Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Dearest Family and Friends,

Once again the Christmas season is upon us and I am grateful to be able to take the time to reflect on the past year. I must admit that 2012 has been a challenging, yet wonderful year. I have been blessed beyond measure and have been able to make memories that will last through the eternities.

I am in my fifth year of teaching Medical Anatomy & Physiology at Woods Cross High School and continue to love what I do. My students are great kids and have high expectations. They are motivated and determined to succeed in order to give them any possible advantage as they pursue their career goals.

June found me on vacation in the Los Angeles, California area visiting some friends. I had been to LA before, but hadn’t really done the “tourist” thing. This time I went and saw the Hollywood sign, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, LA Memorial Coliseum, and spent some time on the beach just relaxing and enjoying my Summer Break. It was a wonderful chance for me to spend time with friends, get away from everyday life, and enjoy the sun.

I was also able to go to Moab for a few days in June. I have always loved Southern Utah, and it had been far too long since my last trip down there. The highlights of the trip included going up to Dead Horse Point and spending time in Arches National Park. We didn’t have a lot of time in the park, but we did make the hike up to Delicate Arch in the arid heat of a Utah Summer. I am always grateful for opportunities to spend time enjoying the beauty of the world we live in. It is a constant reminder to me of the love our Heavenly Father has for His children.

In August I took advantage of a cheap airfare and took a little trip to Denver to visit a good friend I grew up with. I have visited her and her family in Virginia and Las Vegas, so it only made sense to visit them in Denver, too. We spent a lot of the time just visiting and catching up on each others’ life. We did get the chance to go to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, went to the Denver LDS Temple, and also did a tour of Coors’ Field, where the Colorado Rockies play baseball. You all know how big of a sports nut I am, so that was a lot of fun for me.

November 10th a member that I was able to teach during my full-time mission in Japan got married in the Tokyo LDS Temple. I was lucky enough to be able to make a “brief” one-week trip to Japan to attend the wedding and also visit some of the amazing people I love. I would not have been able to make it to Japan if it hadn’t been for a wonderful supervisor that encouraged me to go and got me a buddy pass, parents that support me in my crazy ideas, students that put up with a substitute teacher for a week, and friends that always welcome me into their homes in Japan. This is the fourth time I have been able to return to Japan, but the first vacation I’ve been there in the Fall. I had forgotten how beautiful the Fall is in Kyoto. This trip I went to the wedding in Tokyo, spent some time in Nara, Nagoya, and Kyoto. Not a day goes by that I don’t reflect on my full-time mission serving in Japan. I am eternally grateful for the experiences I had, the friends I gained, the memories made, and the blessings I received.

This year has been a busy one filled with a wide array of emotions and experiences. I have been able to see the hand of the Lord and felt the comfort and peace the Spirit can bring into our lives as I’ve watched dear friends and family struggle through the experiences life places in their path. I have witnessed people that are very close to me go through the Refiner’s fire and stay true to their testimony and the Gospel. I am strengthened daily by the faith, love, and support of these wonderful, dear people in my life.

I am truly grateful for each of you and the wonderful people you are. I am the person I am today because of the incredible people I am blessed to have in my life. You are each a special light in my life and I will never be able to repay you for all that you have done for me. I hope and pray that I can be the kind of friend to others that each of you are to me.

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Rachel

Christmas Letter (A Little Late :) )

December 2011

It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone, and it seems that the time passes faster and faster with each year. It seems like we were just barely celebrating Christmas 2010 and ringing in the New Year. This year has been a busy one for me and full of some unique adventures along the way.

I continue to teach Medical Anatomy and Physiology at Woods Cross High School, and really do enjoy my job. The students that take my class are most often working toward becoming professionals in the Medical field. They are motivated and enjoy learning about the human body. I can safely say that when there are 20-35 high school students in a classroom there is rarely a dull moment.

In April I graduated from Weber State University with a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA.) It took me 2.5 years to complete my degree while teaching full time and coaching some, too. It was definitely a huge time commitment but worth every bit of the work and struggle. Now, to decide if I want to stay in the teaching profession or look into moving into the business world.

As a way to celebrate graduating I was able to take another trip to Japan. I spent 16 days in the country and was able to go see and do a few things that I’ve never done. The most memorable part of the trip was getting to go up to the Sendai area and participate in a service project helping clean up from the Tsunami that occurred on March 3rd. It was very humbling and sobering to see all of the destruction that the ocean did to the countryside of Japan. It is also very uplifting to see how resilient the Japanese people are and how hard they are working to take care of themselves and their country. I also got to spend time with some of the eternal friends I met while serving my mission there 7 years ago. I love you guys!

This December I was able to go visit a friend that has moved to Brooklyn, New York. I spent the days sight-seeing by myself and then met up with friends in the evening. It was kind of nice to go at my pace and see and do the things I wanted to. Some highlights of the trip include: Wicked (Broadway musical,) 9/11 Memorial, Staten Island Ferry, FAO Schwarz, Ice Skating in Central Park, Manhattan LDS Temple, good food, Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, Christmas windows at Macy’s department store, and a lot more. I’m grateful for good friends that welcome me into their home. Thanks!!!

Upon returning from Japan I was asked to work with the 12-18 year old young women at Church. It is a fun, rewarding, fulfilling assignment. I work with some incredible women and young women that teach me new things on a regular basis. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this calling right now.

Life is good. I have an amazing family and incredible friends that enrich my life. I am blessed to have so many things in my life. Thank you for being an influence for good in my life. Hopefully next year will bring me to some of your hometowns.

May the Lord’s choicest blessings come to you and your family during this Christmas season and throughout the New Year.

