenantwith him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

Please watch this video. It is incredible it really did touch my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coef8G5ax6E

Round two of the Flu

Well about a few weeks ago Alex and I got the stomach flu together. Pretty awful stuff. Well this week Al got the "regular" flu and today I got the stomach flu again. Isn't that just great! We have stake conference tomorrow so I'm worried. I really want to go and not infect anyone. I hope we can. Everyone--- this is message out to be EXTREMELY careful this winter. The Flu is on a crazy rampage so guys please be careful! I love you all... until next time.

Conference with the Christensens

Conference...

It's such a wonderful time to spend with family get around the television and look to the Prophets of our day and listen to them speak.

Conference is also a time to get answers to prayers.

I've been rethinking teaching a lot lately. I just get so stressed out when the students don't listen and when I have management issues with them, it just kills me.

I get so stressed out when I don't know how to teach a concept. I try to teach it in a few different ways and when it still doesn't get to them I get so sad.

I guess frustration is the wrong word, but I just feel incapable of teaching sometimes. I just feel like it's so important for me to get to each and everyone of those students and when I can't it just kills me. I want to know in my heart that every single one of my students leave knowing they will be on level with the grade they're going into. I want every single of my students to leave LOVING learning. I want every single one of my students leave having confidence in themselves as a person and a contributor of the world...

But Alas, these are only the dreams of a College Student Graduating in Elementary Education...

I've prayed a lot and decided that in these next three years being here in Rexburg while Alex is finishing his Bachelors that I want to go ahead and get my Masters Degree. I mean why not... I'll be here for the next three years, and I bet working full-time as a teacher I can get my Masters done in three years, don't ya think? I do... I want it to happen, therefore it will! Heavenly Father I feel like has put his stamp of approval on it.

Anyways, other than these things that I've come up with, I've got to spend a wonderful weekend with Al's side of the family. I am the honestly the LUCKIEST girl in the entire world. I love my family so much, but I don't get to see them much. My mom living in Iran, my brother in Atlanta, and my Dad in New Orleans we are all scatter and it's hard to get us all together ever. Yet I married a boy with a family right here in town. It's wonderful, because every single sunday we get to go over and spend a great time with them. I have never been to such a happier dinner table then one of the Christensens. Mom is the best cook and it's like Thanksgiving EVERY SUNDAY... I wonder what Thanksgiving will be like. And Dad and Mikel are so bad, joking around all the time making me laugh so hard I fall out of my seat, while Megan is saying, " OH MIKEL!" In her sweet voice. I love her so much, she has the sweetest voice. I can just know that wherever they end up Megan will be all her children's friend's favorite mom if that makes any sense. I am really blessed with my own family because my brother, dad, and mom are just so wonderful even though they're far away, and they get my nerves ( whose family doesn't, honestly!) I love them so much and love talking to them. But then I've also been blessed to have a family right here close to home where I can come and just be with and they make me feel as if I've been their daughter my entire life.

I love Conference.

Sweet Husband & Goodbye Friends

They are beautiful huh? My husband is wonderful... I had my first formal observation by my university supervisor and it was stressful. I got home and there was....

My sweet husband. I love him so much.

This is my new friend, Rugi Bear, inside joke...

RUGI!

Below is my sweetheart's first day of school! I love him sooooo much!!!!!

I saw Ashley for the last time, she's leaving for the Orlando Florida Mission!

Same week I said good bye to another one of my sweet friends, Melissa who is leaving for the New York, New York Mission. I'm going to miss them all so much.

So Al plays in a Blue grass band and on Friday they played at the Rexburg Farmers' Market in front of the Tabernacle. Ya'll should check it out it seems pretty awesome.

Isn't he sooo dang cute. There's my baba... I love him.

Saturday they played in a Battle of the Bands here in Rexburg at Rexburg Unplugged and his band WON!! He won our family a $25 gift certificate to Broulims! Pretty sweet, huh?

Thus far life has been pretty motionless for me. I just kind of go with the flow of things. I get stressed out and my sweet husband calms me down. I just need prayers for the Social Studies Unit I'm doing. I hope it all works. Until we meet again.

Student Teaching and MORE

So I don't have any cool pictures, because I haven't really taken any...It's been a busy semester thus far and it's only to get worse I'm sure. My online class starts soon and I don't know what i'll do! I'm so busy trying to get stuff done all the time! Student Teaching though has been quite the adventure. I'm not going to lie, I'm quite terrified of my University Supervisor... She's a sweet women, but VERY SERIOUS about not giving us a good score the first time she watches us teach. Now I find it slightly strange that I am being evaluated against teachers that have been in the field for 5 to 10 years... Most teachers I've talked to have said that is EXPERIENCE that helps us. With the knowledge that I have, I feel that I'm a pretty good teacher, and the experience by the way. I'm getting observed tomorrow and I only pray that my Supervisor will have mercy on my poor perfectionist's soul. I'm ridiculous, huh?

