Marc & Cami Burton

Visit to our house.

2012-01-25T10:43:00.000-08:00

On the way back from Venice mom, dad, Bryan, Niki, and Piper stopped by our house to visit. Marc was still out of town in L.A. so it was nice to have some company. I didn't have any toys for Piper to play with so I gave her a flashlight and some golf balls.

Bryan was mostly faninated with Marc's road bike and wanted to ride it through the house, unfortunately for him I would not let him.

Thanks for coming to visit you guys, I love you. Thanks mom for the yummy cinnamon roll!

Bryan, Niki, & Piper are in town!

2012-01-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

The Brimhall's from Denver are in town this week! I am so excited that they are here to visit. They got in on Monday night and will be here until Sunday morning. I really miss them and don't enjoy the fact that they live so far away. Somehow I keep a faint hope in the back of my mind that they will be back to live in Utah someday, they won't be able to stay away from us crazy Brimhalls!

Piper has grown so much and is so beautiful! She is always so happy and smiles at everyone and everything.

I have a little obsession.

2012-01-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

It is a problem? Getting there. Do I need an intervention? Maybe. Am I okay with my obsession? Totally. Will you think I am completely weird and disgusting when you find out what my obsession is? Most definitely.

....Sweet potatoes....yes that is my obsession...I love them...I crave them.......

Marc was out of town this week in L.A. for work so I decided I would make some sweet potatoes for myself while he was gone (okay I really always just make them for myself because Marc is never interested in them). It's the leaning tower of sweet potatoes!

Sunday Birthday Dinner

2012-01-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

Following a day of celebrating Marc and Amelia's birthdays we got to celebrate some more! On Sunday we had a delicious birthday dinner with the menu picked by Marc and Amelia. We had homemade pizza, salad, and finished the night with red velvet cake.

Happy Birthday Marc!

2012-01-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

Marc turned 27 this year. I think he had a mini panic attack that he is getting "old." What does "old" mean anyways? If it means getting tired by 9pm, finding mysterious white hairs on occasion growing from ones head, getting a sore back when laying in bed too long, enjoying nights at home more than nights on the town...if this is what it means to be getting "old" I think I am actually the one getting old and Marc is still as young as can be.

Marc's birthday was on a Saturday so no work just play. It was a rainy and cold Saturday. I gave Marc a new bike jersey for his birthday(thanks to Kara and Devin Gagon and there consulting me on what jersey was best to buy). Marc loved the jersey and his traditional "birthday poster" (the Burton's have a tradition that every birthday mom Burton made a birthday poster that included "happy birthday ____" their age, pictures of things they like, and a candy bar).

Marc's birthday poster included biking, running, ESPN, twitter, watching "The Closer", family, being Uncle Marc, me, BYU cougars, ipad, Burger Supreme, making popcorn, likes to cook, and L.A. Dodgers (I forgot to including golfing).

We ate lunch at the Model A cafe.

We went to Provo to meet up with mom, dad, and Erica and then headed up to Lehi to Matt and Emily's house to have a pink princess birthday party for Amelia (and Marc too..he requested the pink princess theme). Amelia and Marc share a birthday and it is so great! Amelia loves Marc so much and is always talking about him, saying prayers and being sure to include his name in them, and enjoying chasing around the Burton home with him. They are the perfect pair to share a birthday.

When we arrived at Matt and Emily's house Amelia had a surprise for us. We couldn't find her when we arrived and that is because she was hiding in a GIANT mass of balloons that covered the entire stairwell! She came out squealing and so excited. The balloon pit provided lots of entertainment throughout the night. Madeline and Amelia kept asking Marc to take them down into the balloon pit.

Emily and mom made a delicious breakfast/dinner. Amelia had requested pancakes for her birthday so we had delicious pancakes with lots of toppings and three different breakfast casseroles. Emily made really cute heart shaped cookies and an amazing princess castle cake. We sure love hanging out with our families, it is so much fun. The girls are so full of personality and so much fun to be around.

Happy birthday Marc and Amelia, I love you both so much!

Are you kidding me?!

2012-01-15T14:38:00.000-08:00

Last night I was headed to jump into the shower to wash my hair. Since we live in a basement it tends to be really cold at times, so I picked up the space heater from the bedroom to take into the bathroom with me (the space heater had been on for a few minutes already in the bedroom). As I walked into the bathroom with the space heater I somehow pressed the space heater right against by bare thigh! I dropped it to the ground and said a few choice words! It didn't look red and I figured it must have just frightened me more than burned me. Once I got in the shower the hot water did not feel good on my leg at all. Within a few minutes I did have a big red mark on my leg...a few minutes later my leg not only was red but had the criss-cross imprints of the front of the space heater burned into my leg! Yes a day later, the criss-cross imprint it still there! Oh my goodness, I am not always the smartest girl!

