Busy and Loving it!

It's a couple of weeks into the semester and I have finally settled into my new busy schedule. The funny thing is,

I still have a social life!

Pretty crazy if you ask me! I'm really liking working 2 jobs.. yes my weekends are kinda spoiled sometimes because I get to work instead of go on trips. On the up side though, I'm able to get a lot of work off during the weekends if I have enough notice. Another thing about working two jobs is that I'm less stressed about money! My teaching job is kinda difficult because I only get paid once a month, however, at my waitress-ing job I get paid every night and every two weeks for my salary and stuff. My free time is valuable now. I don't usually waste it... too much :D. 

So... dating life. I have been dating one particularly awesome young man... whose identity will remain nameless for now. It's just simpler this way. A little bit of insurance. About 2 1/2 weeks ago, he... um, we'll call him... Zack... ANYWAY! Zack came over and helped me with my math homework and he brought me some snacks, a sobe, and ... drum roll please... a ROSE!!! It was absolutely gorgeous! The following Friday, I got off work (waitress) and went to my car... there was the movie Hitch (my favorite movie!) and another rose! Seriously made my life. On another occasion, he brought me chocolate almond milk (he brought himself a chocolate shake and didn't want me to feel left out). Honestly, Zack is just absolutely awesome and I'm super excited to get to know him better! We'll see where this goes, for only time will tell!!!

Well, I'd best be off. I've got a class in the morning! Hopefully my roommate will be out of the bathroom soon so I can finish getting ready for bed.... goodnight world! Aubrey out!

Here We Go Again!

Another year has begun!!! I'm starting my second year at the University of Utah and I love it!!!! :D

(I know I didn't write all summer... I was busy having

too much fun and I didn't have internet at 

my 'plex so I couldn't update when I wanted to.)

Another busy semester is facing me! I really am working full time this semester. I have two jobs to do it! I am a Para Educator (AKA Assistant Teacher) in a Special Ed Kindergarten Class at Upland Terrace Elementary. I am also a waitress at The Cowboy Grub. I love both of my jobs, but they sure do keep me busy. Next on my plate is the full time school schedule I'm holding. I'm taking Math, Linguistics, a Reading Methods class (which also requires me to be a reading tutor on Tuesday and Thursday mornings), and a Zumba class (I needed one more credit hour for my scholarship to be valid). 

In the mean time, I'm also enjoying the new friends I made this Summer! My best friend, Grif Mansell, introduced me to a bunch of his high school friends whom I love to death!!! We play games like Wasser-Krieg (V-ah-s-er - Kreeg) which means "water war" in German. It's like water polo and rugby combined... with LESS rules. I got elbowed in the eye and woke up the next day with a slight black eye. It was awesome! We also play Frisbee golf... I'm really bad at it, but I still think it's so much fun! Then every Sunday night we have fantastic game nights! Oh my goodness, these people are so much fun!!! 

• Russell is a huge goof who likes to push people's buttons... and them into pools. He seems to especially like pushing my buttons. He's going to get hurt one of these days...
• Sam is the sweetest guy you could meet. He always greets me SO warmly! I look forward to hanging out with Sam, he's just a pleasure to be around all the time.
• Ashley. Oh this girl is beautiful inside and out! I love joking around with her. Also she makes me look good at Scum... the worst game ever. 
• Taylor is hilarious!!! He does it all! Music, dance, act, play sports, and looks cute while doing it. haha. Taylor is the type of person who is up for anything, anytime. 
• There are definitely more people whom I love but it would take way too long to write about them! 

On Another Note

Sometimes I find myself asking "why." Why did he break up with me? Why am I killing myself off for college? Why didn't he like me? Why am I working two jobs? Why am I not getting answers to my questions? 

