gratitude and adventures

Okay, so it's been an adventure here in LA with the clan of ten kids.  Let me focus on the positives.  For one, how many people can say they got to work for NASA for a summer in LA?  Pretty snazzy.  And financially, it pays better than my teaching job. Can't go wrong there.  On top of that, I get to temporarily live in LA and not pay for rent or food or gas or parking. That adds up, my friends. I get to see cool things and tour around (also paid for).  I also get to know some awesome kids who have bright futures and are just plain great. A lot of them are just a blast.  Impressive bunch. Even if I am with them 24/7 minus the few hours they're at work!  :)

Yes, I've been lonely here in LA- not being around anyone my age is tough- but I have learned a lot about myself.  I am working on my biggest flaw- being too hard on myself.  How do I fix that?  Well being alone with your thoughts makes you fix that or you'll go crazy!  That and going to the temple. And going to the gym. I got a personal trainer contract (which will still be good in Texas) and so I'm getting all buff. ;)  It's a confidence booster. I may come off confident, but I sure don't feel it some days. But that's changing. I feel more confident and at peace with myself.  So a little bit of physical confidence along with spiritual confidence (yup, Heavenly Father keeps telling me to be patient!) I think I can conquer the world. Or close. 

I can do hard things (reference from my mission president).  I am scared to start school next month but every day I'm less scared. I know more than I did a couple years ago. I CAN handle high schoolers.  I'm learning to not take things personally. I'm a sweet gal and if they don't like me that's their problem (still trying to convince myself of that...).  I can't make everyone happy (a lesson learned this summer when trying to please ten kids at once).  But I can make me happy.  I control that.  It's not what city I'm in, if I'm dating anyone, what job I have... it's all about my perspective on those things that really makes me happy.  That's what matters. 

I will be grateful to be home in Houston with my friends and start a new school year. It's going to be a good year- in many ways. And I'll keep learning from the experiences put in my path. I know I was here to be in LA with these great kids for a reason. I've learned lots from them and hope they have learned something from Maegan and me, too.  It hasn't been easy but I think it's been worth it.

My adventures aren't over....

when the going gets tough...

...I don't blog.

I'm just trying to make the best of it.

Will write more when I can think of happier things!

Walking LA

I found this book and bought it because it'll help me stay busy here in LA!  Some days are way busier than others (like Thursday we have a 3.5 hour drive to the middle-of-nowhere to see giant satellite receivers for deep space in Goldstone and next Tuesday freshman come up for a tour of JPL).  BUT nonetheless I'm excited to give some of these routes a try. Now, where to start!

Other goals of mine- going to the LA Temple (I think Wednesday I'll go!) and also getting my butt into shape with a trainer at the gym.  

a rare friend

Let me tell you about a dear dear friend of mine. We were in the same MTC district together and the same mission.  We became extremely good friends in the MTC and that still continues today. I've been home over three years, so it's almost five that we've known each other. Right now he's in the middle east studying abroad. So cool!  We have a spiritual friendship that is hard to describe.  He was one of the biggest supports I had on the mission. And he claims I was one of his, too. I feel like he is a rare friend because he truly sees me how Heavenly Father would see me.  I know he knows my weaknesses and my strengths (missions do that to ya!) yet he thinks I'm amazing.  He always knows exactly what to say. He believes in me more than I believe in myself most times.  And he knows that, too.  He sees my testimony more than I see it some days. He sees the good I do with my job and opportunities even though I think they're not that great of accomplishments.  He's proud of me.  That's sweet when a friend tells you that.  He also reminded me that if a guy doesn't see me like he sees me then he's missing out.  Talking to him this week shifted my focus a little in terms of what I truly need in a relationship. I need to feel special!  This friend makes me feel that way. Encourages, loves, supports, edifies, builds upon, etc, and it's okay for me to do that back to him!  I need to find a guy like that.  (and you may ask why I don't date said friend...well...it's more complicated than you think. But I've asked the same questions myself more than a few times!).  Anyways, I'm so grateful for this friend and his never-ending love and friendship! 

