Almost Done!!!

So between writing 2 papers, I decided it was time to update the blog. Hopefully this new design looks better. Although I am mad it some how deleted the words from my last post!! Dangit! Oh well, worse things could happen to me.
So as I am writing, I am partly done with one paper with another one to finish to turn in by tomorrow at 5 pm. Trust me, I am not worried though. These papers are only supposed to be 5-6 pages a piece. And if you are in the social work program at Weber, 10-12 pages is nothing, especially compared with the 80 pages I have written so far on my capstone. After I turn in my papers, I am done with my semester!! Hallelujah!! That means only 1 more to go.
Speaking of school, I have decided to hold off for a while on grad school. The are many things that added up to me making this decision. The first is I am sooo burned out on school right now, because it will have taken me almost 8 years of school just to get my bachelors. Next is, I am just not sure if I really want to be a therapist anymore. I keep going back to the idea of getting my master's in education and becoming a teacher. Who knows where that will take me to. Lastly, and don't think I am super sad about this, Jon got told not to come back to his 2nd job on Monday night. I am so happy to have him home again with me. Yet, I am slightly concerned about money and things, but I know it will all work out in the end.
So, for right now, my plan is to graduate and get a job shortly after graduation. This will help ease our bills and give me experience to truly know if this is a career I want to persue. If it is I will go back and get my masters and become a therapist, if not, then I will get my master's in another area. Also, while hopefully having kids and being a good mom.
Enough about that, now on to what I am really excited about. I am going home in 2 weeks!!! Oh the joy! I haven't seen my family in 2 years and in those 2 years I have a new nephew and a new niece that I haven't even seen pictures of. So, I am super excited to meet them. Also, my parents may be moving soon and this is probably the last time I will have to see the house I grew up in. Other then all those things, I am excited to see my friends, especially Andrea and Danna. I miss those girls tons. Well I guess that is all from this neck of the woods for now. Until next time!

4 YEARS!!!

So now that is is past midnight, I can now say Jon and I have been married for 4 years. Yet, he isn't here to celebrate with me, he is up in Boise for work. But no worries, he is flying home this afternoon. I just wanted him and everyone else to know that I love him so much. So many fun, crazy, sad, trying, and happy things have happened since we were wed. We've lost loved ones, lost jobs, found jobs, started back to school, graduated from school, traveled to cool places, bought our first house, got our first pet, and many other things. All in all, I'd say it was totally worth it, every single minute of it. I am going to post some pictures of all the fun things we have done. I don't like captions on here, so if you have questions about the pics just ask!

So there you have, a few of the fun things we have done in our 4 years together!!

Give Oh, Give Away!

“Give,” said the little stream, “Give, oh! give, give, oh give.” “Give,” said the little stream, As it hurried down the hill;
“I’m small, I know, but wherever I go The fields grow greener still.”

“Give,” said the little rain,
“Give, oh! give, give, oh! give.”
“Give,” said the little rain, As it fell upon the flow’rs;
“I’ll raise their drooping heads again,” As it fell upon the flow’rs.

Give, then, as Jesus gives,
Give, oh! give, give, oh! give. Give, then, as Jesus gives;
There is something all can give. Do as the streams and blossoms do: For God and others live.

Singing, singing all the day,
“Give away, oh! give away.”
Singing, singing all the day,
“Give, oh! give away.”



This song describes perfectly how I feel about social work and my profession in general. So can we all be like the little stream and help out others?
I am doing a project for school and we are collecting NEW baby items and or money to buy the items with. These baby items are going to low-income mothers that can't afford literally anything for their children. Not even clothes to take them home from the hospital in. We would love anything from blankets, to diapers, to bottles, and even clothes. These mothers and babies really need the help and would be so grateful for your kindness. Contact me or leave a comment if you would like to help. Even something as small as $5 would go a long way! Thanks so much for everything. I love all my friends, you guys are amazing!

100 Things about Me

So I saw a friend do this on her blog, so I decided it would be fun to put on mine. Here are some things you probably did know about me and some you didn't. Enjoy!!

