The first two weeks of school have dominated my time...

My classes are great. I struggle with the really long ones, well I would probably die from the really long ones (which is all but one) if they weren’t so engaging. I really like that the teachers make them involved. We do some really fun stuff, but some of them are also kind of really hard! I’m not very good at all the psychology of learning stuff, and that’s what most of them are, but I’m catchin on. It will just take some time. And I like how the fun things actually tie in to what we’re learning-I feel like most assignments are really useful, which is great because I hate busywork.
Like for dance, I have learned 40 of the correct terms for “dance”, and used these terms and motions at the last White house dance party. My roommates know exactly what it means and looks like to use each part of Body-motion-energy-space-time cause they’ve seen it multiple times in our livingroom.  I can’t help it if I’m a really great dancer.
For art yesterday we made a life size human being out of packaging tape. I get to take it home next week to take pictures with it. I think I’m gonna take it out on a date.
Yep, those are the only dates I go on-ones with tape people. Great. At least it’s the most adorable tape being you’ve ever seen. We also have to keep a sketch book and practice what we’re learning. Last night on my way to bed I noticed brooke was asleep on the couch while reading her homework…so I pulled up a chair and drew her in all her sleepy cuteness. Shh..don’t tell her. She might not be my roommate anymore if she finds out I sketch her while she sleeps. Huh. Maybe that’s why my only dates are tape people….maybe. She also gets to be the one I come home from class to and show all my artwork that I’m so proud of.
For drama we’ve been learning about personality types, and I’ve been making everyone take my personality tests. I found out Cameron Carr is the personality most difficult for me to teach, and he makes sure I don’t forget it. I don’t think he’s called me kellie for a week-it’s now “teacher!!” in an obnoxious whiney voice with his hand raised waving around like a five year old.
For music we sang a song about snails, rattlesnakes, and parasailing. We also read a 20 page article about Public Policy that I barely understood.
Because of health class I have a whole bunch of tally marks on my hands. It’s to mark any lifting comments I make on one hand, and any degrading or put down comment on the other. I have a renewed awareness of how mean of a person I am. I’m working to get the compliments tally higher than the put down tally…
For math I had thirty pages of reading about what goes through a childs mind when faced with a multiplication problem, and what innate counting skills might contribute to their solving it. Ugh, I can’t do psychology, especially psychology of math. That’s def not my favorite. And we’re reading a novel called “The Number Devil.” Just you tell me that YOU have a textbook called “The Number Devil” and I will think you’re major is as much fun as mine.
Hooorah for educating the future masses!

Oh what a ride.

Hello. My name is Kellie, and today is January 13th, 2009. I feel a lot today. Can I tell you about it? Ok, I'll take your silence as consent.

I'm realizing a little bit of why I need to be in the elms. It has been incredible. SO SO good. I am so glad I took the plunge and did it. It is exactly where I need to be right now, and I have felt so many good things come of it already-and it's been two weeks! Ah, I'm so stinking excited to see what else the semester will bring. It feels good to know you have made the right choice in something.

Speaking of right choices, have I told you that I'm going to be a teacher? Yes, I just started the Elementary Education program, and I, Kellie Wentz, can tell you right here right now that I have never made a more right decision in my life. I NEED to be a teacher. Every day, in every class, it is cemented more and more in my mind that my calling in life is to teach children. It is going to be so hard, and so much work (heck, it already is!), and thankless, and controversial, and discouraging, but SO WONDERFUL!!!!! I know it's going to be tough, but since when is anything worth it ever easy? I have committed to do the BEST stinking job I possibly can. I want my students to have the best teacher they could ever have that believes in them, and loves them, and will do what it takes to learn and prepare to teach them and inspire them to embrace learning as the light in their life that it can be. My heart it packed right now. All of my classes are sparking a lot of thoughts about how I want to teach, and what approaches I want to stand by, and all of that. But this is only the beginning! I have only had two weeks of teaching classes but I feel like a different person. I'm pumped to see what I can do with the next two years! Hopefully by then I will feel more prepared to become the type of educator I want to be! And when that day arrives...oh boy. Look out future classroom of mine-you won't know what hit you. :)

