Saturday

I am thankful for the weekend. Today it was a sunny day. I got to sleep in. I did a little homework. Walked around my favorite crafts store. Went to a flea market. Hung out with some friends and watched some movies and the BIG game.



What a day.
I even sacrificed to watch the Washington state Vs UW game. Travis loves the cougs. They lost but it was still quite a game.

Thankful for jobs

I am grateful for my job at the advising center!! it is such a great job and i love it. I get paid to have fun and help people. Its great. It really helps get us through while me and trav are both going to school. I am also thankful for travis and his job at Lexington. Even though he hates talking on the phone he does it to support us. He has to work nights to fit it in and so i am grateful for his sacrifice.
Since i am so close to graduation i keep thinking of when i will be a teacher and how much i will love my job then. Since i am getting my degree in Special education i should always be able to find a job. I can't wait to work full time so travis can just go to school and not have to work nights. It will nice not to worry financially and be able to start a family too. But until then i am grateful we both have jobs.


This is a picture of one of the Inside jokes we have in the office. The computer screens are always pulled forward when they are cleaned but we thought one of the advisors was just blind.

FOOD

I am thankful for being fed. I love food and am particularly grateful that i am full and healthy. My friend Heather was talking about all the traditions we have around food. Its true i rarely do something with her with our eating or trying something. i have been trying to improve my cooking abilities (if my sister lives with us this fall i need to be able to keep her fed too!) Last week i made Tater Tot Casserole and this weekend i am going to make Lasagna. I don't normally cook for people because i am not very good at it but it is a skill i hope to improve. My mom and Grandma are amazing cooks so i should try to keep that going. otherwise my kids will go to Grandmas and never want to come back.


This is one of the first meals i made at college. It was disgusting. I ruined the spaghetti and it was just all clumped together and dry. I am happy to say i have come along way!!

Today i drove my friend Heather to the store to get her friend Leah a birthday present. She doesn't have a car and i do so i try to serve her by giving her rides because i know how it sucks not to have transportation. I think that is an easy way to be compassionate. Share your resources. If you have something someone else doesn't that is a very easy way to serve.

SMILE

Today i am grateful for the ability to Smile. I was walking to class today and passed this girl with the BIGGEST smile on her face. At first i thought "why is this girl so happy? something must be going really great!" but then i thought maybe not. Maybe she is just smiling because she can. So it made me smile and i thought how much better people look when they smile.

Since i was little it hasn't taken much to get me to smile in front of a camera. this picture is from high school and i have always loved it ever since one of my friends told me that it was the biggest smile he had ever seen and that my smile is almost too big for my face. ha ha
I am grateful for my smile, my nice straight teeth my parents paid for and my skinny lips i inherited from my mother.
I started looking at everyone's smile throughout the day and thinking of the people i know with the bestest best smiles. Travis has the cutest dimples when he smiles and they are my kryptonite. My friend Ashley has the cutest smile that is ever so cheery, My cousin brittney smiles like a model queen, My friend Nicole has this peaceful smile that means everything is going to be okay. My mom has this smile that means she loves me more than anything, My friend Abe has the most adorable smile. as do basically any little kid! My aunt tappy smile shines through even the worst of times, My cousin Anna's smile makes me smile and reminds me of a million different memories. Pretty much anytime any one smiles at me i feel the urge to smile back. That is the great thing about smiles they really are contagious. So smile more so you can get smile wrinkles so even when your not smiling you look like you are. ha ha

(ps this is totally my 101 post!! i have really been blogging that long!! hoorray best journal i have ever kept)



Today i had a great lesson in New testament about when Christ raises Lazarus from the dead. Mary is weeping and so Jesus weeps with her. Jesus knew that He would raise his friend from death but before he did he showed compassion for mary and cried with her. I learned a powerful lesson from this. I am the queen of telling people "its going to be alright" but maybe, just maybe, my words do not help them as much as if i really had compassion and tried to understand how they were feeling. What a great example that Jesus. The more i learn about him and the things He has done for me and all of us, i am just amazed.