1. I grew up in Greenville, SC.
2. My husband's name is Jon-Phillip, but I just call him Jon.
3. We have an adorable American Eskimo Dog named Wendy.
4. I am in my senior year in college.
5. I want to be a child and family therapist one day.
6. I have never been to a farm.
7. I have never ridden a horse. (my husband thinks this is really strange)
8. I love camping, but hate hiking.
9. I want 3 or 4 kids.
10. I have my kids' names already picked out. And no, I won't change my mind about them, I love the names Jon and I have come up with.
11. I HATE all things pink!
12. I have only had my nails done 3 times in my whole life, prom, my wedding, and my roommates wedding that I was the maid of honor for.
13. My bedroom is dark and light blue.
14. I am the youngest of 3 kids.
15. My mom had 2 boys,1 before and 1 after me and they both died at birth. The thought of having 3 brothers instead of the 1 I have scares me. I could barely handle him growing up.
16. I have a great grandmother whose legal name was Mary Christmas, because she was born on Christmas.
17. My husband and I met online.
18. I hate doing laundry, it is worse chore ever!
19. I love watching football.
20. I was a band nerd in high school, I can play 7 instruments.
21. I was also in choir in high school, so this makes me a super nerd.
22. I used to get beat up all the time in elementary school by a kid named Josh. He gave me my first black eye at the age of 7.
23. I love swimming.
24. For my 25th wedding anniversary I want to renew our vows on the beach all dressed up again and have all our kids with us and dressed up too.
25. My best friend Ashley and I have been best friends since we were 12.
26. Both my uncles on my mom's side are 6'7".
27. I love to travel. My favorite vacation is going on a cruise.
28. I love broadway musicals. I my favorite is probably Aida.
29. While I lived in Rexburg, ID for 2 years I moved 5 times.
30. My favorite food is mashed potatoes.
31. My favorite girls' night is scrapbooking with girls I met through my friend Sarah P.
32. My favorite part of scrapbooking is going to Leatherby's with Anya and letting her have my cherry. (it's an inside joke)
33. I still sleep with my yellow blanket I have had since I was little. (most of my really close friends should know what I am speaking of)
34. I have 6 nieces and nephews.
35. Their names are (in chronological order) Caitlain Olivia, Alexandra Coleman, Matthew David, Lauren Grace, Ethan Zachary, and Mariska Augusta.
36. We own our first home and have lived here almost 3 years.
37. Our wedding date is November 19, 2004.
38. I wear a size 10 1/2 shoe.
39. My favorite candy is Reese's Cups.
40. My husband cooks better than I do. Aren't you all jeleous now?
41. I like rainy days, they actually make me happy.
42. I love reading and my favorite things to read are any type of biography or history book.
43. When I was little I wanted to be a veternarian and then I found out they had to put animals to sleep and I decided I didn't want to do that anymore.
44. My brother is 12 years older than me and my sister is 16 years older than me. Can we say accident??
45. One of my dream vacations is to go to Maine to a small island called Vinal Haven.
46. I hardly ever wear makeup.
47. Probably my closet friend in the whole world, is my old nextdoor neighbor I had growing up. She is 60 I believe and I could and have talked to her for hours on end about absolutely nothing and everything at the same time. I think the only person that knows more about me is Jon.
48. My minor at school is Sociology.
49. I want to learn how to draw and paint.
50. I am a democrat, for the most part. Don't ask who I am voting for, for president though, I won't tell you.
51. I have Cherokee Indian in my family.
52. Jon asked me to marry him using Build a Bear teddy bears dressed in a wedding gown and tuxedo.
53. I want to be in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir someday.
54. I want to go to BYU for grad school.
55. I don't like living in Utah.
56. I love to go boating and water skiing.
57. I like to go bridge or rock jumping.
58. I want to adopt a child at some point in my life.
59. My favorite type of Pizza is Papa Johns' Hawaiian BBQ Chicken without the bacon.
60. I have been to more funerals than years I have been alive. Morbid I know, but very true.
61. I used to not care about school, but now I am a perfectionist and want to have perfect grades. My goal is to have as many honors and cords at graduation as I can.
62. I hate tomatoes, but I love spaghetti sauce, salsa, and things like that. But plain tomatoes are disgusting to me.
63. My favorite thing to eat at Thanksgiving is North Carolina style BBQ. My uncle would bring it to our house when I was little. Now I have to make some for myself every year.
64. I hate warm Turkey, but love Turkey sandwiches, especially with lots of cranberry sauce.
65. I will never get one, but I want a tattoo really bad.
66. I can look at wedding and baby pictures for hours. Even of people I don't know.
67. One of my really good friends is married to my cousin, so now we are related and it's awesome!
68. The guy who married me only had 1 leg and was in a wheelchair.
69. I work at a DCFS building cleaning at night.
70. My favorite TV show is ER.
71. I have only had cable TV for like 6 months my whole life and I am A-OK with that. TV is a big waste time in general.
72. I hate snakes and spiders.
73. One year at camp, a snake had curled up and slept under mine and Ashley's tent the whole week. It was a terrifying.
74. I want to go back to girls camp in SC so bad and see if some of my old buddies are still running the show.
75. I love the store Lush, look it up if you have never heard of it. The best bath and body stuff ever!!
76. I don't like taking baths, only showers.
77. I want to dye my hair either brown or red.
78. I am terrified of driving in the snow. Nothing gives me worse anxiety than that.
79. I want to have my children at home in a birthing pool.
80. I have really small hands, I wear a size 5 1/2 ring on my ring finger.
81. I know how to crochet and like it alot.
82. I want to learn how to sew.
83. I love to counrty dance. I used to go all the time in Rexburg, I really want Jon to learn so we can do it together.
84. I have auditioned for the Biggest Loser and I was a big loser, cause they didn't even call me back.
85. My favorite celebrity is Rosie O'Donnell and I have met her in person. She is super super nice!!
86. I am a speed deamon when I drive. I hate driving the speed limit, it always feels like I am going so slow.
87. In church as a teenager I usually always closer to the leaders that the girls my own age.
88. I broke my hand the first time I went skiing and will never try it again.
89. When I was dating Jon I drove my car from South Carolina to Utah without stopping except for gas and bathroom breaks. It took me almost 30 hours. Man did I want to see him really bad.
90. I hate feet. I hate people touching mine, me touching others and looking or seeing other people's feet.
91. My stupid obsession is checking out perezhilton.com everyday.
92. My favorite movie of all time is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
93. When I was little I was afraid to chew gum because of this. I thought I would blow up like Violet.
94. I write with my right hand but can eat with either hand. This is because I had to eat with my left hand after I broke my right hand and it was in a sling for 4 weeks.
95. Because I have ADHD caffine has the opposite effect on me, it slows me down.
96. I HATE puzzles. They make me want to pull my hair out.
97. I love having friends over for fondue parties.
98. I like playing board games like Ticket to Ride, Tikal and wierd stuff most people have never heard of.
99. My favorite color is purple.
100. My dream trip of all time is to go to Vienna, Austria and see the house and things where they filmed Sound of Music.