Happy 24th Birthday!

2012-01-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to me! I can't believe that I turned 24 today! It was a great day. I woke up to find a nice birthday wish from Marc on the bathroom window (I moved it to the door so I could get ready).

I went to work and had a nice day. The kids were getting a little wild towards the end of the day so I was definitely happy when the school day was over. When I got home Marc has some beautiful flowers for me. He is so sweet! We worked out and then meet mom and dad Brimhall at Ruby River for dinner. It was delicious! I ordered a dinner salad, sirloin steak and of course a sweet potato. After dinner Marc and I went to coldstone in Spanish Fork to get some ice cream, delicious as always (cake batter, graham cracker crust, and caramel in a waffle bowl....mmmm).

Marc bought me a Garmin watch for my birthday! He said he waned to get me something that I would like but I wouldn't spend the money on it myself. It tracks your miles, pace, heart rate, altitude change, etc. I am so excited! Thank you so much Marc, you are the sweetest! I had a great birthday and I am so thankful for all the sweet birthday wishes from friends and family!

Signing in...

2012-01-04T14:05:00.001-08:00

Hello world, or mostly Niki and a few friends who read my blog. This post is in honor of Niki who reminded me yesterday I need to be better at updating my blog (I completly agree).

I am loving that it is January 4th in Utah and there is not a trace of snow on the ground and the sun is shinning as if were April. Don't get me wrong, snow is exciting, the first time of the year, but then I think I am pretty well over it. Although this weather does make me nervous that we will have snow all the way into April to make up for it, that would not be good for track season.

I am currently working on (or thinking of how I need to work on) studying for the PRAXIS. The praxis is a test you have to take after your frist 3 years of teaching in order to recertifiy your license. I find it ridiculous considering I just finished 2 more years of school and recieved my masters and yet I still have to pay $150.00 to take a silly test! I have to take it on January 14th and I have been quite a slacker on the studying. Mostly I just need to study theories and theoriest that I use in my classroom each day but I can't nessicarily tell you the proper name for.

Well I better start back into blogging slowly so I don't overwhelm myself :) so that is all for now.

Just Fishin'

2011-10-08T12:40:00.001-07:00

I love my daddy. He called me on Thursday and left me a voice mail during work just to tell me that he was thinking about me. He said he just listened to the song "Just Fishin" by Trace Adkins and it reminded him of us.

"I’m lost in her there holdin’ that pink rod and reel
She’s doin’ almost everything but sittin’ still
Talkin’ ‘bout her ballet shoes and training wheels
And her kittens
And she thinks we’re just fishin’

I say, “Daddy loves you, baby” one more time
She says, “I know. I think I got a bite.”
And all this laughin’, cryin, smilin’ dyin’ here inside’s
What I call, livin’

And she thinks we’re just fishin’ on the riverside
Throwin’ back what we could fry
Drownin’ worms and killin’ time
Nothin’ too ambitious
She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout
What’s really goin’ on right now
But I guarantee this memory’s a big’in
And she thinks we’re just fishin’

She’s already pretty, like her mama is
Gonna drive the boys all crazy
Give her daddy fits
And I better do this every chance I get
‘Cause time is tickin’
(Yeah it is)

And she thinks we’re just fishin’ on the riverside
Throwin’ back what we could fry
Drownin’ worms and killin’ time
Nothin’ too ambitious
She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout
What’s really goin’ on right now
But I guarantee this memory’s a big’in
And she thinks we’re just fishin’

She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout
What’s really goin’ on right now
But I guarantee this memory’s a big’in
And she thinks we’re just fishin’
Yeah, aww, she thinks we’re just fishin’
We ain’t only fishin’
(This ain’t about fishin’"

I love you dad! I always will remember these memories. I can remember one time we went ice fishing at Strawberry reservoir, just you and me. We set up the ice fishing shack that you have and we drilled a hole in the ice. The entire afternoon I just watching the fish swim by underwater and would tell you when they were close to our line. That was such a great time. Thanks dad for the memories.

"Ow Ow"

2011-08-30T19:52:00.001-07:00

Today was the first cross country practice for MJHS. The practice went well. As we were headed out for a run and ran past some of the boys up to the front. I heard from behind me an "Ow, Ow."

Did a 7th grade boy just ow ow at me?

Oh dear...
I did not turn around.
I did not pay attention.
I do not like this.

2 new job titles!