SO today I was driving home with Mom (ALex's mom) because we carpool together to work. I love riding with her. We had a great laugh together today because as we were driving home from school and work today we made a left turn and this STUPID car decided that she was going to drive even faster because we were turning in front of her ( although we were driving into the complete opposite lane than her) SO I sit and wonder, and Mom and I laughed so hard because we thought who in their dang right mind would want to get into a car accident, wait for 2 hours to 4 hours for a cop to fill out everything and BE out of a CAR for over a week from the damage. I mean HONESTLY! Anyways....

I was just called as Second Counselor in my Relief SOciety. ( For those who don't know what that is, it is the largest women's organization in the world, and is run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It's wonderful, we really do try to be the RELIEF of the members of the Church and of the world around us. We like to do service and build up our homes in righteousness. Anyways, Being in the RElief SOciety Presidency in a Singles Ward was never that time consuming. I mean we had our jobs, but now this Relief SOciety is so much time and effort. I LOVE IT, I DO !!! It's incredible and my testimony of Relief Society and of the Gospel has grown so much, but it a lot more work than it was in the Singles Ward.

Anyways... that is my life at this time.... Really there wasn't much about Al, which there should've been because he's the rest of my life and I love him so much. I'm honestly the luckiest girl ever... I'm so grouchy sometimes and soooo busy that really for example I leave at 7 am get back at 6:20 or 6:30 go to a meeting or go to help out someone, and then come back work on my school stuff and then it's 9:30 pm and there I go back to bed to get up the next morning again. Anyways... busy life. In the Eternities Alex and I will be able to be together all the time without worries... I HOPE!

My First Day of School!!!

So I've been helping my cooperating teacher set up her classroom a few times and I went to Inservice, but I don't believe that was the real first day.... My official first day of student teaching was this monday. On Monday the fifth graders filed into the classroom and I was nervous... It has turned out so far that they take me seriously as a teacher!!! This is our classroom. Really this is my cooperating teacher's classroom which she will let me borrow! Here I am all ready to go to school. Al took a picture of me because he felt like he was sending me off to school for my first time... He's such a sweetheart! As I got ready for school he made my lunch and helped me get ready that morning.
These are the roses from Alex for our two month ( whoops... I put year lol) anniversary... Two roses... he's so cute! AH! I have the best husband EVER!!!!

Georgia Fest!

Introduction:

So I'm going to be completely honest.... We were suppose to go to GA for a honeymoon, but it was not fun at all... I don't want to go to GA for a long time. It was really hard. I was lucky though because I have the most positive husband and he just pointed out the happy parts. The greatest part of this whole trip, although it was kinda miserable was that on our way to GA our flight from Denver to Atlanta was overbooked and so we forfitted out tickets and because we did we got a 30 dollar Food Vocher, a hotel for the night and they booked us for the 10 am flight this next morning and TWO FREE AIRLINE TICKETS from anywhere to any Southern State... and since we didn't get the honeymoon we wanted, we're going to hopefully go to vacation in ORLANDO!!!!!!! I haven't been there in forever ( since I was 14, and now I'm 22)... Now we cannot begin to be able to afford spending money in Orlando, we'd go and have to sleep in the AIrport not being able to afford a hotel... but we have a year to use those tickets, so hopefully by next summer we can save money to go to Orlando and enjoy ourselves. :) I love Heavenly Father for blessing us!

Centennial Olympic Park

AL's first time in an Aquarium EVER!

My baby & me with the fishes in the Sea!

Sharks... Ahhh

In front the Coca cola Factory

Coca- Cola Factory

Al's First Shave :)

With a razor instead of an Electric

AL's first Chik-Fil-A

Setting up Jenaca's Reception!

Persian Reception

Being with my baby. I love him.

Cutting a fun Cake at my Persian Mini Open House!

The Girls!

Just hanging out with the Persian Family!

Getting a Taste of GA

HE went to La Parilla, best Mexican Food, best cheese dip!

GA Open House

These girls are my "sisters"! I'm the oldest of them all, but aren't they beautiful girls! SO cute!!!

My Aunt Ferry bought us a wedding cake! Is that not absolutely beautiful!!!

About to feed each other cake :) I smashed it in his face this time :)

Me & Al... He's so handsome, huh? I love, love, love, love him. I'm so lucky to have the greatest man in the entire world... for me of course, because ever woman should have the greatest husband!
This was Aunt Ferry, Uncle Mehdi, and Little Banafsheh! They are incredible. They are like my God Parents, if Persians had that. THey did so much for me!

SO what's next...

I start student teaching officially this Wednesday. I've been in my school, hung out and helped out my teacher, met my University Supervisor. Honestly I'm terrified... AT the Orientation they made it sound like it was going to be the hardest thing ever, but I don't feel like it should be as awful as I thought it sounded. Honestly I felt as if I was being scared into doing well, but I'm just going to try my hardest to make the lives of my students better. I want them to know even if they have no where else to go.... for 7-8 hours a day they have a Haven in the classroom.

For the Good News....

I can't wait until our real honeymoon... but I have to be thankful for Misti, my sister-in-law, she paid for our wedding evening hotel and then the Strobels gave us two nights in a cabin up in Island Park, so really we've had awesome honeymoons.