Grad School??

So before I get to the title of the post, I have a few other things I would like to vent/talk about. It is 1 AM as I sit her and type. Crazy I know, but Jon has a major cold right now and I couldn't sleep with his snoring, so I came into our office/spare bedroom where our computer is and decided this would be a good way to pass the time until I could go to sleep. I have really been missing Jon lately. This week he was in Bismark, North Dakota and the week before that he was in Boise. Then he lease again on Tuesday night to go back to Boise. Man I feel like that all he does lately is travel. I understand the reasoning for it, but it is just so sudden and I don't like him being gone for that long. Oh well, I am a big girl I will just have to deal. Besides, there are a lot of worse things I could think we would have to deal with.
Ok, so on to the topic at hand. I am trying to decide on grad school. It is between the Univsersity of Utah and BYU. There are good and bad to each one. The U is and accelerated program, taking only 1 year to finish. Yet it doesn't have the area I specifically want to focus in, only my second choice. Also it is closer to our house. The BYU it is a two year program, but it does have my emphasis, which is Child and Family Therapy, if you were wondering. But, it is farther from home. Also, it costs less money than the U. Both are good schools academically. BYU is well known across the nation for having a high standard for academics. Yet, I fear in my profession of Social Work, people will see that I went to BYU and think that I want to push my religion on my clients. Does that make sense even?
The other thing weighing heavily on my mind is when to start a family. I want to have kids and I can now say I would be alright if I were to get pregnant at any time. I know I want to stay home once I have children, at least until they are all in school. Going to grad school would put another 2 years wait on having kids, which would make me 27 by the time we start trying. I just don't know what to think anymore. I know you all have ideas and suggestions. I know this will illicit responses out of most people. So I want feedback and ideas from all. Don't be afraid to tell me your opinion. I NEED NEED NEED the comments so throw 'em at me!
Good night all!!

Longings of the heart and internship update

So, it has been a while since I last posted. While I am sorry, I really couldn't have done this any sooner. School, work and my internship has kept me completely SLAMMED!!
Other than that, Jon has been gone all week in Boise. I mean I don't really see him that much when he is home, but I missed not having somebody to cuddle with at night and to wake up with in the morning. I forget how much I really do love him and then he leaves and I remember all over again why I married him.
Besides missing Jon, this week has been really good for me. I have finally started seeing my own clients at my internship. I feel really effective. The more I help people, the more I am sure I have chosen the right profession for myself. Seeing as I am 25 it may seem odd to some people, but knowing that I am about to graduate and college and start my own career, I finally, finally feel like a real adult. To me, the only thing that was certain to me growing up was that I was going to graduate from college and have a career, and since I am now, oh so close, to obtaining that goal I feel I have accomplished something in my life.
That's about all for now. I will write more later when it isn't so late. Keep the comments coming!

Rants, Raves, and of course, MORE school!!

I have had a few crazy weeks! So here goes to explaining it!!
Rants:
I am so sick of immature people. I swear if you are an adult, please act like it!!! Also, all the dumb paper work and paper writing I have to do for school. It is driving me nuts! I can't figure out if it is actually my egotistical, controlling professor that makes life miserable or if it is the Council on Social Work Education that controls all social work education programs. Either way, it drives me crazy. Next comes my stupid sister, she is almost 40 and just had ANOTHER kid! No job, no husband, and no money, wow she will make a superb mom, I am sure! (note the sarcasm) Worst part is my sister didn't even tell my parents, they found out from my cousin! AHHH! Lastly, I am upset that my friend Shamayne is leaving in 6 short weeks for her mission. I am really happy that she is going, but dang it am I going to miss her. We just met in January at school, but we have this friendship that is so strong, it is hard to describe. She is amazing and 18 months is a long time, but I will get through it while she is happily serving the people of Brazil. (Don't think I am completly selfish, I DO want her to go, I am just going to miss her!)
Raves:

My internship!!! I love, love, LOVE it!!! My supervisor is super cool and so easy to work with. Next week, I will finally be getting my own desk and start seeing my own clients. I am starting to feel like a real social worker. It seems so adult-like, it is starting to scare me. I am now only 7 months away from graduating! I am trying to figure out about grad school, I will let you know as soon as I decide what I am doing.

I am hosting a Lia Sophia jewelery party at my house this weekend. Their stuff is so pretty and I am excited to show it to my friends. It is at 10 on Saturday if anybody in the area reads this and wants to come!

I am happy that I have my mental health. The clients I see at my internship are struggling just to get by everyday, I am happy that I have the coping skills and things I need to keep my mind clear of struggles. I have dealt with mental health issues before, and it is hard, so I truly admire these people.

School:
I like my classes, none of them are too hard; except for my internship class. Last weekend I offically started my capstone paper, all 22 pages of it. I have the next 20 pages due in 3 weeks. Jon is now taking an HR class. He doesn't like it very much, but the good thing about his classes being only 8 weeks, this class is already half way over.

I guess that is about all for now. Lemme know what you think, comment away!!

Birthdays and more school

Since this post is sort of boring I will post the part most people care about at top and you can read down to the rest of the post if you so choose.


Jon and I on my birthday!

The quilt Jon's mom made me for my birthday.

My cousins and Jon any my mother in law at my suprise birthday party.