2011-08-16T15:56:00.003-07:00

That's right I'm the new assistant cross country coach and head girls track coach for MJHS. The coach from last year had a baby and did not come back this year, I starting thinking this summer how it would be a great opportunity for me to coach. Well I sent some emails and let the appropriate people know that I was interested and today I officially got two new jobs!

I am excited to be able to work with more kids at the school and be more involved. Cross country and track at the junior high level does not require try-outs so the team is really big and the kids love to participate. Usually the cross country team is about 60-80 kids. I can't remember the numbers for the track team but I do know in years past it has taken 3 school buses to get them to meets because there are so many. The first cross country meet is the right after labor day in September so as soon as school starts we need to start announcing and get practices going. The head coach is Bengi Frame, he is also the boys head track coach so we will be working together a lot this year. I don't know him really well but he seems cool and like a nice person.

Today was the first official day back to school for teachers (although I have been to the school almost every weekday since August 1st). It felt good to have everyone back. I am excited for the new school year. This will be my 4th year teaching and it's going to be great! I have my masters degree now, so I get a small increase in pay...I don't have to go to classes anymore after working all day...we live in Mapleton so the commute is easy and fast so I can get more sleep...I also get to coach! I am way excited!

I have 13 students so far this year and 2 techs, plus a 1:1 tech. So there is a lot of students this year in my room and a lot of opportunity to teach and learn together. I love my job and am so grateful for it and for the amazing people I get to work with.

Wednesday June 22, 2011

2011-06-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

Today is Bryan's birthday. He sent the family and email with what Piper (and Niki) got him for his birthday. The perfect gift for a Brimhall child..diet coke and ice cream! Two very essential things in life. Way to go Piper (isn't she just the cutest)! Happy birthday Bryan!

Taryn, Brittney, and I went to 7-peaks today (along with Britt's neices, nephew, and little brother). We had a great time! The little kids were so cute and we had a blast. It felt like high school days when we used to go to 7-peaks haha. Thanks girls for such a fun time! love ya.

Marc has been in Cleveland since Monday afternoon for work. I miss Marc. I really miss him. I have been trying to keep myself busy so I don't feel the ache inside but it's not working so well. It's hard too cause we keep playing phone tag and I just want to talk to him and hear all about his day and tell him all about my day. I love you Marc, I miss you when you are gone, and I wish you were here. When you get back can you hold me close? Can we watch a program and eat popcorn? Can we go for a run together? Can we look at funny things on a iPad at all hours of the night? Can we make homemade pizza together? Can you tease me and make fun of my silly ways? Can we go for a bike ride? Can you hold my hand? Can you tell me to wear my sunscreen before I go outside? Can you give me a kiss? Can you make me laugh? Can you come home now....
I love you sweetie pie! I think about you every second and I am so proud of you and all the great things you are accomplishing. I hope your presentation went well today, I'm sure you did an amazing job. I can't wait to see you tomorrow! xoxo -me

Tuesday June 21, 2011

2011-06-21T16:25:00.001-07:00

I woke up today at 6am with a headache, not the best way to wake up. The funny part about it was I had been dreaming for some time before that about how bad my head hurt and in my dream I kept trying to get some medicine but never could. Anyways I took some medicine and went back to bed for a bit. Unfortunately when I woke back up the headache was still there..boo. I took Excedrin this time and it helped a bit but mostly all day I have still had a bit of a headache.

I spent the morning tackling the jungle that has grown in our front and back yard! Yes a jungle. I really wish now that I would have taken a before and after picture but I didn't. The jungle I am referring to is all the weeds that continue to sprout up. I pulled weeds from about 9:45am until 1:00pm. Wowie does it look good! The backyard still needs some work, I only got half of it done. I sent Marc a picture of my back, it looks like I am still wearing the tank top that I was weeding in but I wasn't, you see I'm not a big fan of sunscreen and I know I should be. Sorry Marc, I will try to learn from my mistakes with the sunscreen.

Today Britt and I went to find me a swimsuit. I was a little concerned about this quest because I do not really like trying on swimsuits and I am not a big fan of taking all my clothes off in a dressing room in order to do this. Well I in the words of my dear mother "I must be living right" because the first store that we went to I found the perfect swimsuit and for the perfect price! We then shopped around a little more and decided what's a more summer thing to do then go get a snow cone. We had a fun time eating our snow cones and sitting on the grass.

Tonight my dad, Kara, and I are going to the Owls baseball game. Devin and Marc are both out of town for work so dad gets to take Kara and I out. It will be great. I am so thankful for the amazing friends and family that I have in my life.

Sunday June 19, 2011

2011-06-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

Father's Day.

I am so blessed to have an amazing father, father-in-law, grandpa, and husband in my life. All of these men deserve so much thanks and love.

