The Origin of My Motivation

 
    If you should ever take the opportunity to go back to school, I highly recommend taking a CLSS 1000 class. It is a Learning Strategies class, and I absolutely love it! It was one of those classes that I had to take to get the English class I needed, to fit into my schedule. To be honest I totally thought I would end up dropping it. I kept looking for other options. Then I actually started the class. The whole thing is based on teaching you to understand the sort of learning strategies that would work best for you. It is centered around learning based on reflection....taking the lessons and reflecting on how they apply to you. This is the most effective way of learning, and helps you become much more self aware. Our assignments are awesome. They are super free. We can write, or create projects...anything we want to get the most out of the experience.        

     I have absolutely loved this class so much! In fact, my professor is the head of the UV Mentor program and has talked to me about becoming a part of it.  I would get to mentor classes at school and become a part of a program that leads to getting a Leadership & Service title on my diploma....along with a full ride scholarship! Yeah, I think that sounds pretty darn good to me! :) Next fall I will take the follow up to this class and then in the Spring I will apply to be in the program!  My professor has also asked me to consider being a presenter at a large conference for the school this Summer. Oh my! Totally intimidating, but seriously awesome!

     Anyway, I just wanted to share one of the projects I created for the class. It is a short slideshow representing the sources of my motivation. It was fun to create and reminds me to stick with my goals and plans...and why I keep going when sometimes it gets a little overwhelming and I wonder what in the world I am doing with so much on my plate! :) The music is an original song by my insanely talented brother in law, Brian Cook. Man alive, I love everything he does on the piano!

 Enjoy!

   

A Shout Out From My Home Away From Home

Welp, I am officially past midterm of my first semester in college! It has taken me a while to get into a serious groove, with kids and home, work (more on that later), full time school for both Ryan and I, church callings and a million other responsibilities, unfortunately blogging had to take a serious back seat. However, over this last few weeks I have been seriously missing it. It seems that when a few months go by and you haven't made a single post, you teeter on the edge of permanence. Will I be back, or will I leave this part of my life in the past. The latter made my heart hurt every time I thought about it, so I decided to give myself the time I needed to adjust, so I could make time for blogging a priority again. I will say, Pinterest has kept this little blogging world of mine crackin! Holy smokes! I return to find that OurLifeUncommon has far surpassed the 1 million views mark...and that is just over the last year! That is crazy! YourLifeUncommon is inching up on the same. I have had to put on hold many offers for giveaways, guest posting, etc, but I look forward to looking into some of them to see if they are a good fit for all of us.

Anyway, I just wanted to peek out from under my pile of craziness for a moment. Just to let you all know that I am still here and have intentions to return. Thanks to those of you that have sent such sweet emails over the past few months! They absolutely inspire me and remind me why I love blogging so darn much! 

I absolutely LOVE being back in school and I could shock the britches right off my high school teachers AND my parents with the grades I am getting right now! :) Who knew all I needed was a little focus and a lot of passion for learning to get A's?! Probably everyone but me! :) I absolutely GEEK OUT on my Psychology class...which is probably a good thing, since Psychology is my major! I promise, I will work the function of the brain and how it affects human behavior into any conversation, and probably drive everyone crazy! I can't help it! I LOVE IT! I seriously giggle through class because I just can't get enough of it! We will see how I am feeling about it as the classes get even harder, I guess! :) 

Alright my friends, thanks for hanging in with me! Now I have to get back to 2 chapters of Math, a Psychology and English paper, all before I race to beat the kids home from school in a few hours. 

A little Housekeeping: If you have noticed that the YourLifeUncommon.com direct address isn't working, you are not alone. It is annoying, but apparently we have overloaded our host. Ry and I are in search of a new one. For now yourlifeuncommon.blogspot.com and thewondertwins.blogspot.com are working just fine! Good ole Blogger! :) 

FANCY PANTSY NANCY

I LOVE the Pleasant Grove Library! There is a never ending line up of fun things for the kids to do on any given day! One of our favorites is the FANCY NANCY party! 

Mallory raided the dress up box and came up with this little number, to participate in all the fanciness! 

More flowers = More FANCY! 

Same things goes with jewelry! 

I love that fancy little mug! 

Now this is where my sisters and I go not-so-fancy, but oh so funny! Well....we thought we were funny! :) 

Rachel wanted me to take a picture of her blowing our her lips to see if we could catch a funny picture with her teeth must barely showing. Nope, but those crazy eyes certainly make up for it! :) 

Oh look! Lisa can do it! That's a good look Lees! 

Oh look how pretty my little sissy is! When us girls get together, we tend to have the most fun at whatever we are doing! We all love to laugh! We have fun!

 After our foolery they brought out the treats! They were supposed to eat fancily, some did, some....well, didn't! :) 

This is Caroline. Lisa's youngest daughter. Not so fancy! :)

This is Kaitlyn. Lisa's oldest. Totally fancy! Check that pinky! Nice Kait! 

