Hi-ho, hi-ho it's up to the mountain we go!

Last weekend, I was invited up to the mountain to snowboard for the day with my brother in law Chris, my nieces Addy and Livy, an awesome kiwi gal Chris works with named Kylie, and family friends Brandon and Alexis.  Our initial "plan" (I use air quotes because the Buzos rarely plan out something so extensively as they did this trip lol). I'm talking sandwiches and snacks PRE-MADE the night before! Chris and Sunny get a major kudos for this master planning:) The plan was to meet at the Buzo's casa at 6:45 a.m. and be up at the mountain in time to put the kiddos in a lesson at around 9:00 so the adults could get some quality time on the slopes! Sounds amazing right?

Well about 15 minutes before I'm about to leave the house I get a call from Mr. Buzo. Bad news bears. Livy has been up all night with the major sickies and thus my nieces are no longer accompanying us to the mountain. Oh and also, we are not leaving until 8:00 now. Frick on a stick! I'm totally bummed the girls are not going AND that I'm up and ready at 6:30 a.m! Asa, Brandon's son, was going to spend the day with auntie Sunshine, but guess that can't happen now that the girls are all sicky so they are out for the day too. The small positive note is that Chris, Kylie and myself now have the entire day to hit the slopes!

We made amazing time up the mountain, however, none of us bothered to check the weather before hand and as we're getting geared up by the car it starts snowing cats and dogs. Does this saying work for snow as well as rain? Anyhow, it was quite the blizzard made worse by the continuing gusts of sharp wind. Can wind BE sharp? Well it FELT sharp on my unprotected face! The snow, on the other hand, was glorious!! I'm talking about thick, white, powdery goodness! If the wind could have just let up a teeny bit I would have been in my snowboarding heaven! But no. Did I mention I also don't believe in wearing goggles? I have fogging up issues and I tend to become majorly frustrated when I can't see as I'm flying down the mountain. FYI, this is something I took major flack for ALL THE LIVE LONG DAY! Kylie and Chris were constantly asking if I was ok, genuine concern for my open, wind-wacked face lol. I even tried wearing Chris' sunglasses for a bit, but AGAIN with the fogging up!! WHAT THE WHAT?! So annoying! Strangers would sit next to me on the lifts or ask me in line as we waited, "where are your goggles? "How are you up here in this weather without goggles?" Everytime I answered with a, "uh, I don't actually know." Real great answer huh? Makes me look like a first time boarder and a complete LOSER lol. Instead, I squinted and went for it each time, real hardcore like. My speed was severly hindered due to the fact that I'd have to slow up everytime I got going too fast...I can only handle so much snow in my eyes!! I also haven't quite figured out boading off the trails. In places where the snow was too powdery I got stuck and soon there after oober frustrated!

We took an intermission, so to speak, around 11:30 to grab something warm to drink and thaw out. The lodge up at Timberline is one of my favorite places:) So warm and cozy! Boy oh boy did we need that thaw out! LOL each of our faces was quite rosey and red! We ended up boarding for another hour or two, Kylie and Chris lasted longer than I did. I drove down the mountain to pick them up after they took the trail connecting Timberline to Government Camp. I've never been so grateful for pre-made snacks! Thanks sis! We also made a stop at the brewery at the bottom of the hill for a few yummy brews. Mine tasted like coffee and chocolate:)

All in all, even though the weather wasn't perfect it was a day well spent on the mountain! I may have to resign to getting a pair of decent goggles for those surprise weather days and to save face in front of all the other boarders lol. Thanks mother nature for showing me who actually IS the boss of me!

3 things...

Because you never need a reason to share! 

Three things that scare me:
1. large, jumping spiders
2. bungee jumping
3. needles
Three people who make me laugh:
1. Alicia
2. Caleb
3. Kevbo
Three Things I love:
1. a great book
2. vanilla lattes
3. cuddling 
Three Things I hate:
1. ignorant people 
2. unnecessary busy work 
3. being lied to
Three things I don't understand:
1. geometry 
2. men
3. why our students are forced to take so many tests
Three things on my desk:
1. picture of the beagles!
2. pen flowers from Lacey:)
3. lesson plan book
Three things I'm doing right now:
1. listening to Falcon's bell as she runs around my room lol 
2. thinking about what I'm going to eat for lunch...
3. sitting criss-cross applesauce on my bed
Three things I want to do before I die:
1. make a difference
2. become fluent in another language
3. have a family
Three things I can do:
1. tap dance
2. teach junior high kids:)
3. live on my own in a foreign country
Three ways to describe my personality:
1. enthusiastic
2. passionate
3. determined
Three things I can't do:
1. diet (I refuse to give up eating what I want:)
2. put up with closemindedness
3. juggle

what ARE you waiting for??