March 3

I am thankful for BYU-Idaho. I can't believe i am so close to being done. I only have 3 classes left. I just got my placement for student teaching (rexburg) and i will get my assignment soon. Since i took some classes in high school i am graduating a year early. Its so exciting that after wanting to be a teacher since i was little i am finally going to have my own classroom.




i took these pictures for my families christmas card my first semester i was here.

I love learning spiritually as well as temporally. I love the spirit i feel on campus and how we start class with prayer. It just reminds me everyday about the real reason we are alive. I love the honor code too. It sounds silly but it really changes the atmosphere when we all dress nice and live the gospel.

I am grateful the tithe payers of the world who lower our tuition and sign my paycheck. I remember my sophomore year my book of mormon teacher told us that there is some little old lady sweeping her dirt floor down in south america who gave all she had to tithing and that tithing helps pay my tuition. This lady will never get to go to school here, she will never get to send her children here or even be able to travel to see our beautiful campus. I have never forgotten that because its so easy to take our blessings for granted.

I love working at the school too. I feel like it is a great way to serve others while making a little extra money. I have helped a lot of people find things in their transcripts that have saved them a whole semester. Also i love talking to people about what they want to do "when they grow up" and how to get them there. I am ready to have my own class but i will miss working in the Advising office when that time comes

Natures beauty

Today i was so grateful for nature. Rexburg idaho is not half as wonderful as Seattle but there is a certain beauty in the teton mountains and the melting snow when its finally showing signs of spring. I also woke up to see my beautiful yellow bouquet my mom sent all bloomed and alive. It made my day.



Today i noticed there was so much garbage in our parking lot. so i went around to pick up some of the soggy trash that has been there walked over time and time again. Then i noticed all the trash just around the trash can. So i tried to make a dent on that. It just blows me away that people can't even throw away there trash in the bin after walking it all the way to the dumpster. of course since it has snowed a lot of it was buried in layers of ice so i did my best. But it definitely taught me a lesson that next time i throw something away i am going to make sure i do my part so that it doesn't become someone else's responsibility. I realized lately that i am so much more patient and willing to help our mangers since i have became there friends. I wonder if we all saw people that served us as our friends how much more willing we'd be to do our part and be nice about it. Just something to think about!! Have a great night!

Last time

I just signed up for my LAST SEMESTER at BYU-Idaho. WOW that was so exciting. this specific enrollment of registration was very important because there is only 4 spots in the Kindergarten Lab i needed. But i clicked at 12:01 and got in. Next semester i am taking Preschool and Kindergarten and Strategies and Home decor so it should be an awesome semester!!

March March March

I am going to do something that i hope will make me a more grateful and compassionate person.
Everyday for the month of March i am going to write one (or more) thing(s) that i am especially grateful that day.
Then i am also going to write one thing i did for someone else. Because we all should be a little more helpful and a little less selfish.
So if you want to try this little project feel free. We can all encourage each other and be a little better.
I hope this doesn't come off as boastful but i just want to work a little harder at seeing my blessings.
So for the 1st of march i am GRATEFUL for
TRAVIS
yay






my wonderful husband is the best. He makes me laugh and makes me want to be the best person ever. He helps me and encourages me to do better every day. He is so extremely patient. He puts up with my crazy side. He listens and works so hard to communicate and solve our problems. He is my best friend.

And today i made Opal my freaking best friend, and Gordon, my cousin, good old Tater Tot Casserole. It turned out perfect if i do say so myself. We played guitar hero and ate Jello and watched the boys separate the jello "skin" ha ha you know the harder part at the bottom from not stirring it up all the way. They thought that was the best part.

Hope everyone has a great MARCH yay!

Flower surprise

So i keep forgetting but my mom sent me FLOWERS!! it was such a surprise. I came into the living room and the mail man must of put them inside our apartment. Travis says "depending on who these are from someone might be dead" but they weren't from any past stalkers just my loving mother. She and my dad were so proud of me for passing my test!