First my dad, I have always been a daddy's girl (and a mommy's girl). I love my dad. I love it when people tell me that I am like my dad or that I look like my dad. My dad is a hard working man and has spent his years doing all that he could to support us children and give us everything. He is amazing. Recently dad has really gotten into watching the birds around his yard. He decided to buy dove decoys and hang them in the backyard so the doves would come. They did indeed. He always has about 5-6 hummingbird feeders and probably 5 bird feeders in the backyard. As if this isn't enough he discovers during the spring that some ducks were coming to the font yard in the morning and sitting in the shade. Dad started feeding the ducks everyday. He went down the the hostess bread store and was spending $12.00 a week to feed the ducks (he was now feeding them in the morning, mid-afternoon, and night). The ducks were eating like crazy. On one of dad's numerous trips to the hostess store the cashier told him that if the bread was for the ducks he could buy old break and only pay 20 cents per bag. His cost of food went down to $1.05. He also had to sign a paper stating that he would not eat the bread but that it would only be used for the ducks (because it is old bread). This has gone on all summer so Marc and I thought what a better gift for dad then 20 pounds of bird seed! I forgot to mention besides leaving bread out on his front lawn and sidewalk he also pours bird seed all over the side walk (haha it drive my mom crazy, but you have to admit it is so funny!). So for Father's day we have dad a 20 pound bag of bird sees and a new window feeder. He was like a kid in a candy shop. Right away he went to the garage to cut he bag open and pour some int he back and front yards so he could see if the birds liked it. They sure did. To the "bird man of Grandview hill" aka my father, happy father's day dad, I love you!

The next father in my life is my father-in-law, Brad Burton. Brad is an amazing man and is very fun to be around. He has worked hard to raise 8 amazing children. I am grateful for Brad and for the love he has shown to me and how he has accepted me into his family like I am one of his own. Thank you Brad for being such a great father, we love you!

My grandpa Cowley has always been a great example to me of fatherhood as well. He is a very hard working man and he has a very large heart to love all of us grand kids the way he does. He is always to kind to let us come visit and share his home. Although the circumstances were difficult I really enjoyed it when grandpa and grandma lived with my parents and I was able to see them all the time. They are both so amazing. Grandpa used to call me his "4-wheeling buddy" cause I would always beg him to take me on 4-wheeling rides and I was always ready and willing to go. I love you grandpa and thank you for teaching me through your example.
I did not have the opportunity to know my grandpa Brimhall in this life. He passes away when my dad was just 19. I look forward to meeting him and getting to know him in this next life. Happy father's day grandpa Brimhall, we love you.

The next man in my life is a future father, Marc. I love you Marc so much and I know that you will be the best dad. You are so gentle and kind with all the nieces and nephews and they all love you so much! No matter how hard I can try to entertain them they still always want their uncle Marc. There is something about you that all the kids love and want to be around, I love that about you. You are amazing! Happy future father's day!

Tuesday June 14, 2011

2011-06-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Thesis defense day.

Please share your congratulations to Cami, who will be defending her thesis on Tuesday! (See the attached announcement for details.)
Tina Dyches

Today at 2:00pm I will be defending my thesis.

Am I nervous? I would say more happy just to get it over with. I know there will still be edits and things to be completed after the defense, but the big hill will be completed. It is noon so I have about 2 more hours, I wish it was just right now because I don't want to study anymore for the defense and the oral exam, I just want to jump right in.

Acknowledgements
There are many individuals who have contributed and made this research possible. I would like to first thank my thesis chair, Dr. Darlene Anderson, for her tireless efforts and giving of her time and expertise in support of this research. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Tina Dyches and Dr. Mary Anne Prater for teaching me to conduct quality research and helping me grow as a writer and a professional. Thank you to my research assistant, Haylie Bowman, for her diligence with the research and for paying attention to details.

I would like to thank Blake Hansen for his work with the graphs and helping me to document the data in a clear manner. Thank you to my paraeducators Deb Beecher and Lillian Reynaud for their positive attitudes and for helping to keep our classroom running smooth through the research study. Thank you to my students who participated in the study, they mean the world to me and I love to watch them grow each day and be a part of their learning.

A special thanks to my husband Marc, for helping me to achieve my goals. He fed me, supported me, and loved me throughout this entire process and was there to pick me up when things were hard. I love you! Thank you to my parents, Richard and Jan Brimhall. You were and are always there encouraging me to be the best I can be. I love you and am grateful for all you have done to help me become the person I am today.

I emailed my family to let them know I was defening soon and these were there response.