Well, today is only Tuesday and Jon and I both already exhausted from the week and ready for it to be over. For me, I now feel Jon's pain and why he is so tired all the time. Yesterday, was non-stop for me I left the house at about 8 am and didn't return home until about 2 am the next day. Just thinking about it makes me tired, so now I know how hard it is for Jon to work two jobs and only come home to sleep and shower.

On a happier note, Jon turned 26 yesterday. It was pretty uneventful seeing as he had to work both jobs. But I did get out of my internship early enough and we were able to meet for lunch, so that was a nice break from the usual grind. I gave him his presents, which he liked, but I still don't think they were that great, even if he did say he liked them.

After lunch I had to get to class and Jon had to go back to work. So we went our separate ways and then I met him that evening at his second job and we went to dinner. (this is nothing unusual for us, we hardly ever eat at home anymore) For dinner Jon decided he wanted to go to Tepanyaki, which is a japanese steakhouse, you know where they cook the food in front of you. It was great and we had fun. Then Jon had to go back to work and I kept him company there for a while and we chatted with his co-worker Chanin and just laughed ourselves silly. It is good to have fun with the people you work with, it makes things so much better.

When Chanin left, I went and cleaned the office building that I clean and Jon being so sweet came and helped me after he got done at his work. Nothing like cleaning toilets on your birthday, eh?

So, school its a big topic at our house these days. Jon just finished up his first master's class and I am proud to say he made a B+! Go Jon, you are so smart. Now he is taking a HR class which doesn't sound fun at all! Good thing his classes are only 8 weeks. As for me, I am LOVING my internship, it is super interesting and I am more surprised each day how much I actually love going to work. It is exciting and it is always something different each day. Makes it really easy to be happy. My classes on the other hand are driving me nuts. My capstone paper is going to be the bane of my existence for the next 8 months. I loathe doing it, but it isn't something I can put off until the last minute because it is such a large undertaking. Oh well when I get done, I am going to frame it and put copies of it in every bathroom of our house for an enlightening read.

I guess that is about all that is going on at the Casper house for now. Sorry it was such a boring post, but we are just plain boring these days.

New Beginings Make Sarah a Scared Girl!

First on a happy note, Jon and I bought a new washer and dryer this weekend. Above is a picture I found online of them We weren't excited about spending so much money on them, but we are excited to have cleaner clothes that take a shorter amount of time to try. Now, on to the reason for the post.

So I FINALLY start my internship in the morning, bright and early at 8:30. Which if you truly know me, will understand why this is so early. I loathe mornings and don't truly start to function until about 10 or so. I am sooooo nervous. I never thought I would be this nervous, but I can't stop worrying about it. I am scared I am not going to be a good social worker and I will have wasted all this time and money for a degree that will be useless to me.

I have been told by a professor of mine that I have no filter when it comes to my expressions and reactions. While I am sure this is somewhat true, it doesn't feel good to hear it from your teacher. In my mind it equates to me being a bad social worker. It makes me feel like crap and I am sure this adds quite a bit to my apprehension about my internship. I really like my supervisor at my agency and have confidence that he will be a huge help to my learning to be a good social worker. He is very easy going, yet has lots of skills and wants me to learn as much as possible from him and his agency.

I am also worried about writing all the papers I need to finish my degree. As an example, we start our capstone paper in our junior year. That teacher tells us that the paper needs to be 8-10 pages. So, I write 9 pages. Fast forward to my senior year, and this teacher tells us that the first part of our paper needs to be AT LEAST 35 pages!!! Are you kidding? This means I need to add 26 pages to that paper in about 3 weeks!! Ahhh, I must be in a nightmare! Needless to say, I am a bit stressed.

On a happier note, Jon's birthday is next Monday. He will be 26. Sad thing is I really have no idea what to buy him. Anybody have any ideas?? If so let me know. Hope everybody is doing well and until next time.

Back to School

So I have finally started my last year of college. Let me tell you, I feel it! My brain has never hurt so bad just on the first day! I feel very overwhelmed, but I know with the help of loving friends and family and the help of my Heavenly Father I can do it.

Now for the reason I feel so overwhelmed. As I posted earlier, I decided to do my internship at an elementary school instead of a hospice. Well, the elementary school decided they didn't need an intern this year. So that left me with no where to go. I was faced with choosing with a domestic violence shelter that wanted me to work weekends or a behavioral health institute that is open normal business hours. Since I never get to see Jon except on weekends I am sure you can guess that I picked working at the behavioral health institute. I am excited about starting my internship, just nervous that I am already starting 2 weeks behind all my classmates. I would have never picked to work at a behavioral health institute, but I will make the best of it and try and learn all that I can. I will make myself like it. It will be fine!

Jon is doing well. He is about to finish up his first class of his master's program this week. I am so proud of him. I know it was a hard class for him, but he will end up doing pretty good. I really do appreciate all that he does for me and our family.

That is about it for us for right now. Until next time and thanks for reading!

So this is one of my favorite pictures of Jon it just makes me smile. Oh, how I love him!

My Wonderful Husband!

