Out with the old, in with the new

As I look back on the past year, I am reminded of the roller coaster that is my life. There were good times and hard times, accomplishments and disappointments, joys and heartaches. At times I felt like I was barely keeping my head above water, and there were times when I felt like I was on top of the world. But in the end, I think it's more about what I have learned from these experiences and how they will affect my future. Most of all, I am so very thankful for the people in my life who encourage and support me, even when I don't deserve it. I'm sure the coming year will have no lack of ups and downs, but I look forward to all of the opportunities for growth that the new year is sure to offer. So it is with anticipation that I say goodbye to 2008, and hello to 2009!

PS. I'm still working on my list of goals/resolutions for the new year, so those will be officially posted on January 1st.

Bah Hum-BUG!

I was babysitting my nephew Caleb on Wednesday, who it turns out was still sick from whatever bug went around their house on Monday. I went back to my parents house, ate dinner, played some games (Ticket to Ride and Rook) and watched some movies. I felt fine until halfway through Christmas Day, when it hit me. I spent the next 2 days watching movies, sleeping and loading up on the liquids. Not exactly the way I wanted to spend my Christmas, but at least I was with family, and that is what is most important.

November is gone...

So it looks like the only way for me to find time to update my blog is to take a sick day from work the day immediately following a 5-day weekend. And lest you think me dishonest, I actually AM sick. Started with a sore throat Saturday night, and has developed into a generally miserable cold. My hope is that staying home today, I can kick this thing before it gets out of control and drags on for weeks. But lets get back to the tast at hand, which is keeping you up to date on the inner workings of my busy life...

This time of year my already busy life is crammed full of performances. For those who don't know, this is my 3rd year singing in the KC Symphony Chorus, and the holiday season is definitely our busiest. The weekend before Thanksgiving, we performed Handel's Messiah - once in Leawood at the Church of the Resurrection (COR) and once at the Community of Christ auditorium (the dome, not the spiral) in Independence. Of course, my evenings the entire week were taken up by commuting to and from seemingly unending rehearsals at both locations. But the end result was well worth it. The Messiah is one of my favorite works to perform.


The next day, I directed our branch choir in it's second ever performance in Sacrament Meeting. We sang the Sally Deford arrangement of For The Beauty of the Earth, complete with flute obligato. I'm so pleased with the amount of progress this new little choir has made in only a couple of months. Although truth be told, I'm looking forward to the day when they call a new choir director (not actually my calling - I'm filling in until they find someone) and I can actually sing with the choir instead of waving my hands out front.

I was lucky to have only 2 days of work last week, and I gave a test to all my classes both days (we are on a block schedule), which led very well into the Thanksgiving break. Now I just have to finish grading all the tests... I know, I know, I'm such a procrastinator. I love teaching, but grading is definitely not one of the reasons why!

Of course I slept in on Wednesday, then met most of the family for lunch at the Pizza Hut buffet before seeing Twilight for the second time. I was very pleased with the way the movie turned out, although there were some very obvious changes and ommissions from the book. I won't say anything more, in case some of you are still planning to see it. But overall, it was very good. Good enough to see several times, and looking forward to the sequel.




Thursday I spent the day at my parents' house, baking pies (with no sugar for Dad) in the morning and waiting until everyone else came over for dinner. Usually we eat earlier, but Shawn and Quinci had an early dinner at her parents this year. Trent was the only one who couldn't make it this year. He spent the holiday with family in Idaho. Because of the late dinner and all the babies, it was pretty much impossible for us to play our usual games after dinner, so most everyone left around 9. I spent the night in Trent's room, not wanting to drive home.

Friday afternoon I met up with some old friends at the Crown Center Ice Terrace: Cory, Alex and his two oldest girls, Jon, Anna and her girls, Kat, Kelsey and Kevin. I didn't ice skate, not wanting to risk falling down and getting wet before my performance, but I got to talk to them a bit. It was nice to see them. They all took off, and I got ready to sing for the Mayor's Christmas Tree lighting.


