The kids have arrived!

The summer has ended as the excited faces of first graders rush into my classroom with new clothes, backpacks and lunchboxes ready to learn and have adventure in any form they can. What a wonderful age these students are! They are full of the spirit of all things are possible and anything can be turned into a game, toy or a dramatic play. This age has an added bonus because they are more independent workers then the kindergartners that I am use to these three past years. I adore my class! I have ten boys and ten girls-how ideal is that! All my students are so excited to learn (they had great kindergarten teachers). This week has mostly been focused on the rules and procedures in the classroom, school and neighborhood. I have a good chunk of older students (students that are the oldest siblings) They tend to be the very obedient and independent students. I have a few middles, they tend to be the best peace makers. But then I have a good chunk of youngest students, which tend to be the more needy and demanding students, but are better then the single child which often are more demanding and bossy, and tend not to play well with others. Now for my friends that are parents I want to put a disclaimer that this is the general not the always-and I would rather have a class full of all kinds then only one because that makes for a better classroom! But this does help explain the dynamics of my classroom. I love my class-its only a week and I love them. I have been so tired lately, and the Lord has helped me so much with added energy and memory! I had all of their names memorized before the first day. I am sure that is helped that almost all the names were American names instead of Greek, but it was an added blessing none the less. All the parents are so laid back as well, which is quite the change from what I am use to. I am used to very business like, demanding parents-not all but a good amount. The parents here, are so happy to be apart of school and to help whenever they can. So I am very excited for this upcoming year and for all the adventure that we are going to have!

A snob no more

Change, it is the ever present condition in our lives. The weather changes (right now I hear thunder-odd, I didn't see a cloud a moment ago) time changes, our bodies go through changes-our skin has a new outside every six weeks! The best change in our lives though, and this is my personal experience, is the change that happens to ourselves, our character. To change and improve has to be one of the most exciting things about this life! I do love a good paradigm shift! So lately I realized that I have gone through one. It was most likely taught to me through a studious example-my mother.

I remember back in the middle school phase of life-a phase that I try not to look back on too often-and I see my five foot frame (things have not changed too much-I know)wanting to wear name brand clothes and turn myself into the most hip walking billboard around! I mentally told myself that certain clothes brought certain happiness-and I wished that I could afford all the happiness my pre-working early teen self could afford. Then came the tough lessons of gratitude and money conservation as my mother took me to stores like wal-mart, shop-ko or worst the DI (desert industries). I gleamed so much during those hard years, which the young women program aided me as I completed values like divine nature and individual worth. My mother, with her costume designing experience also taught me what type of clothes were made for my body type, skin type and personality type. So I learned that one could look great-even without the high price.

But I am a cloth snob no more. It seems so funny to look back and see how silly and shallow my thought process was. MY friends would laugh at such a contrasting comparison. For I have found a new love in which I have turned into its advocate. There is a store here called Savers that I adore and purchase all my clothes at! You see, each Monday they have a 99 cent day, plus each week there is a color tag that is 50% of the already cheap price! I get great quality clothes (ones that the previous owner paid 100s for) for 5 dollars!-where can you get that! Now you may say-wow you much have a ton of cloths pack in your closet at these prices...the answer is no. We have a Romriell rule where if you buy something new then you need to give something old away in an exchange. Which works out great because Savors gives you a 20% discount coupon on clothes you donate! Yes this feeds my addiction to this store even further-they are so clever like that! You must follow rules that fit your body, skin and personality type!! That is key to thrift shopping! IF you need help I have sites, books or pointers! Another blessing that comes as a bi-product of cheap prices, is how often we can get new clothes. This works out perfectly as we continue to choose a more healthy lifestyle. The better and more constant we are the tighter we get and the more lose the clothes become-resulting in a shopping trip. There are many shades in this thrift addiction: garage sales, online classifieds, home fabrics, winco, Ross, farmers market and the lists go on! I suggest baby steps, compare prices and quality and then see how you feel. But if you are into quality clothes for fractions of the cost-head to your nearest thrift store(I am a walking billboard-things don't change too much)-you might start an addiction yourself! I just had to pass on this part of my life-becaue of the joy it brings to others!

Where has my summer gone?

IT seems like, where I live, the nymphs in charge of seasons missed forwarding the "Spring" memo and then felt like they had to make up for lost time by sending the summer memo in all "heated" caps. We have had a LONG, cold winter and then after what seemd like two weeks of storms, followed the heat of summer. IT is almost mid July! Where did spring go?, Is the shocked response from my accustomed to four seasons body. Then I ask, Spring? What about summer-it's almost gone! Where is summer going!? I know that this sounds like a personal problem in which my body and mind are in a state of conflict and confusion...and it is. I have yet to step into a swim suit so I can step into a pool. This two step process is necessary, I never take one without the other. SO I better get a steppn'! For soon the few weeks of storms will hit again acting like a fall season and then we will be back to winter.Maybe I am just feeling restless, needing to get out of the country or something. We were so spoiled last summer with Aruba! But with Nick's test, Girl's Camp and visits to family...the vacation possibility seemed to be squeezed out of our adventure loving schedule. If anyone has any adventure plans, please let us know! Also as another thought, if you read this blog, but your blog is not posted in the Friend's Blog located on the side of this blog, please post your address in the comment box, or send me an invite...again. I miss reading your thoughts and want to! Ending thought; the person who invented air conditioning-brilliant! They are one of my summer heroes...the electric company however is NOT!