VERY IMPRESSIVE—I THINK WHEN YOU ARE ALL DONE, WE SHOULD PROMPTLY GO OUT AND PURCHASE A BIG TV FOR YOU TWO TO ENJOY!!
Love you
MOM

That is sweet!!! Congratulations!!! You are a smartie just like Niki!
Good luck you will do great tomorrow!!
Love you, let us know how it goes!
Bryan

Good luck tomorrow Cami! You'll rock it! I am sure of it!
Love ya,
Em

Good luck! we will need to celebrate afterwards!
Tehmi

Nice job Cami and good luck tomorrow! I'm sure you're going to do great!
Kevin

Whatever you do, don’t fart in the middle of the your presentation. That tends to turn the panel off…
Kelly

The news...

I passed my thesis defense and oral exam! I am so happy! Overall the meeting took about 2 hours and then some paperwork after. My committee has been so amazing to help me, especially Darlene, I am so thankful to them. They were very complementary of my work. Tina said it was perfect Cami Brimhall/Burton work like she always knew it from my undergrad, she said it was very detail oriented and held to a high standard of excellence. That was a great compliment from her. At the end of the defense and oral exam they excuse the student to step out of the room while they talk about their decision. When I came back in they told me I had passed with minor revisions to the thesis. They also all asked me if I would be willing to present in their upcoming classes. Darlene may even have me help her teach the single-subject course next fall. They also all asked if I thought about getting a doctorate and how they thought I would be a great candidate for a doctorate program. They had so many great praises and were very complimentary of my work. I was glad that I had put the time and effort in to do a quality study. They also decided that they want to target one of the highest tired journals for publication because the results from the study are so strong. I am excited about publishing and I am excited the defense is over. Way to go me! Way to go Marc and my family for helping to get my to this point! I am so thankful!

I sent to following email to my family to let them know the news:

Hey all,

So good news, I passed! The thesis defense went really well and I also got a really high score on the oral exam. My committee/professors were very impressed with the results of my study and we will be targeting the highest tiered journals for publication. They also all asked me if I would come to their classes this next year and present the information, one even asked if I could help teach a course to the the undergraduate students about single-subject research. They also all wanted to know what my plans were for getting my doctorate and stated that I would be a great doctoral candidate.

So this little sister you all tortured turned out pretty good :) Thanks for all the support, I love you!

Cami

We never doubted!! Way to go Cami! You and Marc are an unstoppable team. When do you want to start your doctrate? You would do great!
Love Bryan

Cami,
That's fantastic news!!!! I think you'd be a great doctor... Heck, we might as well up it to 3 in the family.
Kevin

Congratulations Cami!!! We are so proud!!
Niki

Yay! Congrats!
Tehmi

Hey, congrats on all the hard-work and dedication! Make sure you send me the info. So I can pass along to my in-laws (you may want to autograph it as you are famous now!?)
Kelly

Thanks family, I love you all!

Friday June 10, 2011

2011-06-13T12:34:00.001-07:00

I have been studying hard and practicing for my thesis defense next Tuesday the 14th. Marc caught me practice to stuffed animals in the living room (hey I was working on eye contact, I needed something more than just couch cushions).

Saturday June 11, 2011

2011-06-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

2 Year Anniversary!

Just two short years ago, Marc and I were married for time and all eternity in the Provo Temple. It was the most beautiful day and has continued to be a beautiful two years.
Today is our two year anniversary. Time has really gone by so quickly. These past years have been filled with love, happiness, and my grateful heart. I am so grateful for Marc and that I get to share my life and eternity with him. I love him so much. He is truly everything I always dreamed of having in a husband (hard working, funny, makes me a better person, priesthood holder, dedicated to family, motivated, can cook, loving, kind, considerate, and so much more). I love that I have been able to learn and grow up together with Marc these last couple of years. We have learned how to be adults but have enjoyed being kids too.

We started the day off with me headed to Spanish Fork for a soccer game and Marc went over to his parents house to wash their windows. We decided that we weren't going to get each other presents for our ann. Well of course that didn't work out (which was great) I came up from my soccer game to find these beautiful flowers and my favorite candy (tootsie rolls) waiting for me.
I had also come home with a surprise for Marc, three new shirts from Quicksilver. We were both excited about our gifts. We were debating if we should hike the Y or go golfing. We choose golfing. We played the back nine at Cascade golf course (well Marc played and I hit sometimes). I also found time to paint my nails while in the golf cart watching Marc.
Marc is quite good at golfing these days (note the picture you can't even see where the flag is but he still manages to get the ball pretty close to it).

We had a really good time golfing.

That night we went to Ruby River for dinner and then to the movies, Super 8.
Steak and sweet potatoes, yum!

