My Favorite Things....

This year, I have embarked on a new journey in life.  This new journey has lead me to have a few new favorite things.......some of them might actually shock you!

So, as of today these are my favorite things.....in no particular order.

1.  My iPhone 4.

Yes, I have always LOVED my iPhone but it now has a new purpose.......other than reading my celebrity news (my guilty pleasure),  and Facebook (and making calls, obviously).  Music.  It gets me moving, and motivated.  Which leads me to my next favorite....

2.  Music

It must be loud, and make me happy.  My little sis introduced me to David Guetta while she was in Europe racing and I haven't stopped listening to him since.  And, love him or hate him, Kanye sure does know how to make music you want to movie to.  Thank you gentlemen for getting me going each and everyday.

3.  The Elliptical

Now if you have known me for very long, you know that the gym and I don't tend to get along.  But as a new part of my journey it has to be my friend.  Now for the crazy part......I actually like going to get my sweat on.  I wanted to cry the first day I went......not anymore.  Cameron even told me today I might becoming addicted to it.  I could think of a lot worse things to be addicted to.  When the going gets tough, I imagine Jillian screaming "LAST CHANCE WORKOUT" in my face, and I manage to make it  to the end.

4.  The Social Network

I've said it before, and I will say it again.  I LOVE this movie.  People make me crazy who say the won't see it because it's about Facebook.  People.....it's not a movie about Facebook!!!  Get over you hate of social networking and rent this movie!!  It is one of the best movies I have ever seen!  Perhaps now that it has won some awards all of the haters will go and see it.  It also has a phenomenal soundtrack.

5.  Lil Critters Gummy Vitamins

I am not sure who to thank for this.......Karine or my friend Lauren (her blog is private, or I would send you there to see her in all of her cute, prego glory).  I have always hated vitamins.  They make me sick.  Lauren told be she had the same problem at the beginning of her pregnancy and her OBGYN told her to take 2 kids gummy vitamins instead.  Hmmmm.....I thought I should try them and see how they make my guts feel.  Well, Karine just happened to have some at her house and gave me some to try.  They seriously taste like candy, and are a nice little treat I look forward to every day.

6.  Costco Whole Grain Goodness

This new journey also included some changes to things I love.....white anything.  Goodbye white bread, regular pasta, white rice, and delicious lard filled flour tortillas.  Lucky for me, I found these delicious substitutes that can both be purchased at Costco (make sure you buy the "Good Seed" bread....it's better than the other one).  By now, you might think I should be institutionalized because all of these "new" things are very un-characteristic of the Food Network loving Lindsey.  Well, you might say that part of the old Lindsey is now gone.  I still love FN, and watch it pretty religiously, I just don't cook like Paula Deen anymore.  Butter doesn't necessarily make it better, Paula.  Sorry to burst you bubble.  Instead, I have been making these delightful treats........

You can find the recipe for these guilt-free gems here.  They are the perfect substitute for the butter laden cookies I used to make.

7.  The Scale

Probably the biggest shocker on my list!  This piece of bathroom furniture used to be my worst enemy.  I hated going to the doctor and seeing the number on the scale.  Now, I don't mind hoping on.  The numbers only continue to get smaller.

12 pounds smaller to be exact.  By no means are they "Biggest Loser" numbers, but I am proud of each and every one of them.  They are 12 pounds I will never see again.

Corn Dog Anyone?

This week, wasn't all that bad.  It was just interesting....and really cold.

Tuesday morning, I was at school hard at work molding the young minds of my kindergarten students, when the fire alarm went off.  A number of things went through my mind in a matter of seconds......

1. It's Power Hour (Our intense literacy center rotation:  guided reading, word work, fluency, and handwriting).  They NEVER do fire alarms during Power Hour.
2. Martha (my principal) isn't here.  Who is in charge of this drill?
3. It's like 15 degrees outside.  We never have drills when it is this cold outside.
4. Why didn't I know about this drill?

So, I rounded up my broad of children and we headed outside to our designated spot, which is currently cover in about 5 inches of snow.  We went outside, without coats because (it's part of the whole "drill" procedure....because if there was a real fire the goal is to get out as quickly as possible, right?) and tromped through the snow to line up.  I counted heads (17 to be exact), looked around the playground to make sure that the special ed department had 3 more of them, and that the ESL ladies had the remaining 3 students....for a grand total of 23 students in all.  18 boys....5 girls.  Got them all!