Halls borrowed graduation robes for us to wear, to make us look more festive and uniform, which we put on over our coats. Then we stood around for a half hour, waiting for our turn to take the stage. They said we would have chairs this year, but that didn't happen. We stood in our usual 4-row formation (on 2 risers) and did our thing. I didn't know they would be broadcasting the ceremony on television, or I would have recorded it. There was a good crowd, we had fun, and afterwards I met up with a few of my friends from the branch for dinner before heading home.


I was really excited to wake up on Saturday to the realization that the weekend was not over yet. Mom and Dad brought over a queen size bed and armoire for me, and took back the antique bed for their spare room. It took us a while, through the snow and a few post-move repairs, to get everything in (the armoire didn't want to fit around the railing), but we did it. I had to promise never to move again. Or hire professional movers next time. Or else! Ha ha. I'm very grateful, though, as this armoire solves my lack of closet space problem.


Sunday morning I woke up to find that the temperature dropped low enough overnight that the snow finally decided to stick. It was not enough snow to make the roads bad, just enough to cover everything in a light blanket of white. Love it! Hopefully next time we will get enough to warrant a snow day. And yes, that IS one of the reasons I love teaching!

Okay, so that's pretty much it for November. It was a crazy month. Now I'm looking forward to seeing what comes of December. And I'm going to start by putting up my Christmas tree...

My ABC's of Gratitude

I am grateful for:

Amigos
Breath
Colors of fall
Days off
Electric blankets
Family
Good books
Home
Ideas
Jello Pudding
Kansas City skyline
Lessons learned
Music
New experiences
Opportunities
Peace and
Quiet
Relief Society
Sisters
Time
Umbrellas
Virtues
Window seats
X-Mas
Yellow flowers
Zenith

Special thanks to Kris Tina for her gratitude blogs that sparked my interest and gave me the idea for this blog.

Nephew #2 - Brandon Henry K. 10/27/08

Lori and Lucas welcomed their second child on Monday at 5:21 am. Brandon Henry K. (then known only as baby boy K.), weighed in at 9 lbs 5 oz, and measured 21 inches in length. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

Kansas City Temple to be built at Shoal Creek

The temple will be built in Shoal Creek, a residential area near Liberty, Missouri.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/new-temple-site-locations-announced

Greater Kansas City Temple Announced!!!

That's right, we will soon have an LDS Temple in the Greater Kansas City area! The news was announced by our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, in the Saturday morning session of conference. Sorry, the video is not yet available to post, but you can listen to the announcement here. And no, we don't know where the exact location is yet, but just so excited that we will have a temple so much closer! More news as it comes...

Memories of Us

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Pictures: Birthday Lunch and YSA Conference

My friends who came to help me celebrate my birthday at the Saddle Ranch Chop House.

This is a view from the other side of the table.

And here is a picture of me with two of my really good friends, Michelle & Ed, after the dance at the YSA conference in Independence.

Annie, Get Your Gun

Birthday Girl!

I had a pretty good birthday yesterday. I started out the morning by going walking at Chatlain Park with my mom, brother and sister. Mom, Lori and I went to lunch at our favorite restaurant, Houston's, on the plaza. I had the grilled North Alaskan salmon (yummy!). After lunch I went to Salon of RR's for a wonderfully relaxing hour-long massage! Later, at rehearsal for Annie Get Your Gun, everyone sang Happy Birthday to me, and there were lots of yummy treats to eat during the break (strawberry shortcake, Krispy Kreme's, muffins, fruit). And then after rehearsal, Trent and I went to Sheridan's and got some really delicious fruit smoothies. I got raspberry-mango, and he got raspberry-banana. All in all, it was a pretty great day. But the fun is just beginning! Today I am meeting about 20 of my friends at the Legends for lunch at the Saddle Ranch Chop House. Then we are heading over to Independence for a YSA conference. There are classes to start out, then a bbq dinner. The cast of Annie Get Your Gun will be performing a "teaser" during dinner, and then there will be a dance. I missed the last few dances, so i'm excited for that. Mostly I'm just looking forward to spending the day with my friends!

Sorry, I'm way overdue for a new post. I guess I have been pretty busy the past few weeks! Let's see if I can get you caught up on the goings on in my life...