Our Lives currently...

This summer has allowed us to really take the time to come out of the "busy" shell and enter a more clam and social life. Since I became of age during the social media outbreaking, I now feel like it is my duty to use all social networks and say hello to our friends and family by way of letting the populace know what is new with our lives...yes I am becoming more social but I am sorry to say nothing much has changes in our little Romriell family-I am still a teacher, but I am currently teaching first grade. Also I felt like it was time to go public, so I am teaching at a public school in my own portable...I am not sure what that means but I can't wait to find out. I am still teaching acting for teens on the weekends as well as violin and cello lessons. Also I am trying to learn Spanish with hopes that this go around proves more effective then the two years at college and one year in high school. Fingers crossed o buenas suerte para mi.
Nick is still in school. One year down and so many more to go...but he received a job next year as a grader which will help with the tuition and hopefully result in great teacher references. He also works part time as a on call pick up man for the mortuary. Yep, it is a bit of a different job but it's ideal for a student. We are planning another vacation, we are unsure where, but we'll let you know (Spanish speaking to help me out it-but that could be foreign or right down the street, so we are still deciding) we are still in our little colorful condo, I am the HOA president currently and the other board members have just been elected so I am excited for the new change and hopefully the energy they will bring.
We are very active in our church, which we call a ward, and have been blessed to serve so many people. I am serving in the ward as the first counselor of the young women. The church has an awesome program that teach young women the importance of service, self worth, family and goal setting. So I get to help them with their goals and testimonies. It really is an honor, plus at the stake level I am the Beehive leader. SO I plan events and spiritual experiences for girls in servel different wards ages 12-13. They are a blast and I love them all. I am not alone, I have five other leaders that help me out each Wednesday (that's the day we meet as leaders and youth)-more moments on that will find its way to this blog I am sure.
Nick as been blessed to lead the high priest or the really mature men in our ward. He has two men that help him with that calling because it keeps him busy making sure the families and service projects are met. He loves this new challenge and is doing very well with the change. This ward has been so wonderful to us, and we really feel that living here has refined and molded us in so many ways. We have made so many friendships and have learned from so many people. And we are still learning. Which means there will be more posts in the future I am sure. I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July, and we hope your summer gets even better from here! Adios

P90X

So as many of you know, Nick and I have been on the "off and on" roller coaster ride of the famous P90X. You may of seen those info-mercials that promise huge results in as little as 90 days. Then you are "wow"ed by those transformation pictures that blow your mind and make you think...maybe...just maybe you can have that change too. Well, we started it over a year ago, and after months or rounds of this program, which we believe very highly of, we have learned three important things-which of course seem to be three principles that thread through any successful life. We are still trying to master these simple but near impossible concepts and the better we do the better our results come even through out the whole of our lives.
One: consistency! This is powerful! We start off strong and then....well, life happens...days and then weeks pass and we have found ourselves several times wiping the dust off these videos and starting over again. This is where the on and off part of our healthy roller coaster comes in. But as is true in every aspect of our lives, when we are consistent, and try our hardest to have a "daily" attitude, we make gains that help us get even closer to our short and long term goals.
Two: Goals! We have found that when we just do something, to go through the motions as it were, not having a goal or a desired end result, we miss out on several essential helps: motivation, destination, and commitment. Goals help us measure our success and push us to achieve more. Goals give us guide lines and help us work out the details on how to truly reach them. Goals are ...awesome and they bring a strtength and power into our lives needed to accomplish anything we set our minds to!
Three: Give 100% and push to the max. This sounds funny but it connects into the ever powerful concept of living in the present and giving your all in the moment that you are living. Talk about a way to actually reach your potential in not just the physical aspect but in your whole life. What a full life we would be living if this was truly followed. Give and push yourself to reach the best you can be. This often times is hard to do when life and the world seems to be pushing against you as well, but we have found that when we are consistent with this concept, results are fast and powerful.
I seem to be over using the word powerful, but I think it is the best word to describe the feeling felt when these concepts are in full action because it's the feeling that comes when you take your own life by your hands and instead of allowing the circumstances in your life to act on you you are acting for yourself! You are in charge and are your full agent of choice, choosing to act rather then be acted upon...that is power. So we are not perfect, and we are still learning and struggling, but as we look back on this year, there is a slim smile of satisfaction on the growth we have achieved so far.