Lately I feel like all I do is wait. I wait for my alarm to go off in the morning, I wait for the gym to be open, I wait for people to call/text/show up, I wait for Mr. right and the perfect teaching job. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Turns out..waiting is exhausting.

I wish that the "waiting game" was more like hide and seek. Atleast when you're waiting to be found in hide and seek you get to find a secret, cool hiding spot and there is giggling and nervous butterflies in your tummy. Now THAT is a good kind of waiting game.

I think from now on I'm going to turn the waiting around that inevitably I must do daily into a game. So if you happen to see me hiding in a wicked good spot please just give me a thumbs up and be on your way!

If your name was Edward Cullen, I'd gladly let you take my blood!

This week as been deemed by yours truly as the official "scare the BEJESUS out of Rachael ever wanting to have kids" week. After one too many frightening birth stories at the gym and today having to give blood, there is just no way I'm even close to ready to have kids.


Let me add that I have had an intense fear of needles drawing my blood since I can remember. It used to be all needles, but after countless shots and vaccinations over the course of my life I'm kind of immune (pun intended hehe). I've given blood one other time in my life back in high school and I was quite a mess. I'm talking tears, shakes, sweaty palms, pleading, and spastic breathing to name a few. Let's just say I'm glad the nurses were so patient with me. I also have a weird thing about the inside of my elbow, which makes the whole process even better. No touching my inner elbow or even yours in my presence lol, I do not enjoy!


SO...now that I have insurance again (WHOOOHOOO!) I was at the doctor getting my 10 year physical and it came to be that time when the nurse takes me to the special "blood sucking" room. Not as good as it sounds fellow Twilight fans, I was expecting to see Edward too! Bummer, no dice:( Instead I got to sit on a papered bench with my arms palms up on a pillow, my inner elbows just taunting me, and prepare myself NOT to freak out. I gave the nurse STRICT instructions to not tell me what she was doing and to instead tell me a story. Yep, that's right, I asked the nurse to tell me a story to distract me. She proceeded to tell me about her grandson and I even participated in the conversation for a bit until she said the most awful words ever..."Sorry, I didn't get it." Wait, WHAT?! Cheese and Rice!! This chick is serious! No vein on the right arm was willing to participate. Time to try the left. The tears just would not stay back at this revelation. Can you picture me yet? Sad, crying, little Rachael. Ok fine, 27-year-old Rachael. Staring at the wall and having meaningless conversation with a stranger for about two minutes. To be fair, it felt like much longer!


In the end, no sticker or lollypop, but I did get hugs and sympathy from the folks!

What's Love Got To Do With It?

I came across this quote by one of my favorite singers Michael Buble and thought that it was too profound and accurate not to share.
"It's all about love. We're either in love, dreaming about love, recovering from it, wishing for it or reflecting on it." Michael Buble
I know this quote is true for myself and the 27 years I've experienced in this life. As a young child, I loved my family, best friends, pets, toys, the list goes on and on:) I experienced my first childhood love in first or second grade and along with that came my first heart ache, funny how it all seems to hurt the same no matter what the age.
Looking back on my old journals from middle and high school, SO much of my time was spent either sure that I was IN love, trying not to be broken hearted after being denied love, dreaming about new potential loves and reflecting on things I could change about myself to encourage love to find me.
It is shocking to think about how much love has been in and out of my life in 27 years. Looking back now, not all of the times I was convinced it was love were IN FACT love at all, but it was all about the feeling in that moment in time.
I guess it is just interesting to think about all the times in your life you have felt love and how great it is when you actually realize that love is really all around you. Even in those sad times spent grieving over love lost you are learning important things about yourself and how to better give love to others around you. I realize this post is a bit off the usual, but I was really feeling the love:)

Lazy Saturday fun!