Well, we stood there, and stood there some more with the alarm blaring for what felt like an eternity....remember we were coatless.  I was freezing, and the kids were freezing, so I took our frigid moment to teach them a lesson about penguins....which is what we are currently learning about.  We huddled together, and I proceeded to tell them that this is how the penguins in Antarctica keep warm.  We moved around, having them take turns being in the middle to absorb the heat our frozen bodies were creating.  The kids thought it was great!  It made the time pass a little more quickly.....but I was still quickly becoming a popsicle.  

Moments later, with the alarm still blaring, our PE teacher came running around the building motioning for us to come inside.  Were we really expected to accomplish anything with the fire alarm still going off?  But, my feet were numb so I lead the troops back inside (who were covering their ears the second we got close to the building).  

Upon entering the school, there was a distinct burnt smell lingering in the air.  My first thought....what food did the kitchen burn?  And my thought was correct.  Last week, while cooking corn dogs for our 550 students, one fell off of the tray and into the back of the oven.  After a week of cooking, the poor oven corn dog had enough, and finally caught on fire.....thus smoking the kitchen out, and setting off the alarm.  Our poor kitchen manager was mortified! 

The alarm finally went off, and we were able to go back to our daily routine.  We all huddled in my classroom bathroom and turned on the hand dryer to warm up, and bundled up in our coats to try and heat back up.  It was a very interesting, but cold start to our week.  

Lesson Learned:  Make sure you check the oven for run away corn dogs!

And, baptism by fire for my student teacher.  She saw just how much one little thing can disrupt a significant amount of time in any classroom.

Other than that, out week was pretty great.  Cam can officially check one more week of off his nursing school semester....bringing him closer to graduation.  I think I am more excited than he is!  I wish his instructors were a little more nice.  Telling a group of students on the first day that "this course will chew you up and spit you out", isn't exactly motivating.

Well, until next time America!  

I hope you all enjoy your long weekend!  

More News!

Look who is in the news.....again!!  Aren't those boys darling!

School Children Participate in Holiday Service Projects

By Julie Slama

(taken from http://www.MurrayJournal.com)

For about two weeks in December, Horizon kindergartners donated socks to The Road Home shelter. It's one of several service projects Murray students performed over the holiday season.


"I decided to collects sock because it is an item that The Road Home is always in need of, especially in the cold winter months, and is something that parents can purchase for a relatively small amount," teacher Lindsey Romero said. "The biggest thing I hope to gain from doing this service learning project is that my students, no matter how young they might be, can help to make a difference in their community."


Romero also included the project as part of her class: "We are talking about the difference between things we want and things we need. We will talk about how some people don't have homes, places to live, or clothes, and as a class work to make someone's life a little better by sharing items with them that they don't have access to for one reason or another."


Clothing was the common thread at several schools.


At Grant Elementary, 16 families with children received needed items as part of their annual Angel Tree, said school counselor Christin Jacketta. Murray High students also gathered clothing and shoes for families in need.
Riverview and Hillcrest junior high students tried to raise $5,000 at each school for their annual Sub-for-Santa drives.


RJH students held a penny war, where they donated coins in their homeroom as a contest to bring in the most funds, said Amy Roberds, who has coordinated the school's Sub-for-Santa program for 14 years.
"I would hope that students would understand that even donations as small as pennies can make a world of difference to someone who has virtually nothing," Roberds said.


Hillcrest teachers Missy Rose and Lindsey Adams coordinated their schools' home-room class competitions.
"We want the kids to come up for the donations themselves," Rose said. "It can be as simple as going without chips or soda or something extra in their lives and saving that money to give to someone who needs essentials."
Giving essentials is what Liberty Elementary students did. Students created coloring books, art kits and games for the kids at the Midvale Road Home, said PTA president Desirae Ogden. All-day kindergarten students also donated coats.


"Making a difference is our theme this year and when we help others, we can see the difference we're making and our students look forward to finding other ways they can help people," she said.
Liberty, Viewmont, McMillan and Longview students all held food drives for the Utah Food Bank.
Kierra Van Beekum's third- and fourth-grade McMillan class was so pumped up with its food drive that they brought in 434 items, more than any other class.


"They were so excited and I was floored at the amount they brought it," Van Beekum said.


Counselor Anne Smith said that donating food is a Longview tradition.


"We've done it since the food bank disperses to everybody in need," she said. "We want the students to do extra chores to earn the money to buy the food. It also ties into our virtue of the month of service and we've put up students' drawings and writings which illustrate that and we tie our reading into it as well."
Smith also said that faculty and staff at the school donated gloves earmarked for Midvale's Road Home teen-agers.



Caption — Horizon Kindergarten students contributed socks as part of their holiday service project. Pictured are, front from left, Bryce Hennessey and Raydon Smith; back from left, Micah Fredrickson, Tyson Averett and Sam McKinney.