Maeganisms

Here is a mini dictionary that I feel the need to create because Maegan says the darnedest things sometimes! Being from a small town, she says some crazy things sometimes that catch us saying "what?"

dom (v): dominate. "Our restaurant will dom your restaurant!"

dingleberry (n): lint stuck on your clothes. "These washing machines make dingleberries on my shirt! Look!"

welp (n): a bruise or marking from something hitting you hard. Commonly known as a welt. "Have you ever thrown pie dough? Man, those things give you welps!"

gondola (n) [goon-dah-la]: boats in Italy or sky rides. Commonly known as gondolas. "I loved the gondola ride! Or whatever that was!"

cat of nine tails (n): medieval weaponry. Used to signify something that surprises you in a bad way. "Just get us with a cat of nine tails, would ya?"

gotcheyed (a) [gotch- eyed]: crooked, messed up. "That satellite is all gotcheyed!"

whipjacked (a): crooked, messed up. "They don't say gotcheyed much any more. Whipjacked is more common."

pirate jackal (n): a selfish, conniving person who makes life rough for someone else. "Them pirate jackals are coming!"

bobbed wire (n): wire with spikes on it. Commonly known as barbed wire. "Good steak places have bobbed wire over the doors. That's how you know they're good."

ice cream man (n): someone who will snatch up little kids and "chop them to pieces."

whistley-boogers (n): hard boogers in your nose that make whistle sounds sometimes. "I couldn't sleep last night because of them whistley-boogers!"

skunk-eyes (n): this is the look someone gives you when you said something wrong. "I said ice cream and she gave me skunk-eyes!"

More to come. Love her!

the LA update

I haven't written in almost a month! That's so not like me!  I think I haven't just because I'm just now feeling comfortable in LA and the things I'm doing here.  

Maegan is the Student Advisor. She's 20 and is a junior at Oklahoma State University.  Either her or I have to be with the kids when they're not at JPL (the NASA center).  She's a riot. From Stillwater, Oklahoma- we teach her a lot of things about city-living and she teaches us funny things from a small town view!  It's rather hilarious to be around her.

Maegan and me at the Zoo

Our crazy kiddos

Our 10 kids are all 16 or 17 years old. They will be seniors in the fall. They get paid decent money to intern at JPL.  (Maegan and I get paid decently, too!) We all get activities paid for and room, board, travel, and perdiem.  It's sorta fun!  The kids are great bunch. 6 boys and 4 girls. Everyone gets along really well and seems to be enjoying it.  We're all on the same floor in the dorm and have a lounge to hang out in if we want. 

So the kids have completed 2 out of their 8 weeks here.  Here's an example of my schedule:

6:40 wake up

7:00 take the kids to breakfast on campus (we're staying at Occidental College in northeast LA)

7:30 leave for JPL

7:45 drop kids off at work!  yay!

[now it's my free time. I usually go to the gym then run errands like get the van's oil changed. I like to go shopping or walk around the area. I have a library card here!  I like naps, too. I've gone to JPL a couple times for cool tours or speakers.   I'm not quite sure where all my time goes, but I feel busy yet lazy (minus the gym!). Maegan's usually studying so it's rare if she does anything with me. I need to add to my free time list!!!!!!]

4:40 Maegan leaves to get kids

5:00 kids are off work!

6:00 kids are back from dinner on campus (I usually eat a big lunch so I don't eat dinner. Plus it's not the best...)

7:00 activity!  Mondays are surveys/abstracts, Tuesdays are a hands on engineering activity, Wednesday are fun things like bowling/laser tag, Thursdays are work-on-projects time.

8:30 wind down time

11:00 "curfew"

Rinse and repeat. Except Friday night we do fun things like go to movies and Saturdays are usually planned ahead for us to go to museums or six flags.  And Sundays we just go out to eat and do laundry here at the dorms. Our kids get every other Friday off, too!  Lucky ducks.  They had a four day weekend for the fourth of July. All but two went home for the weekend.  The two who stayed get to hang out with us all weekend!  It's been fun so far! :)  I mean, we do have Disneyland tomorrow! (but CA kids don't think it's that great because they go too much. Oh poor babies).  But the Zoo and USS Midway were definitely a treat for us all. 

I really like it here--for the summer--but couldn't see myself raising a family here. Traffic (which thankfully we only have on weekends where we're at!), crazy people, sketchy areas of town, no super target!  How do people not have a Super Target or Super Walmart? Those places rock- can't beat all-in-one shopping. And 9.25% tax! Yikes.  Everything is more expensive here.  And the road system here makes no sense.  We named our GPS "Jill" and she's helpful but sometimes frustrating, too!  :)  What happened to grid streets?  The city is just overwhelming sometimes.  And being in a big ol' van doesn't help!  

Mainly I just miss being around people my own age. I'm either with Maegan (20) or a bunch of 17 year olds. Yes, they're great and I adore them, but I miss my friends in Houston.  I did go to Church last week but didn't really get to know anyone. And you saw my schedule, I can only hang out during the day!  Don't hesitate to text or call me---I need the friend interaction!  It can get kind of boring here.