Happy two year anniversary. I love you Marc! Thank you for making me the happiest wife in the whole world. I thank Heavenly Father every day for you, you are truly my better half.
xoxox, me

Saturday June 4 - Sunday June 5, 2011

2011-06-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend we helped Bryan, Niki, and Piper move to Denver, Colorado for Bryan's medical residency. Our day began on Friday at 4:20am when the alarm went off to get up and get ready. Mom and dad picked up Marc and I at 4:45am to head to pick up Kelly and then to drop a car off at the airport and head to Bryan and Niki's apartment. Bryan, Niki, mom, and Piper drove in the gray car. Dad and I drove in the white Honda. Kelly and Marc drove the U-haul (very speedily I might add, Kelly was hitting 90mph at some points). We drove all morning and afternoon, but it wasn't as bad as any of us anticipated, we arrived in Denver around 3:00pm (and yes dad and I were the last ones to arrive because dad drives similar to a turtle).

When we got to their new place we immediately started unpacking the U-haul (that is how us Brimhalls are, a little OCD so we have to get right to work to unpack). We unloaded the U-haul pretty quickly and everyone was sweaty and worn out but it was fun to unload because every time we would walk up stairs to their place we got to smile and giggle with Piper.

We ate Pizza Hut and Taco Bell for dinner, we probably would have eaten anything we were starving. We then spent the night putting away more boxes and Marc and I went to Target to get some ice cream and some needed household items. We also rented a movie for everyone to watch.

On Sunday we woke up, went for a walk around the complex and then got ready for the day. We went to Bass pro shops (which Bryan, Kelly, and Dad were very excited about). Piper got her first camo attire, you know your a Brimhall when your parents dress you in camo before you're even 1. Isn't she SO adorable!

Hunting gear, camo, etc doesn't really get us excited. Bryan and Niki took us to Olive Garden for lunch, that was very nice of them.

Then we drove down town and walked around the outdoor mall and dove by the baseball stadium. We ended up back at the house to relax and hang out for an hour or so before we had to head to the airport. I'm glad we were able to go to Denver to help Bryan and Niki move, I am sure going to miss them! I love them so much and Piper is so great I miss her everyday! I can't wait to go back to visit.

We miss you Bryan, Niki, and Piper, but you guys are amazing and going to do great things in Denver!

Halloween fun in the classroom...

2010-10-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

We had lots of fun this year in my classroom celebrating Halloween! I have such great students and really great parents who helped to make some great festivities. Due to confidentiality I cannot post any pictures of my students, but I'll post some fun things that we did.

I was sleepy beauty and my technicians were the fairy godmothers. The wig was a little crazy for me!

We painted some pumpkins, this is mine.

We made mummies out of mini Gatorade bottles.

Marc and I ran into my some of my favorite people when we were out looking for our Halloween costumes and then again when we went to dinner. It was so great to see a former student and his family (and his sister who is one of my peer tutors right now). I sure love these guys!

Fall Time Cooking

2010-10-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

So I like to cook, but I don't do a lot of it since I have been so busy with work and grad school these last couple years. I like to bake things, and I am working on my cooking skills. Marc is the expert cook in our family so far, but I will catch up with him someday! Here are some fun things I made for the fall season...

Pumpkin Pancakes
Wisk 1-1/4 Cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp each cinnamon, ground ginger and salt
2 Tlb. sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg and a pinch of ground cloves.

In a separate bowl, stir together:
1 Cup milk
6 Tbs. canned pumpkin puree
2 Tbs. melted butter
1 egg
Fold mixture into dry ingredients. (**We also add chocolate chips)
Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat
Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.
Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup.

Magelby's Syrup
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
Boil the above together for 1 min.
Add:
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

and the combined effect..

Apple Crisp
Fruit:
Mix together then place in 8 x 8 pan:
4 cups apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 T. cinnamon

Topping:
Mix together:
1 cup flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Add: 1 slightly beaten egg. Mix into flour mixture
1/3 cup melted butter

Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
You can use the topping to make cobbler for all kinds of fruit. Double the recipe for a 9 x 13 pan.

Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

Remove membrane from seeds; rinse and pat dry. Coat seeds with ingredients and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally.

Really Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 pkg of spice cake mix (or white cake mix and add 1 tsp of cinnamon)
1 small can of pumpkin, or 1/2 can of big pumpkin
Chocolate Chips
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Halloween Pizza Mummies
Pkg of English Muffins
Pizza Sauce
1 can of olives
String cheese

I made these with my class this year, they loved them!

Pumpkin Cariving

2010-10-24T00:31:00.000-07:00

I love the fall! I wish it could be fall for a lot longer than just a couple of months. Tonight Breezy and Mat came over to carve pumpkins, play games and so much more! I sure love you guys Breez and Mat, and Marc of course!

We were all working hard.