So this weekend was a great weekend for Jon and I. We got to spend the whole weekend together and did basically nothing. It was the best! Now, I have to tell you why I have such a great husband.
First reason: We went to dinner on Saturday and he let me pick where we got to go. We went to Lonestar. It was so yummy!
Second reason: After we went to dinner, he took me shopping. We went to Kohl's and he let me pick out anything I wanted. Since I start my internship next week and I have to dress professionally, I bought a bunch of new clothes. It was fun and I love my new clothes!
Third reason: I work cleaning an office building in Salt Lake. It is pretty low stress and I like doing it most of the time. I just don't like how long it takes me. So my AMAZING husband went to work with me this weekend and helped me. He did all the things I hate doing. He vaccuumed, cleaned toilets and mopped. While I took out the trash, (this is the part that takes the longest). So with him there helping me it only took a little over an hour, while if I was doing it myself it would take me 2 and a half hours. It was great, and he did it all for me so we could spend more time together.
So all these reasons are why I have the best husband EVER!! I love you so much Jon, you are an amazing husband, provider and the best friend I could ever ask for.

Grades are in!!

So I FINALLY got my grades from this summer. I made 3 A's and 2 B's. Not too bad I must say. I struggled the whole semester and thought I did horrible. I was expecting mostly B's and C's. I was pleasantly suprised when I found out my grades. I now have a 3.25 cumulative GPA. If you ask me that is pretty good, considering my first 2 semesters of college I totally goofed off and got horrible grades. I am happy with my grades, but I just wish the college would recognize my hard work and give me a dang scholorship. I need the money so my sweet husband doesn't have to keep working so hard.
Other than that, not much has been going on. I have been hanging out with some friends who are visiting from out of town. Catching up on sleep, trying to get my house clean once again before school starts again, and just watching the Olympics. I must say that I am addicted to them. I always have been, as long as I can remember.
For those of you who don't know, I was on a swim team as a child. I was never really great, but I had fun doing it. Having swam competitively, I know how hard it is. I truly admire these athletes. Swimming is so difficult and takes so much out of you and they do it like it is nothing to them.
That's about all for my life as of right now. I get to go pick up Jon from the airport in a few hours. He has been out of town for work. I have missed him and am excited to see him again. See ya later and thanks for reading!

Our Stick Family

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

A change will do you good!

So there have been many things happening in my life lately. I will start with the most exciting. On Saturday my wonderful husband threw me a suprise birthday party for my 25th birthday. Man, it feels wierd to be 25, that sounds so adult like. It was a great party and I was completely thrown, I had no idea. I didn't get many pictures so you will just have to picture it in your mind. Thanks to all those that came, I really had lots of fun.
I am finished with my insane summer semester. I have to wait until Friday to get my grades. I will admit that I am a little scared to get them, not that I think I failed any classes or anything, but I don't think I did as well as I had hoped to do either. Now I have 3 weeks off before fall classes start and I am ready to take on my senior year of college. Next May I will FINALLY have my degree.
Lastly, the reason and name for the post. I have decided that an internship at Hospice is just not the place for me right now in my life. So I called my professor and told him how I felt. He told me he understood and gave me some options. We decided on school social work. I will be working at a title 1 (meaning really poor) elementary school. I think this is definately a better fit for me and my love of children. I am ready for this and feel this is where I belong.
Well that's it for now. Until next time.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

A Different Kind of Tag:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew us a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.Thanks for playing along!

Drumroll please......

So I FINALLY got my internship letter. Any guesses before I tell you??


So I am going to........

Alpine Hospice. This is for those of you who don't know, helping people who are terminally ill. Basically dealing with end of life and dying. I know it probably doesn't sound very exciting to most of you, but it was my second choice so I am happy with it. I think it will be so rewarding helping people in their last stage of life. Helping them tie up the loose ends of their lives and come to terms with the life they have lived. I think it will be such an amazing experience, if it doesn't teach me anything but to be grateful.
Well that's about it for me. Jon on the other hand, is going mad. He started back to school to get his master's. All while he has 2 jobs. The man is crazy if you ask me. He says he likes it, but is of course more excited to be done. His master's will be in Master's of Information Systems Managment.
So that is about all we are up to, school, school, and work. Life is very busy for us. Hope everyone else is enjoying their summer. Stay tuned for cool birthday stories and pictures next weekend.

Famous Casper's

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Still No Internship Letters!!

So this is just to vent my frustrations that we STILL haven't gotten our letters telling us where we are going for our internships. I am super mad about it because we were supposed to get them yesterday, and we were told it would be still another week. I just wanna know where I am going to be spending my last 2 semesters of college. Also, about school, I just want to be done with this semester. In the past 2 days I have had 4 tests and a paper. Next week I have another test and 2 presentations. I just wanna be done. School is so over rated some times.
I also found this fun survey on a friend's blog, so I thought I would do it too.

1) First thing you wash in the shower?
Hair
2) What color is your fav hoodie?
Black with purple lettering for Weber State
3) Do you plan outfits?
Not really, just put it on if it looks okay and is clean
4) How are you feeling RIGHT now?
Tired and braindead
5) What's the closest thing to you thats red?
A Magazine
6) Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
Something about my parents and my niece
7) Did you meet anybody new today?
Well I know the lady but I met her oficially today
8) What are you craving right now?
Nothing, I'm full from just eating dinner
9) Do you floss?
with a electric flosser thingy
10) What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
Coleslaw
11) Are you emotional?
For the most part, not really
12) Have you ever counted to 1,000?
No
13) Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
Combination of both
14) Do you like your hair?
When I am having a good hair day, and I take the time to actually do it, yes.
15) Have you ever met a celebrity?
Yes, Rosie O'Donnell and she was super super nice
16) Do you like cottage cheese?
Sometimes if I am in the mood for it
17) What are you listening to right now?
The TV
18) How many countries have you visited?
Mexico and Canada, man I need to get out more.
19) Are your parents strict?
No
20) Would you go sky diving?
Yeah
21) Would you have dinner with George W. Bush?

