The Sweetest Baby

My nephew was born on December 1, 2007. Seth Lee Mcelmurry was welcomed to the world by friends & family, and especially by his proud Auntie Crystal-lynn. I just love this special, beautiful, baby boy. I've been dying to put pictures of him up here since I first started this blogging thing, but now I can. (Because today we celebrated Christmas, and I got a digital camera with computer connectors and everything!) These are pictures from this morning. Isn't he just the cutest!??

Yesterday was the strangest day. All day it felt like Friday, and I wasn't the only person to feel that way or say so. Really though, it was Monday, and really, I'm glad that it was Monday instead of Friday. If it were Friday, I probably would have been leaving instead of spending my whole evening with the Duttons again. I know that I need to finish my final. I know that I need to pack. I know that I am moving away and I need to get settled into my new place quickly before everything starts up. I know that I need to stop being sad about it. And I need to accept that life is moving on, and this time, again, I will be moving with it. Litterally.

When I get discouraged about the changes life is bringing, I should look at the big picture. I am changing too. I am moving towards goals that I've worked for a long time to accomplish. I'm making something of myself and my life. But it's so easy for me to see instead, everything that I want to become, and feel that I should already be, that I'm not. That probably just has a lot to do with how I see myself... might be something good to work on.

Yesterday felt really wierd too, because I was entirely unproductive for most of the day. I went to sleep very late Sunday night because my roommate and her boyfriend were in the living room, and I just couldn't fall asleep until he left... at least partly because I was afraid that he wouldn't leave. Monday morning I worked at the butt-crack of dawn (okay, it was BEFORE dawn because it's winter and it takes the sun a long time to come up right now). But I was really tired, so when I came home from work at 9am, I laid back down and watched more Heroes. I'd kept myself awake Sunday night watching several episodes, and then spent my entire morning yesterday watching more. It's another one of those shows that's addictive to me, but at the same time, another one that kind of leaves me feeling dark. Ugh. Why is it always that kind of show that reels me in? I have a goal to not watch Heroes at all today. I've got way to much that I still need to do.
1. I should hurry up already and finish my final. The semester's over, but I'm not going to get a grade in my technology class until I submit my final. And if I did, I'd just have to chant the mantra: "C's get degrees." over and over. Because I would still get a C. 2. I need to move this week. This means that I need to pack. This means that I need to get everything cleaned. And it means that I can't keep procrastinating, because I've got to rely on others to help me out. 3. There are books that I want to read. There is my journal that's been highly neglected for months. There are people I want to visit with before I'm gone, or they are. I need to priortize so that my life can be productive and joyful. So, for this morning I'm done.

Almost done.

I really am. Almost done, that is. The semester is officially over-yesterday I watched my friends GRADUATE for crying out loud, yet I'm still trying to finish up, and deciding if I should still play catch-up. Today has been a pretty lazy day. I've been working on my professional portfolio- the final for one of my classes- which I need to complete and submit online. I've watched a movie, eaten poorly, and only left my apartment to take my roommie to work, and to bring something up from my car and check the mail.

Today started out on a sad note. I slept in, but only a little, because I didn't want to miss the chance to tell Melanie goodbye. My wonderful roommate left this morning to go home to California for Christmas break. We've had a really good semester sharing the downstairs room. I don't know that I can pinpoint exactly what made the semester so great, but we all have definately found friendship and fun times. I'm sad to leave, and that the leaving began today as Melanie left and Danelle headed home (at least she'll be back to visit next week before I leave! She's going to help me move and we're going to visit the Temple together). By the time that everyone else is gone home for Christmas and comes back, I'll be living in Mesa. Tomorrow could be my last Sunday in Flagstaff for now.

Saturday again. My wonderful little nephew is 2 weeks old now! I'm excited to see him again, hopefully real soon.

Okay, that's all for now.

P.S. to the rough day...

Oh... and just for the record, Wal-Mart photo department has OFFICIALLY lost my business. EVERY time that I give in, or forget, or just decide to try their photo department, they dissappointment me again, and give me new reasons to take my business elsewhere. Bah!

AND! Today could have been MY graduation day! That was real strange, as I watched 6 of my classmates graduate. This probably has something to do with my thoughts of graduating and the real life stufff. Congrats to my fellow Christensen Partnership peeps who took those big steps today!!!

That's all.

Really.

JOY??

So... I Love the idea of JOY, and not just happiness. And that's definitely part of my reasoning behind the title of my blog. BUT! I do NOT always feel joyful. Today is Definitely a SAD day. This morning I worked really early, then as I hurried across the parking lot to try to talk with my professor, my feet flew out from under me and I fell flat on my back. My backpack was counted as a miracle, because it really did break my fall. Pretty much though, I am just sad. This is kind of just a rough time because changes can be hard for me, and I miss Mac a TON, but on top of it I've been really emotional for the past week or 2, and tonight left me with a few things that just brought me down. (I don't think the very LOUD, very pessimistic lady sitting behind me at the Lady Eagles Basketball game helped much...) So... my night has been really sad, with a lot of tears and frustrations. Despite all that though, my roommate helped cheer me up, and fudge is always happy, and I DIDN'T miss the AEPA registration deadline like I thought I did. The night is ending on a slightly happier note than where it began.

I'm still sad about leaving Flagstaff for a lot of reasons. 1. My roommates have been great! We've had a semester full of fun times, and laughs, and hillarious quotes, and just hanging out and living room "sleep overs".... and ... and ... and... It's been a great apartment. 2. The Dutton's have been like "home" to me, and I feel so much like a part of their family, but they're not going to be 5 minutes away anymore. I won't be able to stop and visit at my whim. Scout will miss me, I will miss him, and we'll both miss our walks. 3. I LOVE the weather in Flagstaff. Yeah, it's 4 degrees outside right now, which can be painfully cold, but I LOVE it. It's really cold right now, but we've got SNOW. Where I'm moving, snow only happens in the movies. and I will melt there. 4. Student teaching is one HUGE step closer to the real world responsibilities that are coming so soon. I realize that after the semesters I've been through recently, the semester that's coming up should actually be pretty easy. 5. Moving is a lot of work. I like to move, but I hate moving. This time in particular is really hard, because my wonderful, new, little car is TINY! ... Normally that's a great thing, but NOT when I need to move all of my posessions 200 miles. 6. Did I mention that I'm going to MELT when spring comes??? 7. I'm going to be farther from connections to Mac, and memories of Mac... but each big change, and each little struggle brings me closer to dreams coming true.

Well... These are my ramblings for tonight. Take it. Or leave it. Just don't judge me for it.

The End.

Empty Message

All the happeninings...

Well, I've been introduced to the world of blogs! I'm completely new to it, but it seems like it could be a great place to share, or even just to record my day-to-day happenings.

Now let's see if I can figure it all out! :o)