After we separated out all the seed to bake them, I accidentally spilled lots of them when I went to pick them up so I could wash them off..whoops!

Marc carved the Lone Wolf and I carved some bats, I'm sure glad we will have the "protection of the lone wolf over our house!"

Breez carved a sweet mummy and Mat carved "Sam R.I." (in other words a cool pumpkin face).

We also had fun eating really yummy apple crisp and ice cream, and making pumpkin seeds, I have to agree with Breezy that we are very domestic. Breez wanted to make sure that I posted that she kicked butt as we were playing Settlers of Catan.

Way to go Breez and Mat at the slap card game...Marc and I want a rematch though and a ping-pong tournament. I love the fall, carving pumpkins, and good friends!

Races from this year...

2010-10-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

Marc and I met though running and have enjoyed running together ever since. We met in 2008 when we both ran on the same team for the Wasatch Back relay and then soon after we ran the Top of Utah Marathon together. It is great to be able to run together and to spend time training and helping to push each other. Thanks Marc for helping me to accomplish my goals and for always making me a better person! Here are a few pictures from some races that we have done this year.

St. George 1/2 Marathon
In January Marc's sister Marianne got married in St. George and before their wedding we ran the St. George Half Marathon. It was really cold that morning for the race but it was great to have all the family around for the race. Some of us did the 1/2 marathon, Marc did the 10k with his brother-in-law, and the kids all did the 1 mile run.

Marc helping the little kids before the 1 mile race.

Ogden Marathon
We did the Ogden Marathon in May with Dave and Tonya.

This was early in the morning before the race, about 4:30am.

Mom and Dad and Niki came to cheer us on.

I sure love running with Marc, we have so much fun!

Utah Valley Marathon
I ran the Utah Valley Marathon (Jed ran it too) Marc and his sister Marianne were volunteers. It was really cold on race day, even though it was on June 12th (one day after our year anniversary, a great way to celebrate) it rained the entire time and I was sopping wet with frozen fingers but it was great. Marc and Marianne were volunteers at mile 5 and they have some really great stories to share about this experience haha! One of the really great parts of this race was to have Marc, my dad, and brother Kevin come and run about the last 6 miles with me, and to have Marc cheering me on from the beginning where he was volunteering.

America’s Freedom Festival – Freedom Run – 10k
We always run the Freedom Run before the parade for the 4th of July, it is a fun run because you get to run along the parade route and get cheered on the whole way.

Hobbler Half Marathon
I ran the Hobbler Half Marathon with my brother Kevin. It was his first 1/2 marathon and he had been training really hard. It was fun to share the experience with him, and he did a great job!

St. George Marathon
We ran the St. George Marathon this year, it was Marc's second time running St. George and my first. It was record temperatures (the hottest St. George Marathon to date)even at the beginning of the race, it was so warm. We had such fun time in St. George, it was so nice to get away from work and school as well! My parents came down and we ate dinner with them on Friday night and hung out (my mom was great and found us a hotel to stay in), and then on Saturday night we stayed with Marc's family in a condo and watched conference, the guys went to the priesthood session, and we went out to dinner. My brother Kevin ran the marathon as well (his first one, way to go Kev!) and Marc's brother Matt came from North Carolina to run as well. It was fun to see him. I wish we could go back to St. George right now and just play and hang out, I miss it, it was such a perfect weekend!

Before the race...

... looking a little more tired after the race.

Marc looking good!

We have had fun doing lots of races this year and hope to do some more before the end of the year. I am glad I get to run with my best friend!

Osmosis Team!

2010-10-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

Last night Marc and I had a tournament with our co-ed softball team, Osmosis! We were the underdogs but we had come really far. We started the season with a few bumps and a lot of bruises, and bloody knees (from Marc sliding into the bases) but we ended in victory (okay almost, we actually took 2nd place). It was really fun playing, and everyone on our team was great (thanks Griners for inviting us). Marc took me to the batting cages to teach me how to hit a home-run, it might take me a few more times practicing though to achieve that goal. Marc is quite the baseball player he caught every ball that came his way, even if it meant sacrificing his body and landing in all sorts of ways on the hard, wet ground. We ended up 2nd place, and lost the final game by 1 run, be we had a lot of fun!

Here is Marc hitting one out of the park...

and playing 3rd base coach...

farewell softball season, we will miss you.

An Update...

2010-10-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

So I admit I am not very good at blogging because I really haven't sat down and taken the time to figure out how to do everything...so hopefully I will over the next little while.