No way!!

22) Would you throw potatoes at him?

He deserves way worse than that
23) Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?
My personality of course
24) Have you ever been in a castle?
Does the Biltmore House count??
25) Do you rent movies often?
Not really
26) Have you ever made a prank phone call?
Of course!
27) Do you own a gun?
No, I hate them
28) Can you count backwards from 74?
Yes
29) Brown or white eggs?
whatever is cheapest
30) Ever been on a train?
Yes.
31) Are you too forgiving?
Depends on what has been done
32) Do you use Chap-Stick?
yeah I love it
33) What is your best friend doing tomorrow?
He's working and doing school
34) Can you use chop sticks?
Most of the time
35) Ever had cream puffs?
Yeah, they are most delicious
36) What was the last CD you bought?
Now that's what I call 80's music
37) Is your hair curly?
More like wavy
38) Ever walked into a wall?
sure have
39) Fav time of the year?
Summer
40) Favorite color?
Purple
41) Are you sarcastic?
who, me??
42) Do you have any tattoos?
No
43) Do you sleep with the TV on?
I don't believe in having a TV in the bedroom.
44) What is your favorite animal?
My dog
45) Can you hula hoop?
Sure can!

Tag about Jon

What is his name?
Jon-Phillip Casper

How long have you been together?
4 and a half years

How long did you date?
Started talking on the phone in February, met in person in April and were engaged by July. So that is 6 months

How old is he?
25, he'll be 26 in like 2 months

Who eats more?
We are usually about the same, but when it come to certain things, he can definately out eat me.

Who said I love you first?
I did on the phone and he said it right back

Who is taller?
He is by about 3 inches

Who can sing better?
Jon, but I am not bad myself, he just happens to be really good at it.

Who is smarter?
Books smarts, definately Jon. People smarts, me.

Who does the laundry?
I do it 75% of the time and he helps sometimes.

Who pays the bills?
Whoever gets to them first, all our money is completely shared so it doesn't matter

Who sleeps on the right side?
Me

Who mows the lawn?
The lovely HOA people, it's great.

Who cooks dinner?
Well since he works 2 jobs and I never see him, our dinners together are usually on the weekends and they are eating out.

Who drives?
Jon, he says I am a bad driver so I let him do it

Who is more stubborn?
Both of us in different ways. I pity our poor children.

Who kissed who first?
I did, he kept looking at me and I knew he wanted to do it, but he was scared. So I just took advantage of the situation and planted a big one on him.

Who proposed?
Jon did in his parent's basement on my birthday with Build-a-Bear teddy bears dressed as a bride and groom and he got down on one knee with the ring.

Who has more friends?
Me by far, Jon is pretty shy so it can sometimes be hard for him to make friends. But anybody that knows me, knows that I am very outgoing and could make friends with just about anybody.

Who is more sensitive?
Me

Who has more siblings?
I do, I have 1 sister and 1 brother and he just has his 1 little sister.

Who wears the pants?
We each have our things we are particular about. So it depends on what it is about.

Have and Have Nots!

Here are some fun facts about me. The ones I have done are bolded.
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris<------I wish!!
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise(girl's camp)
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath (to lower my high fever)
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie (as an extra)
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone (it was only verbal)
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy (with the little girl I nanny)
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person (for class)
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job (see post below this one)
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone, (my hand)
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read the Iliad (senior english class)
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap (does King Tut in 6th grade social studies count?)
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway show
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a baskett
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band (it was my life in high school)
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away (when I was like 8)
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire (girls camp again)
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

I now tag all my friends who read this to do it too!

What the....????

So as some of you may know I have been a nanny for a while now. Well I just got let go by my family today. My feelings are so confused. I just don't know what to think. Basically I am just not the mom and I can't do things like her. No duh, I'm not you, I am me. I had no indications of anything going on so I was kinda shocked to have this happen to me.
Maybe it's a sign I should just focus on school and things like that right now. Who knows, but I am not going to miss that job. I will figure things out. The Lord has a plan for everything and I just need to find out what that is for me right now.
Nobody worry about me I will be just fine. I just had to write this down and maybe it will help me sort my feelings out.

Internship Nerves and Theories!!

So, the day has finally come and I am a senior in college. Since I am in the Social Work program this means that to graduate I must complete an internship of 400 hours. To be placed in my internship I must interview with my professor and he will decide where I will get to go. I want to go to the hospital and be a medical social worker. Apparently, this is one of the more competititive internships and he is really hard on those wanting to get into this internship.
During the interview he asks us questions about what theories we know and how we would use them in our practice. He also asks us lots of questions about ourselves and what we believe to be our strengths and weaknesses. The whole interview lasts an hour. Lucky for me, the only time that would work with my schedule is tomorrow at 8am. This is bad for 2 reasons, 1-I am not a morning person and I will have to leave my house super early to get there; and 2-I am the very first interview for this years internships. Yikes that is super scary!! I have NEVER been so nervous in my whole life!
Just since I need to know all these and I figured it would be a good way to study and help ease my nerves, you all get to read about the glorious theories I have learned about in my Social Work classes.
The first theory is Maslow's Hierarcy of Needs:
It is shaped as pyramid and the first are the most basic needs to the last is least needed. These are what we need as humans.
1st-Physiological-food, water, shelter
2nd-Safety-job security, money, education
3rd-Love/Belonging- family, friends, spouse
4th-Esteem-confidence, happiness
5th-Self Actualization-problem-solving, self-expression

FLID Theory of Dependency:
Is used to describe adicts and their addictions.
F-Frequency-How often do you use this?
L-Latency-How long can you go between uses?
I-Intensity-How good do you feel when you use it? or How do you feel when you can't have it?
D-Duration-How long have you been using?