Surprise

The first 3 people to leave me a comment on this entry gets a free gift from me this year. I am in the mood to serve and give. So if you read this and post i will be giving you a gift this year out of no where so ready set GO

Hooray VICTORY

I passed the proficiency test finally. I am so glad. i honestly felt the lift off my shoulders. If you don't know what the proficiency exam i have been struggling with i will explain if you do know what it is you can skip the following paragraph
: I am taking this class called Assessments and Evaluation. It is the hardest class in the ECSE major and the ECSE major is the hardest major on campus thus making it the hardest class at BYUI (i swear there was a study through advising) so this class all about testing students and diagnosing them with disabilities. It includes all sorts of statistics and norms that are incredibly difficult to understand because there are a thousand different things that effect the outcome. So if you know my deep anxiety when it comes to testing you can only imagine an entire class on it. Also to add even more to the situation i really don't approve of assessments and labels so i really hate the subject. Oh it is life.
Anyways so i had to get 90% and i got a 77%,80%,81%,86.5%,83%,88%, then finally a 90!%!!!! yay 7th times a charm.

I was so glad my teacher worked with me one on one to help me. I made him this candy poster. If you can't read it good enough it says "Brother Cloward, don't "SNICKER" but i wanted to Thank you "MOUNDS" for all your help. you helped me "SKCOR" my best, i wanted to "ROLO"ver and die but you we happy to "TAKE 5" and help me out. My heart and soul rand out in a SYMPHONY" thanks again Courtney Mattoon" I was, am and will always be a brown noser thanks to my mother. ha ha and its something i will pass down to my own children i am sure. but now i can finally concentrate on much more than the percentiles represented by standard deviation.
This week has been a great one full of sunshine and treats. Me and Travis went out to Applebees to celebrate, i made chicken squares for dinner and we ate cheesecake and tapioca pudding (on separate nights) All the snow is melting and its hopefully warming up. I can see that spring is here! yay

Happy Valentines day

I made these valentines for my friend Jennifer's kids for valentines day. I wanted to do a service for her and her family so i decided to make the kids' class valentines. They turned out really cute i had a lot of fun making them and then made matching boxes for each kid.



I made this for her little girl going to preschool. I made the box all pink and girly. I made little butterflys that fluttered when you shook the sucker stick



This one was my favorite i made little airplanes out of a stick of gum to mints and a pixy stick then for the box i made a little airport run way.



Last i made aliens and a space ship box. I used my sewing machine to make the mouth and it was fun to sew paper. i will have to post what i am have been sewing love it

Hope you have a wonderful Valentines day!
PS i still haven't past my test and i am dying i just want to get a 90% for crying out loud!!

Oh the things i have seen in the past 2 weeks

Man it has been a long time since i posted!! this is unlike me!! but it has seemed that nothing in my life has really transpired besides STUDYing!! wow this weekend holds some sort of fate for me. I have to pass a proficiency exam to be able to complete this class called assessments!! duh duh dun!! if you know me at all you know i struggle with test taking so enough said about that one.
Another thing that is note worthy. We now have a child!! Its name is Spooner:

This is Travis baby. I now come Third. Sports, spooner, courtney!! just kidding
Also i have thought i was prego my eggo but i saw this

negative
But it sure has made me think about what if i was and how me and trav would make room for a little one in our busy lives. I am still on birth control but this would have been one of those miracle one percenters!!



finally i have started working out. I still don't have a clue what i am doing but i am trying my best. I called the elliptical the oblictical and described it as not the running thing and not the stair thing but the thing you do both at the same time. I put a picture of this old lady on here because i probably act a lot more like her than you think. I think my heart rate was like 209!! man i am pathetic!!

We hope everything is going wonderful with everyone else!! have a great presidents weekend!!

99 things

Here are the rules: Bold the things you’ve done and post on your blog!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band - at the EMP!!
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris- 1/2 way
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Happy Birthday

Today is my wonderful husband's 23 birthday. I am so glad he was born. I am even more happy of the choices he has made in those 23 years. I am lucky to have him as my husband, my best friend and some day the father of our children. Here are a couple pictures of travis growing up!


This i my all time favorite baby picture. Look at those big brown eyes


what a goof!! i sure hope our kids are this adorable


Such a stud!



And last a picture of him and Tom on his mission to Phoenix, Arizona

Happy Birthday Travis I love you so much!!