The answer seems to keep coming back, "BE PATIENT." Not an easy thing for me to do ;)  However, I think I'm finally seeing the fruits of my labors! God really does answer prayers and sometimes you don't get the answer you were expecting.. you get something so much better! I know that's cliche, but it's SO true! About 3 weeks ago I got the rude realization that I wasn't going to get what I wanted. I was super sad for about 2 days. It was really hard and I didn't know what to do with myself! I just kept my chin up and pretended like nothing was wrong. Well after those two days something even better came my way! I feel like I'm living in a dream.

"If you want your life to be a fairytale, you have to be your own fairy godmother."

 Sometimes the "why" questions don't need to be answered. I think little clues for the reasons can be seen and those tend to give me hope, but I also know that those aren't always the real reason things happen. Sometimes you date people and it doesn't work out. Maybe it was because something was going to happen that wasn't supposed to, maybe you already learned the lesson in the short period of time, or maybe it was really that you were supposed to introduce your two friends. I used to want to play match maker, but now I realize that it doesn't work like that. I've introduced a ton my friends to people and nothing comes from it and then sometimes it does. I think I'd much rather be a tool in the Lord's hand and be pleasantly surprised with the results then give Him all the glory.

"'Why' questions are such a waste of time. Ask 'How can I turn this around?' and 'What can I learn from this?' Life is too short to be living in the past."

Haven't Had Enough

I work [practically] full time, go to school full time, am in a LDS sorority, have homework, and still find time to be social... Have I had enough?

Nope.

I am on the University of Utah Ballroom Dance Team. Yes, we have one. Is it recognized by the school? Not yet, but we're working on that. Thus I pay to be on it and it isn't cheap... but it's worth it! :) I am making scarves and headbands to make up the difference in income and expenses.

The ballroom dance team consists of three teams, the Black Team, the Red Team, and the White Team. (Yes, they are the school's colors, original eh? ;) haha) I am on the White Team and I absolutely love it. People have come and gone from it and we have done a lot of switching around with partners and such, but I think it has made us an even stronger team. We've hung out after practices, played practical jokes on each other, arranged socials, and I even miss them if I have to go more than a week without seeing them. We have way to much fun together!!!

We've performed twice now. Once at Rock the U and another at a LDS Stake's annual formal dance. It was a blast and a huge learning experience. We perform again on Monday, April 18. I'm so excited! The White Team did a Rumba routine and now we are learning a Waltz routine! The Waltz is my very, very favorite style of dance! I do love Country/Freestyle Swing a ton, but the Waltz is just so elegant and beautiful. Freestyle Swing takes the best of all the dances and puts them together, thus throwing footwork out the window. It must do this because there is no way of combining all the dances and keep the footwork! It's just fun to let go sometimes! hehe.

There are so many wonderful people on this team, including some people whom I've known before. I went to high school with two girls, Audrey and Kirsten. Kirsten and I actually grew up in the same stake as well! Two guys I met through the IOTA frat, Griffin and Thom. Grif joined with my referral... well he actually could've done it himself, he's that good, but he found out about it through me. I'm so glad I decided to take the Ballroom Dance class for my extra two credit hours, it changed my life. I've made a ton of new friends as well, Paul-who almost dropped me, Dianna-lovingly nicknamed Dance Nazi, Brown-headed Marc, Red-headed Marc, Elizabeth-my official eyelash-putter-oner, Jen-whom I've almost collided with multiple times, Molly-our mother hen, Aaron-who likes to switch between teams, Greg-we are awesome at the Titanic, and other wonderful friends whom I will write about later. There will be more adventures to come, trust me.

I'm following my dream. I've always wanted to be on a ballroom dance team and I'm doing it. It's the first time that I've actually done something that doesn't sound completely respectable and safe. Not that being a teacher is lame or anything. I really want to be a teacher, that is one dream I have always had, but it's not far fetched like being a pop star. haha One thing I've learned, when there's a will there's a way, and sometimes we've got to get out of our own way and simply take a leap of faith. Don't be afraid, you can do hard things. ;)