Systems Theory
Used to descibe human relationships to all other things.
Humans are a small part of bigger systems. We have many systems that we are a part of like church, work, school, family, community. When used to treat clients we have to realize that these systems have an impact on them and must be able to help them in many different systems to be an effective social worker.

ABC Model
A= Event-one time occurance
Situation-all the time occurance
B1=Perception-how we view things stictly with our 5 senses
Thought-our in/out process of ideas
Belief-something we believe in
B2=Feelings-inward thougths expressed outwardly
B3=Body Sensations-how we react to something with our body i.e. clenched jaw/upset stomach
C=Act-fight or flight instinct
Behave-our habits
Consequences-positive or negative outcomes

Kubler-Ross theory of death and dying
States the theory a person goes through when faced with death
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance


Well thanks for helping me study. I hope I didn't bore you too much and that you maybe learned something along the way. I will tell you in a few days how things went.

School, Babies, and Love

Well let's see. I have been busy since I last posted. Mostly trying to figure stuff out for school this semester. I must be crazy because I am taking 15 credits in the Summer! It is kind of crazy but it just means I will get done on time and graduate next May.
Crazy as it seems, since I am not even done yet, but Jon has decided he wants to go back to school right now and get his Master's. Like the poor guy doesn't have enough to do. But he wants to do it so we can have a better life. Man, I love him so much. Not a day goes by that I don't thank Heavenly Father for bringing him into my life. He does so much to make sure that I am provided for and taken care of. It even impresses my Dad, which minds you, takes alot to do. He is the best husband a girl could ask for. I just want him and anybody else who reads this to know how much he means to me.
Babies, babies, babies!! All my friends are having babies right now. My old roommate Jen had her baby last week on the 28th. He is so adorable and just plain fun. They decided to name him Logan James. I really like the name and it is so much better than the other names I had heard them discuss. Also one of the ladies I nanny for had her baby last week and his name is Austen. I also went to a baby shower for another friend of mine, also names Jen last Saturday. It was fun, she is having a baby girl they plan on naming Mylie. Congratulations also go out to my friends Jessica and Anya who just told me they are expecting in November. Just in case any of you were wondering, NO I am not pregnant and don't planning on becoming so for at least another year.
Well that's all for now, talk to you later!

ABC's

A-ATTACHED OR SINGLE: Attached and loving it!
B-BEST FRIEND: My best girl friend is Ashley, but my best friend of all will always be Jon
C-CAKE OR PIE: Red velvet cake and peach pie
D-DAY OF CHOICE: Saturdays, so we can sleep in!
E-ESSENTIAL ITEMS: My watch and wedding rings
F- FAVORITE COLOR: PURPLE
G- GUMMY BEARS OR GUMMY WORMS: Gummy worms
H- HOMETOWN: Greenville, South Carolina
I-INDULGENCES: Guitar Hero and Pedicures
J-JANUARY OR JULY: July, it's my birthday and Independence Day my favorite holiday!
K- KMART OR WALMART: Walmart, it's just down the street and has everything I need
L-LIFE IS NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT: Jon, my dad, and the Gospel
M- MARRIAGE DATE: November 19, 2004
N- NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: 2 one bro and one sis, but I seriously wish I were an only child sometimes
O-ORANGS OR APPLES: Pink Lady apples are the best
P-PHOBIAS OR FEARS: Spiders and snakes! and I also don't like the ferris wheel very much
Q-QUOTES: Nothing is so bad it can't be laughed at-Mike Meyers
R- REASON TO SMILE: my doggy
S-SEASON: Summer at the beach in South Carolina
T-TAGGED FRIENDS:Heather
U- UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME: I love kids but am scared to death to have my own kids
V- VERY FAVORITE STORE: right now it is Lush
W- WORST HABIT: cussing by far
X- XRAY, ULTRASOUND OR MAMMOGRAM: I would guess ultrasound it sound like the only one that doesn't involve something painful
Y- YOUR FAVORITE FOOD: garlic mashed potatoes
Z- ZODIAC: leo

Diplomas, Sunburns, and crappy neighbors!