The Move: I got everything moved over to my parents' house, with the help of some wonderful friends and family (thanks again!). I'll be staying here until August, when I plan to move into an apartment in Leavenworth, which is actually in a historic mansion. I'm excited for that, so I'm praying that it all works out this time.

The Job: After school was out, I was called to interview for the Spanish position at the high school, and a few days later, they offered me the job. I went in the next day to pack up my classroom and move it over to the high school, but they were in the middle of waxing the floors. They should be done now, so I plan on getting that done tomorrow and Tuesday. I'll be teaching Spanish 1 and 2. I will still be coaching middle school cheerleading, and hopefully high school softball as well.

The Temp Job: I have signed on with Today's Staffing service (previously known as Bossler-Hix Personnel) to get a little bit of work during my summer vacation. I have worked one half-day so far, but I have a 7-day job starting on Wednesday. It's not much, but at least it will help with the gas money.

The Musical: I am playing the part of Silvia Potter-Porter in the summer YSA production of Annie Get Your Gun. I'm also a chorus singer and specialty dancer. We have been working on singing and dancing, and this week we start the blocking. The performances are July 24-26 at the Holmes Building.

I'm sure that's not everything, but it's a start. I'll try to find my camera and get some new pics posted soon as well.

School's out for summer!

Yes, the day has finally arrived! Today was my first day of summer vacation. Too bad I am still working and getting ready to move, so I can't really enjoy my vacation yet. My garage sale on Saturday was awful. It rained on and off all day. But Trent came over and we watched the first season of "Firefly" to pass the time, while we sat around all day and made a whopping $3.50! Fortunately, I have a couple of people that are interested in buying the twin bed, and they are coming by tomorrow to see it. Looks like I'm stuck with the rest of it, unless I want to unload it all at Goodwill. Unfortunately, my roommate situation has also gone down the tubes. The girl in my ward who wanted to move with me is not going to be able to, so I am back to looking for a place on my own. My lease at my current place ends on Saturday, so I'll be moving back in with my family until I can find another place. Good news is I will be saving money by not paying rent for a couple of months. And to end on a high note, I auditioned for the regional singles production of Annie Get Your Gun, and I have a callback tonight. I'll let you know how it goes!

Summer is coming!

I can't believe this is my last week of school! I have so much to do before the end of the month, not the least of which is to find a new place to live. My lease in Tonganoxie is up at the end of the month. And now that I am not going to Spain (couldn't get the money), I need to find a place ASAP. I am going looking again tomorrow with Kristen, a girl in my branch. Hopefully we can find a nice place that is not too far of a commute to work, but still in the branch. I've been looking in Leavenworth, Platte City and surrounding areas for the past week, but having someone to share a place with should make it a lot easier! I still need to get rid of a lot of junk before I move, so I am going to try to have a garage sale on Saturday. If you're in the area, stop by and see if my junk can become your treasure!

Tornado season is officially here!

Yes, that's right. The tornadoes are here in Kansas. There was a whole line of storms coming through the area tonight, so we were under severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings all night. Gotta love the summer time in Kansas City!

So since I am moving to Lawrence in August, and my new roommate and I have both been living on our own for so long (we have tons of stuff), I have decided to sell most of my furniture and appliances. Not only will it save me from having to move so much stuff and find a place to store it while I'm gone this summer, but it will hopefully help me get closer to being able to afford my trip to Spain. I will probably be selling my living room furniture (couch, chair, ottoman & coffee table), entertainment center, HDTV (27 inch), VCR/DVD combo, twin bed, and washer & dryer. I will be posting the items for sale on Craig's List and Facebook as soon as I get pictures taken of everything. Let me know if you are interested!

Only 3 more weeks of school!

One week closer to summer!

Just 4 more weeks until summer vacation! School is starting to wind down. We are already starting to plan for next year. I had a meeting for my Spring Break 2009 trip to Mexico, but it was on Wednesday during the thunderstorm, so I didn't have much of a turnout. I'll probably do another meeting in May. We're going to the Yucatan Peninsula and Mayan Riviera. Let me know if you're interested in joining the trip (www.myexplorica.com/Menssen-7408).