1 More.....

Do you remember how I said it was going to be a big year for the Romero's?  

Well, that all begins tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the first day of Cameron's LAST semester of nursing school!!!  

It hasn't been an easy road, but he has been so successful!!  

I am super proud of my little nurse!!  

So, the count down is on.......to graduation!!

On another note, my student teacher starts tomorrow.  I am flattered that I am viewed as a quality teacher who can train pre-service teachers, but this always makes me nervous.  Wish me luck!!  I always learn something from having other teachers in my classroom.  It should be fun!

 Let's just hope my class doesn't eat her alive, since there are days I nearly don't survive!

Determination

Because I need this today.....

"Keep you dreams alive.  Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication.  Remember, all things are possible for those who believe." --Gail Devers

Twenty-Eleven

How is it the new year already?

First of all, how cute is my new blog template?!?! I'm loving the owls! Not sure why, but I love them!!

2010 flew right by, as well as my Christmas vacation. While I have loved every minute of my time off, I am ready to go back to work on Monday and get back in my normal day to day routine. I know that sounds absolutely crazy, but my nearly 2 week break was just what I needed. I feel totally re-charged.

Cameron and I had a wonderful holiday season this year.....beginning WAY back in November. We had an awesome Thanksgiving with our families. Our day began early.....when it was about 8 degrees outside. The fam (Dad, Cort, Tayler, Cam, Mom, Susan, Gerry,Melanie and myself) headed to City Creek Canyon for the Cold Turkey 5K.

Tayler, Cort, and Me heading to the race!

It was the coldest morning we had had in a long time, but we still braved the cold for some good old fashioned walking/running fun.

This year we opted to only do one dinner, and alternate between my family and Cam's every year. We felt like last year we spent the day in the car and didn't get to spend enough time at every place we went. Since Susan and Gerry were here from Boise, we decided to start the rotation with my family. We had a great dinner and Stuart and Melanie's house, followed by a few games and dessert with Cam's family at Greg and Karine's.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I got in some much needed "FuFu" time with my girls since we were all around. We hit up the Cheesecake Factory (our usual meeting place), and Cam and I had the opportunity to introduce Stacy to In n' Out. On our way to our delicious cheeseburger extravaganza, we had a mini adventure.....thanks to my quick acting, nurse-in-training husband. We were driving down 45th South after we picked up Stacy Lou when we saw a hug puff of snow. I thought someone was blowing the sidewalk or something....but I was SO wrong! A car actually was run off the road, and slammed into a tree, which created the huge puff of snow all over the place. Without thinking twice, Cameron flipped the car around and parked the car....to go and provide medical assistance. It all happened so fast, Stacy and I were left staring at each other wondering if we should get out of the car and go "help" (since we are all knowing when it comes to providing medical assistance), or if we should stay in the car. We opted to stay in the car and leaving the care-giving to Cameron. Needless to say, it was a proud moment for me. Only one more semester and he can get paid for his nursing skills!

I just love this picture of Cam.  He looks so official!!

We did a lot of celebrating this Christmas. Christmas came early to our house this year because I got new ornaments for our tree for my birthday (Thanks Karine!). I broke my own rule this year and put up our tree before Thanksgiving....the day after my birthday actually. Our tree caused us a lot of grief this year, so this was the best picture I got of it. The lights on different parts of the tree kept going on and off at different times, so I had one shot to get a picture of it all working.

Our Tree.....which is now in the dumpster.  Stupid lights.....

We did a lot of celebrating this year, which began with out annual Angel Tree shopping night/dinner with Dad and Cort. Each of us kids had the name of one of the kids from the Angel Tree to shop for. In lieu of gifts for us, the parentals give us each $100 to buy clothes and a few toys for our Angel Tree kiddo. We had so much fun shopping for our kids! We got them clothes, shoes, socks, undies, and at least 1 toy. Being the teacher I am, I had to buy one educational item for my little one. She is 5 after all....just the right age for ABC puzzle cards!! Her teacher would thank me! After shopping, we had an AMAZING dinner at Aristo's. I had lamb for the first time (which was delicious), and some of the most delicous pita bread I have ever had. I could have eaten just that!! It was a really fun night, and one of my favorite holiday traditions! We have what we need, and it makes me feel great to give to kids who don't have the basics they need. You know I'm a softy for the kids.