      Just some fun facts about yours truly:)

Apple juice or orange juice? orange juice        
Are you a morning or night person? night
Which do you prefer, sweet or salty foods? both!
Ninjas or pirates? ninjas
Ninjas vs pirates, discuss. ninjas are awesome because they get to sneak around and kick some ace!! However, pirates get to say things like "arrrggg! and shiver-me-timbers!" live on a sail boat, wear a cool hat and have a pet bird or monkey to do your bidding! It's really a difficult choice...can I choose both?
Autobots or Decepticons? Autobots HANDS DOWN! Transformers are wicked cool!
What was your favorite childhood television program? Smurfs, Hey Dude, Looney Tunes, Mighty-Morphin Power Rangers;)
Are you a collector of anything? I used to have a massive collection of bouncy balls! haha and one day I just took them outside and bounced them all away! I also collected cows stuff too!
If you could be any animal, what would you be? Maybe a sea lion or a bird
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I would want to fly!
What is usually your first thought when you wake up? I'm usually thinking about what I dreamed about...
What do you usually think about right before falling asleep? it varies from things I have to do the next day or a specific person...
What's your favorite color? Green, black and purple
What's your favorite animal? dogs, penguins, ducks
Do you believe in extraterrestrials or life on other planets? I'd like to think that we aren't the only intelligent life in this universe.
Do you believe in ghosts? yes
Ever been addicted to a video/computer game? Which one(s)? I was obsessed with beating Super Mario Brothers 3, still love playing Tetris, and Lemmings!!! Such great games:)
You're given 1 million dollars, what do you spend it on? I would pay off my student loans, give a good chunk to my parents, donate to a worthy cause, perhaps travel a bit or buy a house!
Have any bad habits? I used to bite my nails when I was younger
Which bad habits, if any, drive you crazy? knuckle cracking, popping your gum, being late, nail biting haha go figure
List 3 of your best personality traits: good listener, smart, kind
List 3 of your worst personality traits: too trusting, stubborn, perfectionist
Have any celebrity crushes? Justin Timberlake, Channing Tatum, Zach Braff, John Krasinski
List 1 thing you wish you could change about yourself: I wish I had wavy hair:)
Any tattoos or piercings? no tattos yet, but I have one all picked out! I have had my ears pierced since I was a first grader!
What's the first thing you notice in the opposite sex? smile, eyes and how they carry themselves
What personality traits do you look for in a partner? great sense of humor, kind, intelligent, compassionate,  motivated
What personality traits do you dislike in other people? lack of motivation, too serious, dislikes children, no imagination
Are you mostly a clean or messy person? I'm a very tidy person! I do not clean often, but I like everything to be in it's place!
Do you see yourself getting married in the next 5 years? I have to meet a great guy first;> but yes, I would like to be married in the next 5-7 years
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I'd love to live in Australia for a year or two or maybe Hawaii, but not forever. I like being close to my family.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? I want to visit New Zealand, Ireland, England, Galapagos Islands, Belize, Paris, Spain, Australia, and many others.
List 5 goals on your life's to-do list: inspire my students, meet someone wonderful to share my life with, travel the world, and have a family.
Name 1 regret you have: not following my heart to see how something would turn out.
Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid: playing hide and seek and bunkbeds!
Name 1 thing you love about being an adult: to be able to get in my car and drive somewhere, when ever I want.
What's your favorite song of the moment? Two is better than one by Taylor Swift and Boys Like Girls
What's your favorite song of all time? hard choice, but I would have to say Black Bird by the Beatles
What's your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night? stay in with a good book or cuddled up on the couch watching a movie with a good looking fella;>
What's your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon? sit in a coffee shop reading or purusing a bookstore
Have any hidden talents? sadly, any hidden talents are still hidden
You're about to walk the green mile, what do you have as your last meal? homemade tacos, ice cold milk and a piece of cherry pie
What would be your dream job? I would love to travel to different locations and write travel reviews
Which would you rather have, 100 million dollars or true love? true love, silly question.
If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be? to have enough money to travel when and where I wanted, no more student loans and no more racism.
Ever wish you were born the opposite sex? If so, why? If I had been born a boy I would have been a baseball player for sure!
Name 1 thing not many people know about you: I want to write a book.
If you HAD to change your name, what would you change it to? Zoe, but I really love Rachael:)
Do you believe in the afterlife? I like to think that there is something beyond this life.
How do you feel about cookies? I enjoy most cookies, but my favorite are warm chocolate-chip!
Hope you enjoyed this get-to-know-Rachael blog for today!

Falcon

Here are some pics of Falcon, my new little bunny friend:) It seems only appropriate that the girl referred to as "bunny-head" for most of college got herself a bunny!