We had performances this weekend for a stake production of The Garden, and I was the Tree. Aside from some technical difficulties with microphones, the show went really well. I was a little disappointed that nobody from school came (I invited everyone), but I had a couple of friends from the branch there on Friday night.

I'm currently being treated by a chiropractor. I have been going for about 3 weeks, ever since I hurt it playing softball. He took x-rays and found a couple of problem spots that have been developing over several years, so I made the decision to start treatment. I started out going 3 times a week, and this week we went down to 2 visits a week. Not pleasant, but it's worth it if he can fix the problem now and avoid worse problems down the road.

I actually got up early on Friday to walk on the treadmill for half an hour. Trent and I have a goal to go to bed at a decent time and get up early to work out at least three times a week. Which means I need to get home and get to bed. Have a good week everyone!

Spain

I found out a few weeks ago that I was accepted to the BYU Summer Institute for Spanish Teachers (see http://byuspanteach.blogspot.com). The program is only offered once every three years, and it consists of one week of classes on campus in Provo, then 5 weeks of travel and study in Spain. I will be earning 9 graduate credits towards a masters degree in Spanish Pedagogy (Teaching). It is a great honor that I was accepted, as there were only a handful of participants chosen this year. The program costs $3,000 to attend, plus the cost of round-trip airfare to Provo and to Madrid, Spain (approx. $2,000). Unfortunately, I will not be enrolled as a degree-seeking student, and am not eligible for federal financial aid. This means I can't take out a student loan or qualify for any grant money. I have set up a pay-pal account for anyone who would like to help me out by donating to my Spain fund. Thanks!

Costa Rica pics

Check out my slide show on the right side of the page for my pictures in Costa Rica. They aren't in any real order, I'm just figuring out how to use the Slide Show feature. Enjoy!

Costa Rica

First of all, thanks to Lisa for helping me find a sunflower background for my page. I love it!

Now, on to the stuff you have all been waiting for... my trip to Costa Rica. I was fortunate enough to spend 9 days there, and it was a wonderful vacation. I brought a few students and one parent with me, and we all had a great time. We hiked up to the top of a volcano, hiked down to a waterfall, kayaked in a lake, went horseback riding and zip-lining in the cloud forest, went to a frog aquarium, and swam in the ocean. We also spent hours and hours each day on a tour bus, driving on really windy narrow roads. But even that was worth it because we had a fabulous tour guide, Victor, who pointed out interesting things along the way. My favorite places were Arenal and Playa Hermosa. I'm going to try and put a slideshow of more of my pictures on here for you all to see. ¡Pura Vida!

New Look

Quinci convinced me that my blog needed a facelift. What do you think of the new look? I would love to find a sunflower template, so let me know if you find one anywhere!

8 days until I am in Costa Rica!

Happy Leap Day!

February was a busy month. Glad it's over! I was sick all week, so I'm really far behind with work and other things. And then I was scared this week when I lost my voice, since I am singing with the KCSC at the KU game on Saturday. But after I got enough meds in me, my voice came back. ;o) So I'm really far behind with grading and housework, so it's good that I have tomorrow off, and Spring Break is just around the corner. Costa Rica, here I come!

Flashback to the 80's

First off, I think it's ironic that 95% of the people at the 80's theme Valentine dance last night don't even remember most of the 80's, because they are so young. I mean, seriously, who hasn't heard of NKOTB? There were some pretty great outfits and hair-do's, though. I couldn't find a good high school prom style dress at Goodwill, so I went with a more mature look from the 80's, with the dropwaist, oversize sweater and a black leather skirt. Here's a photo taken by my friend Greisy. I brought my camera, but of course, I left it in my coat pocket the whole night and didn't take a single picture. Overall, it was a fun night, especially dancing to "Lost in Your Eyes." Brought me back to the days of skating parties... Gotta love it!

So here it is, my first official post!

After several requests from my sister-in-law, I finally decided to try this blog thing. My life is so crazy right now, I don't know if I have time to keep it up. Wish me luck!