Jan and Byron were here from Washington for a wedding in early December, so the Boam's gathered for some delicious seafood and a cookie swap at Bryan and Janalee's house in Farmington. You know how I am a sucker for all things that come from the sea....crab especially. It was fun seeing all of Cameron's cousins at the same time, performing some pretty interesting talents during the Talent Show (a Boam Family holiday tradition), not to mention leaving with a whole bunch of delicious cookies....which I also am a big fan of. The cookie/recipe swap sparked an idea with all of us amateur chefs in the family, so we decided to create a family recipe blog so we can share all of our recipes with each other. I added it to my blog list if you are interested in some delcious recipes! Right now, there isn't much....but I am sure everyone will be posting some delicious things shortly!!

We celebrated with the Gehrkes as well. I made a fabulous prime rib for that shin-dig. Cameron was sick as a dog that night, so we didn't stay long (I'm not sure if I brought home his illness from school, or if his body was just beat do death from the fall semester....but be got hit HARD!). We don't do gifts with my mom's side of the family either. This year, we Sub for Santa'ed another refugee family from Africa. Tayler found this family, and organized all of the shopping, wrapping, and delivering of the goods. We were able to get them some warm clothes, a lot of food, as well as some fun things for the kids to play with outside when it gets a little warmer. Giving is my favorite part about the holiday season.....it really makes the holidays a lot more meaningful for me. 

We also partied with the Ogzewalla's, Cort's side of the fam, which is always a good time.  We ate some more.....no wonder the average American gains 6-10 lbs between November and January.....played pool, and watched a picture slideshow/iMovie that Cort made for everyone.  You know she did a good job when she get's Roger (her dad) to shed a few tears. 

We also celebrated my Dad's 9th "Birthday".....also known as the 9 year anniversary of his sobriety.  I made a turkey and all of the Thanksgiving sides (since we didn't have t-giving with Dad and Cort), and we hung out at our house celebrating.  I am really proud of the changes my dad has made in his life.  10 years ago, I spent a lot of time and energy worrying about him and his well being.  Now, I know he is great!  I am so happy he was able to take control back of his life so he could be the Dad I always know he wanted to be, and that Tayler and I always needed. 

Dad and Roger (Cort's Dad) at our Wedding

We also had a MHS reunion of sorts over the break!  Kim and Nick hosted the party at their clubhouse and we spent the night eating more delicious food.....pasta this time....playing Rock Band, and some other game Liz planned....can't remember what it was called but I laughed a lot while we played it!  Cam was at work that night, so Stacy agreed to be my date for the night since everyone else there had their spouse and/or child.  Good times were had by all (Kim, Nick, Liz, Josh, Jaynann, Adam, Emma, Brett, Amber, Josh, Emily, Chloe, and Stacy and I of course)!!  Liz was the designated photog of the night, so you will have to see her blog for pics.

Finally, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we were able to spend a little time with each side of our families.  We ate more, laughed a lot, cried a little (happy tears of course.....there are always tears when we do stockings with Dad and Cort), and were spoiled rotten by our families.  We really are so lucky to have such great families.  We spent Christmas Eve at Cameron's Grandparents house eating more prime rib, reading the Christmas Story from the Bible, exchanging White Elephant gifts, as well as Santa gifts for the little kiddos.  We then ventured to Dad and Cort's to open stocking (which were HILARIOUS this year), and watch a movie....which we all fell asleep during.

Christmas morning we opened presents and Greg and Karine's and had a delicious breakfast of cinnamon rolls, breakfast casserole, hashbrowns, german pancakes, and other goods.  We were spoiled and got a new TV for our bedroom......which went along with the PS3 we bought off KSL.  I think we are officially set up now in the technology department.

Our new bedroom set up!  Thanks Greg and Karine!

We also went to see a lot of movies over the holiday break.....all which were pretty good.  Little Fockers was probably my favorite!  We were skeptical because it only got a 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, and we tend to agree with their reviews.....but this time they were wrong!!  It was hilarious!!

We also took Lauren to see True Grit.....which was also pretty good.  We tend to like Cohen Brother's movies though.  Cameron wants to take my Grandpa to see it.....we will see if that happens.  My grampy doesn't like to go to movies too much.

And, Tron.....which wasn't my favorite.  But, I may have gone into it with a bad attitude.

I also got to spend a lot of quality time with this darling little lady during my break...............

I love snuggling with Jinxy on cold afternoons...and we have had a lot of those in the past 2 weeks.  She doesn't complain about what TV shows I want to watch, and loves me unconditionally!  I just love this little cat!!  I mean, how can you not?!?  Look at that face!!

All in all, I think this was one of the best Christmas's Cameron and I have had.  Was it busy, yes.  But spending time with all of our families is always a good time!

I am kind of glad the holidays are over though.....I am not sure I could cook/eat another big meal or bake another cookie!!  While I love the holidays, my waist line does not!!

2011 is going to be a big year for the Romero's......stay tuned!!

Happy New Year!!!