Love,

Rachel

Gone Fishing

Graduation

Helping Hands-Sendai, Japan

Tokyo Temple

Tsunami Clean-up

The Big Piano at FAO Schwartz, NYC

Ice Skating in Central Park

An Attitude of Gratitude

20: I'm grateful for the opportunity to teach, both in my profession and also in a church setting. I probably learn more than those I am instructing. I hope I am living up to the responsibility placed on my shoulders.

19: I'm grateful for uplifting and inspirational music. Music is able to convey feelings that might otherwise go unshared.

18: I am grateful for people who are willing to selflessly give of themselves and their time for the benefit of others. Hopefully I am able to serve others in some small way.

17: I am grateful for trials and challenges. It is at times when we are being tried that we tend to grow the most. Remember that we will be strengthened enough to meet our challenges and overcome trials and setbacks.

16: I am grateful for prayer. The opportunity I have to pray to my Heavenly Father and the strength and help I receive through the prayers of others.

15: I am grateful for supportive and inspiring friends. I truly have the most amazing, incredible, fantabulous friends. Love you guys!

14: Today I am grateful for modern emergency medicine. My grandfather had a heart attack yesterday and has to have open heart surgery tomorrow or Wednesday. Without modern medicine he probably wouldn't be with us any longer.

13: I'm grateful for over-the-counter cold/flu medications. Without them I think my head would explode.

12: I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to work with the Young Women in my Church. They are such incredible individuals. I learn so much from their examples.

11: "How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!" ~Thomas Jefferson

I am grateful for this great country I live in and the men and women who have sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice, to keep it the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

10: I'm grateful for my energetic, happy, fun "nephews" that enjoy playing cars and treating me like a human jungle-gym. I love those boys.

9: Grateful for a good job. Grateful for job security. Grateful for the entertainment my students regularly provide :)

8: I am grateful for a country in which I am allowed to have a voice in my government.

7: I am grateful for a warm, comfortable bed.

6: Today I am grateful for wholesome, quality entertainment. I'm watching one of my all-time favorite movies, "Anne of Green Gables."

5: I'm grateful for snow. Without snow we don't have water needed to shower, water our lawns, etc.

4: I am grateful for the peace and calm that comes during snowfall. There is just something tranquil in watching snow fall.

3: I am grateful for a gas fireplace and hot spiced cider. Add a good book to that and it makes for a pleasant fall/winter evening.

2: Today I am grateful for my health. I am having to watch too many people I know and love struggle with various ailments. I wish there was something I could do for them.

1: I am grateful for Chocolate!

Graduation Day 2011

April 22, 2011 was a wonderful day for me. I was able to realize the culmination of 2 1/2 years of hard work, tests, homework, late nights, and stress as my name was read and I walked across the stage at graduation.

Master's Hooding Ceremony

  A hood is a symbolic garment, which is worn draped around the neck and over the shoulders, displayed down the back with the lining exposed. The hood’s length signifies the degree; with the institution's colors in the lining and a velvet trim in a color that signifies the scholar’s field. The hood is a part of traditional academic dress whose origins date back many centuries. Today, the hood is considered by some to be the most expressive component of the academic costume. Today’s hoods have evolved from a practical garment to a symbolic one.

My Hood 

 I started graduate school in January 2009, and I had no earthly idea what I was getting myself into. I am far from being a business undergrad, so this whole MBA thing seemed a little far-fetched at times. A lot of my co-workers thought I was crazy and told me I should just go for a Master's of Education because that would be a lot easier.

.... If you know me you know that I considered it a challenge and pursuing an MBA was the final decision.

I had the full support of my parents, friends, extended family, employer, and even my students. Since I was a non-business undergraduate I had to take a few courses that would get me up to speed on the whole business school thing.

As I went through graduate school I tried to make some time for myself and those I love while I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Trying to find a balance when you find yourself in the middle of a semester of full-time school, coaching high school basketball, and teaching full-time, can be difficult. I am happy to say that all persons involved survived that semester and nobody was hurt in the process.

Mom, Dad, Me, Mamacita, Pops

 In the process of surviving graduate school I was blessed to meet some incredible individuals and form some strong friendships with both classmates and professors. These individuals have left an indelible mark on my life that has helped shaped me into the woman I am today.

This is my favorite professor (I know, we shouldn't have favorites...) He encouraged me and helped me feel like I belonged in the MBA program as much as anyone else.

We started out in the program together. Over the 2 1/2 years I got to know his wife and four kids, too. He helped me through some of the most difficult classes. Thanks!

My younger brother also graduated the same day. He received his Bachelor's degree! It was fun to share the day with him and make it a big family event.

Me, Baby Brother :)

Sister-in-Law, Brother, Me, Mom, Dad

2 1/2 years later I have graduated and nobody can take it away from me. What will I do with my  MBA? That's a very good question that I have no answer to. We'll see where the future takes me!

In the words of Elle Woods, "We Did It!"

Where have I been???

Wow, it has been a while since I posted... Il'' be back soon :)

New Year's Resolutions

1. Graduate with my MBA (I'll walk on April 22nd and have my final class in the Summer. Can you say EXCITED?)

2. Get a life (I know that is broad, but get a boyfriend didn't encompass the sentiment. Between work, coaching, and grad school there is definitely a major lack of a life.)

3. Move out of my parent's home(I love it here, but once grad school is done, it is time...)

4. Trust more in the Lord and lean less on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6)

5. Smile more

And I'm sure there are plenty more where this list came from... I'm sure you could all come up with a few for me :)

Why blog???

Why blog? I don't have the time... I don't have much going on in my life... What to do, What to do...