Wow, it has been a while since I last posted. Lots of things have happened since I last posted. I will try and go in chronological order.
First is on May 2nd, I got my associates degree from Salt Lake Community College. It was a good ceremony, but long. I was happy to walk and according to Jon the camera followed me all the way accross the stage so he could see how happy I was. Then after graduation Jon took me to eat at California Pizza Kitchen. I am now in love with that place. Most importantly I love the mexican soup they have, I can't remember what exactly it is called, but it is most delicious. Then we came home because we were going up to Park City that night for the weekend. Jon went to the store to get a few last minute things. After that up to Park City we went.
We got to the condo that we were renting for the weekend and it was beyond our beliefs! It was so big and so nice. As we unpacked the groceries we notice a few kitchen essentials were missing so we went to good old Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. Once we got home Jon started to make dinner. He made yummy bruschetta and french onion soup!! They were both absolutely delicious. Then we watched some of the NBA playoffs and the Jazz won!! It was great. After the game he gave me my graduation present, Guitar Hero!! :D By that time it was so late that we decided to for go the main course and just skip to dessert. We had cheesecake from the Cheescake Factory that I had bought earlier in the week. It was okay but not as good as I had expected it to be. After dessert we decided to take advantage of the hot tub and that was lots of fun as well.
The next day we had our friends Ryan and Heather and Chris and Ashten and their baby Liam come up for dinner and games. Jon once again the great cook that he is made a complete fondue dinner. All while we all played both Guitar Hero and Mario Kart. It was a perfect night. Ryan and Heather opted to go to bed early. Then Chris, Ashten, Jon and I decided to hit the hot tub. We stayed in for a few hours and just talked and laughed. It was an awesome night.
The next morning we woke up, cleaned the house and left. It was a great weekend. I think I have the sweetest most awesome husband for doing all that for me. I love you JON!!
Next on the title, the sunburns. This past weekend I decided to go see my best friend Ashley in California to celebrate her birthday with her since her family was going to be out of town. We did lots of fun stuff. We got pedicures, went to In-and-Out for burgers, got ice cream, went to the Santa Monica Pier, and I introduced Lush beauty products to her. If anybody is interested their stuff is so nice and all organic and eco-friendly. You can find it here at http://www.lush.com It's great stuff and I recommend the bath bomb and rock star soap. Also we had dinner and a friend of her's house and the family was so nice. I loved them, I hope I have a family and not to mention a house like that someday.
Then on Monday, Ashley's birthday it was finally warm so we decided to hit the hot tub in her backyard. I totally spaced on the sunscreen and we were out there for like 5 hours. Needlesss to say I am now beet red and totally sore. It sucks but hopefully I will have a killer tan when the burn goes away.
So I get home way late Monday/Tuesday morning and see that our trashcans are gone. I am baffled and ask Jon where they are. He says that somebody took them and they have been gone since Friday. We live in a townhouse and so are part of a home owner's association and the president, who lives directly accross from us thinks it is a nussiance for us to have our garbage can parked next to our garage, which by the way we aren't the only people that do this. He has had many choice words to say to us about this the past few months. I mean our garbage cans aren't bothering anybody except him apparently. Then the thing that makes me the maddest is that we lived here for 2 years, 2 YEARS!!! before he said anything to us about it. So as of now we have no place to put our garbage and the guy is going around bad mouthing us to our neighbors saying it was us being so beligerant about it that FORCED him to take away our garbage cans. Ok now I am fuming mad and he better not talk to me again! Also I pay my HOA dues which include our garbage so in protest I am not going to pay it again until I get my stupid garbage can back. I am so sick of being yelled at and told what to do. And all over a stupid garbage can! This is the dumbest thing ever!
So there you have it my diploma, sunburn and mean crappy neighbors.

Because Steve Asked!

This is my favorite picture of our wedding. It just shows how much we were in love that day. I want to say that I love my husband so much more today that that cold November day in 2004. He is such an amazing husband. Read below to find out why!

So I know I have been a huge slacker lately about this blog thing(especially according to Steve, which is why I am posting this one). But, you have to realize I am trying to finish up this semester at school. I have only 1 week left and I couldn't be happier about it. Then I take summer classes and before you know it, next May I will FINALLY have my bachelor's in Social Work.

Speaking of graduation, I am graduating from Salt Lake Community College on May 2nd. I know it's kinda lame because it's only an associates but I feel like it took me so long that I am going to walk at my graduation. Besides, I am the only one of my siblings to get any kind of degree so that makes me that much happier that I got it. I went and got my cap and gown today and to find out I was on the dean's list and so I am graduating with honors. That is the first time in my life I have ever gotten any recognition for my academics, it makes me so happy.

That's my life in a nutshell. Jon is just as busy as ever working 2 jobs to help pay for my school. He works Monday-Friday at one job from 8-5 and the second job from 6-to whenever they are done, which can range anywhere from midnight to 3am. Man, I just love how hard he works so I can achieve my dream of getting my bachelors degree. So since he works so much we hardly ever see each other during the week. Our weekends are just spent mostly with the two of us enjoying our time together. It is hard but we have adjusted well to it and it will only be until I graduate and then we can go back to 'normal' again.

I guess that is all for now. I hope I didn't bore you too badly!

Tag I'm It

10 years ago: I was in 8th grade and always busy taking care of Cole
5 things on my list to do today: Well since it is late I will do tomorrow's list Work, homework, dinner with Jon, more homework, and put away our laundry
What I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire: pay all of my debts, pay for me and Jon to both get our master's degrees Move back to the South somewhere and pay off my parent's house for them
3 of my bad habits: Cussing, I wish I could stop, but I just can't, Drinking way too much Coke when I am stressed out, Procrastination, I always put things off until the last minute
places I've lived:Greenville SC, Rexburg, ID, Salt Lake City and Bountiful, UT
Jobs I've had:Receptionist at Great Clips, McDonalds, Janitor at BYU-Idaho, e-commerce shopper for Albertson's grocery store, and nanny
most people don't know about me: I met my husband online and Ashley Eaglin is who convinced me I should meet him in the first place
I now tag, Andrea Pickens, Kim Hollister, and Steve Adams

Hello Out There!

Wow, so we are finally getting into the blogging world. I always thought these were a dumb idea, but I am so sick of Facebook and all their crap, so I decided to start my own. I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

Here is the most current picture of our family, Jon, Sarah and Wendy.