Marc and I have been doing great, just busy with work and school for me and enjoying the fall! We ran the St. George Marathon at the beginning of October and it was great! It was the hottest St. George Marathon they have ever had, and we felt that for sure. Both of our families came down for the weekend, and it was so nice to just get away and relax a bit! I would post a picture on here but they are on my mom's camera and I haven't gotten it from her yet.

Marc is enjoying his job working for
He has done really great things for the company and is working on a corporate level. He is amazing!

I am in my 2nd year of graduate school at BYU in special eduction and in my 3rd year of teaching special education to junior high students with severe disabilities. I have to say it has been a really busy year and I will be very glad when I am done with my masters and especially with my thesis (although I am learning a lot about effective research). I have really great students in my class this year as well, I love them so much! They made me smile everyday (and frown every day too, but mostly smile). They really try my patience at times but they help to make me a better person because I am reminded each day of how much I need my Heavenly Father to help me to effectively teach them and to help me to be the best I can. I am grateful for that.

Marc has really been enjoying golfing since this last summer. For graduation he got a new set of golf clubs, a nice golf bag and all the essentials. He loves to golf, and when he can't make it to the golf course he goes in the backyard and practices or practices he putting skills in the kitchen into a mug. He has some mad skills and is getting better every day, sometime who knows maybe he will play in the senior league like my dad :)

Cami's 22nd Birthday!

2010-01-15T19:42:00.000-08:00

My 22nd birthday came before I knew it. It seems like we have been so busy with getting back into school and work, I didn't even realize it was my birthday until one morning I woke up to find....

confetti in the toilet, the bathroom, the living room, and my lunch. Confetti everywhere! Not to mention, the trail of confetti that led me stumbling through the house at 5:05am to discover beautiful flowers on the living room table, a lime green (my favorite color) birthday poster hanging on the wall, streamers from the ceiling, and a big note on the bathroom mirror! Marc stayed up late and was very careful to be quite and decorated the house, I was so surprised!

Work was pretty good. My dad came to visit me and brought me a sweet birthday card and some candy. He said he was going to get flowers but he wanted to get me something I could share with my kids. It made me so happy to have my dad come visit me at work. He loves my class, he is the best to always ask me about how all the kids are. While I was out the afternoon before at Uncle Arden's funeral my techs (including Patty) and the kids planned a surprise birthday party for me. Peta made a big birthday cake and cupcakes for the kids to decorate, they made the traditional giant birthday card, and Patty brought lots of really yummy ice cream. We played birthday bingo with the candy dad brought earlier.

After work I had class at BYU till 7:30pm, so it made for a long and very busy day. We were going to go out somewhere but by the time I got home, I was wiped out so we just got Cafe Rio and stayed in. As if Marc had not already done enough he also got me some very sweet gifts, one of which was a Burton sweatshirt! I have been wanting one...this way everyone will always know my name. I have the sweetest husband ever!

First Morning 2010!

2010-01-03T14:25:00.000-08:00

We celebrated New Years Eve by playing a game of Yankees Monopoly (some may say that could be the name of their 2010 World Series run) at the Brimhall's. Instead of trying to buy properties like normal Monopoly, you try to buy overpriced all-stars who are past their prime and then you build luxury boxes on them. Strange concept, but it worked. Bryan turned out to be the best George Steinbrenner and came out victorious after a four and a half hour game.
We then went and rang in the new year by lighting off fireworks. Emily traditionally blows fire every New Years at midnight. I have tried before, but 2010 was my first successful attempt. Not pictured is me throwing up in the snow after this picture was taken.

We went to Magelby's Fresh on New Years morning for all-you-can-eat french toast. It turned into all-you-and-eight-ducks-can-eat. Cami got distracted from the breakfast and ended up feeding the ducks in the parking lot her leftovers. As much as ducks enjoy bread, they love french toast dipped in a frothy whipped syrup.

The joys of Chirstmas (and a 2 week break from work and school)

2010-01-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

I have decided that Christmas break is probably my favorite time of the year (maybe besides the summer). I love teaching and I love being back in school working on my masters but more than all of those I love being with my family! Marc and I spent our Christmas break just taking it easy with our family and enjoying every minute of it!
Our new Kitchen Aid from mom and dad Burton! Plus part of our Christmas was a great river trip this summer from mom and dad Brimhall!

Salmon River - White Water Rafting

2009-07-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well today Marc and I are headed to Idaho for our white water adventure! We can't start our 6-7 hour car ride until I finish my 2-hour presentation today for class, so we will be leaving at about 4:30pm. We get to be on the river Tuesday morning until Saturday morning. This last week was a little crazy trying to get all of my homework done and things together for the trip but it will be so worth it! Marc is so great to help me with my homework, packing, and to remember to just have some fun! I have the best husband ever! I can't wait for our adventure! Wish us luck...and safety :)