Oh, that's cause your Mom is a good example! 

Wait, where did she learn this?! This is NOT fancy!!

Oh I see! Nice example Lisa! :) LoL! 

Still Fancy! 

Oh Dear! The line up for the fancy picture. The kids are looking fierce....and there is a boy! What the heck?! Oh, that is my little brother! When your Mom works at the library, you come to all the events, even the "girls only" ones. And when you do, your mom and sisters make you dress up and have your picture taken, cause we are irreverent, and we think it is funny! :) 

After the party we all went to Grandma Atkinson's house. If anyone loves fancy, it is Grandma! She is the fanciest little lady you will ever meet, when she is out on the town! 

Grandma once told me and Lisa that we are her very best friends. I think that is because we make her do things like skip down halls, laugh really hard, and try on Lisa's high heel boots! 

Those are fancy Grandma! I LOVE her! And I love this picture! Lisa's face defines our entire relationship with Grandma! LOVE IT! 

PLEASE COME HOME!!

You know who I miss? I miss LOGAN! 

The other day I stumbled across these pictures and it made me laugh a lot. And then REALLY lonesome for Loge! He makes me laugh and I really like him! He is Ryan's younger brother, as if you can't tell from looking at these pictures! He and his family, whom I also seriously miss, live in North Dakota right now. In my opinion, it is time to rectify that situation! They need to come to Utah! Seriously! We NEEEEEED you guys to move back! Pllleeeaasseee! Plus, think of all the quality time you could be spending with me Logan! Like E.V.E.R.Y.D.A.Y! LOL!

I love these pics! I can totally see the thoughts going through their minds about me and my role as their paparazzi! From patient submission, to "isn't that enough", to "let's just make fun of her" and then...well, you will see.  

You win Logan! I don't want my camera lens to break with what I fear would come next! :) 

WE MISS YOU GUYS! PLEASE COME BACK!! :) 

Visitors

This little guy spent the day with us not too long ago! Aren't they pretty birds?! 

I love living close to the mountains and getting to have pheasants, quail, and deer, from time to time, hang out in our yard or listen to the coyotes playing nearby, all night long! I could certainly do without the mountain lions, but the rest....totally awesome! 

Families Are Forever!

This is Schmevy....well, Kevin, technically, but to me, for the last 14 years....Schmevy! 

He is Ryan's youngest brother and I love him! A lot! He has one of the funnest personalities and he is incredibly kind hearted! Plus, the first thing he ever said to me (he was just 14), when I walked up to their house to meet Ryan for the first time, was, "You're Hot!" Hahahah! Oh Kev! Such a schmoozer! :)

Kev had a rough patch in his life for a few years, as many of us have. We worried for a long time, and hoped like crazy that he would find solid ground! And that he did! 

He is responsible for bringing these lovely people into our family! His wife Anna, their daughter Chloe, and little Liam. In February we had the great privileged of watching this cute little family be sealed to each other for eternity in the Salt Lake Temple! SUCH a blessing! 

It was interesting for Ry and I, as we watched the children being sealed to their parents, to reflect on what a profound blessing that is in our lives, and what a comfort that is to us, and to Dawson, I am sure. He is away from us, but our separation is only temporary!

We are so happy for Kevin & Anna and their Kids! Congrats you guys! 

Good Friends

Do those look like a couple of Jr. High kids to you? Well, in less than a month they will be done with grade school FOREVER! YIKES! 

I am so grateful that Jake has some really great friends! I love when Cullen comes to "hang out" (they don't "play" anymore, how sad is that?!)! We love Cullen! And I find it a bit uncanny to see just how much he and Jake look like brothers! Cute boys!! 

Little Poser

It is darn near impossible to get a straight on, cute smiley face picture of Mallory. She is always doing something wonky with her face! 

After a lot of trying and a lot of laughing at failed attempts, we came up with this one.....

Kind of extra smiley, but TOTALLY Mallory! I love her cute little mug! 

And now for the outtakes.......

She kept closing her eyes. I told her to hold them open wide. I didn't mean literally! YIKES! :) 

Oh MY! 

Hahahaha! I love this one! 

HAHAHAHAHA! What a weird child! :) 

And then, after she was posed out and we were going down hill fast, she stole the camera and turned it on me! Velcro curlers and all! NICE! :) 

King For The Day

Have you ever been to Sport Clips? 

Well, Jake just got his first experience with a non-mom type haircut. I don't think we will ever bring him back!

Ryan snapped this picture with his phone. Jake received the "MVP treatment" which included steamy towels on his face during his scalp massage and hair shampooing. Then after his cut, he enjoyed a 10 min neck and shoulder massage! 

Yyyeaaahhh....I don't think my "Mom cuts" are every going to come up to par again! 

Spoiled little stinker! :) 

When They Are Teenagers

I LOVE Just Dance 3 for the Wii! 

I mean...Where else would I get this sort of bribery material?! Shake it boys! Shake it! :) Hahahaha!