Another thought, I'm finally realizing who and what I am. Cheesy, I know, but just go with me on this. I know you have all felt it sometime or other. Since a, uh..."significant event" in my life about a month and a half ago, I have had A LOT of time to reflect, and think, and change. Look at me, I'm sounding like an adult. Well, don't be fooled, I'm still a ridiculous 21 year old Kellie Wentz, but I am growing up big time. I am realizing who I am, and what my goals and hopes for life are. Not that I didn't realize these things before, but they are finally becoming cemented in instead of being flimsy and changing. I'm realizing how personal my relationship with Deity is, and I have never been more thankful for it. I have finally found focus on becoming who I want to be, and the barriers have just started falling away. I don't know how to explain it. I've picked up this momentum from that said event that is blessing me leaps and bounds. I love my life. I love who I am, and all the things I have had to face, and how they have helped me grow. Things that I knew would start to make sense later but were so hard at first are doing just that-starting to make sense. and I'm even starting to feel grateful for them, just like I knew I would someday. I think I'm starting to figure out what I want in my life. Everyone always says how they never know what they want, ya know? Well I think I do. And I'm going to start going after it. I want to be a teacher, and I'm doing it. I want to be a runner, and more athletic, and I'm doing it. I want to be a peacemaker, and well, that ones a little harder, but I'm doing it-I'm getting better. I can't even explain it all, but I feel like all the things I've been planning and hoping for my whole life I am finally getting the courage to start going after. I know who I want to become, and I'm going to do all I can to become that person, and the hard things in my life are only helping me along. Alright, I'm getting a little carried away, I hope you slightly understand what I mean. I think in summary- I'm starting to really live my life-and I'm loving it. Every little piece.

Another thought? Well, a lot of you know me very well and you know that tonight/tomorrow is the two year anniversary of the hardest day of my life. I don't think, well I hope at least, that I will never feel again what I felt that night. It is indescribable. I don't know why I'm writing this on here, I know it's a silly blog, but I guess I just want you to know how I feel. The past two years have been a roller coaster ride like you cannot believe. The highest moments and lowest trenches have made it a refiner's fire that has shaped me immensely. I have never felt the adversary so overwhelming or the veil so thin as I have since that day. But I can honestly say right at this moment that I am grateful for it. I have grown a lifetime in the past two years. I have been forced to be an adult, and deal with other people's decisions, and nothing has stretched me more, but nothing has made me grow more either. I am a far better person today than I was then, and I can't help but be thankful for that. I know that things work out-the Lord works in such mysterious ways. Faith can be so hard, but it's worth it. I am thankful for it. I guess most of all I just want to say to anyone that reads this that in every moment of misery the past two years, I have felt an unyielding strength and support from a Heavenly Father. I love this gospel. It is all so true. There is nothing more important I could ever say than to tell you that I have felt it is so true. Jesus Christ is real, and I'm thankful for such an experience that has cemented that into my soul. I can never doubt again that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the absolute best and truest thing in existence. The Atonement is real and it is effective and it is more love than we will comprehend in this life. Jesus Christ is absolutely EVERYTHING-always. I absolutely love this gospel, and will stand true to it forever. I'm thankful for hard times. We can't grow without them.

President Hinckley said, "Life is like an old time rail journey...delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for the ride!"

Oh man I'm grateful for the ride. Life is great.

I'm so excited to be a teacher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwghabw4N80

Who knows if it's real, but no one can deny that it's pretty accurate, and super funny.

Hello 2010!

Welcome to a new decade! I love New Years. Fireworks are legal, we drink sparkling cider and act crazy, and stay up super late.

This years celebration brought a new challenge. I was able to successfully connect 28 bottle rockets together and light them at once. It was supposed to be 30 but two didn't light. It was quite spectacular. There was also a display of some other firework creations of mine. I love that part of the holiday. Also, one of my goals for this year is to not eat fast food, so last night I ate my last Del Taco chicken burrito for a while-too bad it was pretty delicious. I hope that goal lasts at least a couple months, I think it could save a lot of money and a lot of cholesterol.
This year also marks ten years since the year 2000. On New Years Eve 1999/2000 I made a time capsule at the Browns house while I was babysitting. I opened that up yesterday and well, it was pretty funny. One of the things in it was a survey I filled out. Let me remind you I filled it out when I was in fifth grade. Want to know what it said? Here's some of the questions and answers.
What is your favorite TV show: Sabrinna the Teenage Witch (still true!)
What is your favorite food: Mom's chicken nuggets
What is your favorite music: The Seminary Soundtrack Old Testament CD
What do you want to be when you grow up: a teacher and a mom

There were others but they were pretty general. Then there was a letter to myself. It said a little something like:

Dear Kellie!
Hi! I am in 5th grade and I like Drew and Jace. I am good at baton, spelling, soccer, and cooking things in my easy bake oven. Who did I marry? Am I married yet? Did I go on a mission? Remember you need to have two girls and two boys. Name one of the girls Molly. Am I a teacher? I really want to be a teacher. I love my mom. Never quit, you can do anything!!
-Kellie.

Huh. Well that makes me feel very...single. I guess I was pretty boy crazy then. Did I really think I would like have children by now? I guess I added ten years and figured I would be 21, so it seemed accurate in my mind. It's kind of cool that I'm going to be a teacher still! I have wanted that forever. It also had my favorite cookie cutter, a ring, some pictures, and this little chunk of crocheted yarn that I think was supposed to be a bracelet. I was a funny little kid.
Well, it's now January 1st, 2010. I love fresh new starts, and I have a really good opportunity to start everything pretty new here this year, wish me luck! I hope you had a fun New Years Eve/ New Years Celebration!