Graduation!

On December 12, 2009, I officially graduated from Utah State University with my bachelor's degree in elementary education! It is official now... I am a licensed teacher! What a special experience. I wasn't very excited about graduating until I got there and walked through the tunnel into the Spectrum, where the walls of the tunnel were lined with USU professors clapping and smiling. I got all choked up with emotion. I felt like I was truly joining the ranks of other Utah State alumni who were excited and proud of my accomplishment, and the accomplishments of the other 1,900 students graduating.

After the ceremony, the band played the Scotsman and everyone stood and participated in the school song. I was filled with so much school pride. I loved every minute of being an Aggie. There's just something special about a school where 15,000 people will stand up and pretend to milk a giant cow at basketball games. I am so glad I was able to complete my education through the many challenges that I have gone through over the past 3 and a half years.

My roommate Jenni also graduated in the College of Education, although not Elementary Ed. Now, she is going to grad school at USU to get her Master's degree in physical therapy (or something close... I can never remember the real name! Sorry Jen!). While I love being married, I miss my cute roommates and all the fun times we had. Like the time when we saw Jeana holding hands with Marc (it was a big deal), or the time that Natalie and I bought a Valentine's card for Jenni and it happened to be the same one her boyfriend got her! Or the many, many boys in and out of our apartment at late hours... ("we were reading a book..."), and the hours of not studying or writing essays at 4:00 in the morning for your 7:30 class... okay that was me. I miss all those girls so much!

There it is! My name in the program!

Thank you Matt for supporting me as I finished my education. I know Matt was excited to be able to get back into school now that I am finished, but it was so wonderful to see how proud he is of my accomplishment. It makes it all worth it.

My mom and Jeff, my dad, my grandma and papa Decker, Diet and Myrna, and Randy were all able to come to the ceremony to support me. I was so happy to see them all up there, cheering as they read out my name and I walked up to take my pretend diploma (I won't get the real thing until like February!). Thank you so much for your support, and everyone who couldn't make it but was supporting me through the process.
After the ceremony, we met Jenny and the kids at Olive Garden with about a thousand other graduates and their families. We waited forever to get our table, which of course brought out some grumpy Fischers! Finally, we got seated and had a fun meal together. The waiter dumped water all over my papa and, being as cute as he is, he just laughed! Needless to say, the restaurant gave us a few free goodies that afternoon. Then, sadly, we had to go home through the winter storm raging in Logan. It felt so normal driving in a blizzard through Sardine Canyon. I should have worn my snow boots as I graduated to really represent my experience at Utah State!

This Week's Schedule

I am very excited for this week, and wanted to share everything with you guys! I finish my student teaching on Tuesday. I am taking Wednesday off and on Thursday I am going to spend the day in my new school in the classrooms of the other fifth grade teachers, getting to know the schedule and different programs they use there. On Friday, I'm going to interview the students that will be in my class throughout the day, while the substitute is teaching, so I can get to know the kids and where they are at in fifth grade. On Saturday, I have graduation up at Utah State University! The commencement ceremony starts at 10:30 AM. I'm really excited to graduate! Next Monday I start teaching!
Today at church I was thinking about how blessed I am right now. In a difficult time, I got a job with a long-term contract and a salary. I am graduating from college, and Matt will be able to start again. We have everything we need. I can't explain it. I was overcome with emotion just thinking about everything. Thanks to everyone who has been such a huge support as I've gone through the last few years.

Officially Employed!

It's true, I'm officially employed! I am a fifth grade teacher at Copperview Elementary! On salary and everything! I am such a grown up!

Giving Thanks

This year I have a lot to be thankful for, so making a list would be pretty difficult (and long!). It was my first Thanksgiving with Matt, and we spent Thursday with my side of the family. We went shooting in the morning with my mom and Jeff, and Diet and Myrna. Matt brought along many of his different guns, as did Diet, and we had a lot of fun shooting the clay pigeons and setting up targets. My mom was scared of Matt's big guns, and actually his 30.06 was pretty scary to shoot, even for me!
My mom and Jeff

Matt with his 30.06


On Friday, Matt went fishing with Bill and I spent the day doing crafts with my mom. It was really relaxing and way fun to actually spend time doing this stuff, since I rarely have a spare minute for anything besides school. We made the counting blocks you can see in the picture of the fireplace sitting in the middle of the mantle. I also painted my Christmas letters that Matt got me for my birthday and put my new frames on the wall that I have been wanting to do forever! I am really excited with how everything turned out, and especially can't wait to put the pictures in our new frames.
On Saturday, Matt's family introduced me to the Christmas tree cutting tradition. We went up with Diet and Myrna, and Lance and Kendra, to cut down our own Christmas tree. I tried not to be too picky, but it is harder than it seems! We had a fun time climbing all over the mountain through the snow to find a good tree for our little apartment. We had to hurry so we would be home in time for the Utah vs. BYU game, and we had fun heckling the BYU Fischer family. What a fun game! Of course, we had to watch the Jazz game afterward, and luckily the Jazz didn't suck, otherwise it would have been a very long night!


Our Pepsi Christmas tree- Matt is so excited!

My Christmas letters and picture frames- During the year, the letters will just say "Fischer"

I must admit, my mom made our Pepsi wreath, but I love it!

Our fireplace

I love feeling festive and feeling ready for the Christmas season. I can't wait for the fun things we are planning for the rest of the year!

Also, I am only 7 school days away from being done with my student teaching! I graduate with my bachelor's degree on December 12! I can't believe it is already almost over. I am so excited. I am also interviewing for available jobs right now and have a good chance to get one here really soon! I'll keep you all posted.

Trick-or-Treat!

For Halloween weekend, Matt and I went up to Richmond to spend some time with Matt's family at Randy and Jenny's house! On Friday night, the girls all went to see "This Is It," the new Michael Jackson movie while the boys watched the Jazz game at home! We all were having a tough time controlling ourselves to keep from singing out loud in the theater! It was way fun! On Saturday we woke up and had pumpkin waffles and carved pumpkins! Carving pumpkins with the Fischer family is a big deal, and I wanted to do something easy, but NO, Matt finds the coolest Utah State pattern and I have to do it of course! We had a blast. Jenny carved Michael Jackson, Matt did Tiger Woods, Lance carved Jesus, Kendra did Tinker Bell, and Randy did a guy hanging from a tree, and Matt carved Scooby Doo and a pirate skull for Brad in the biggest pumpkin ever! In the afternoon, Kendra and I went shooting with the boys. It was my first time shooting a shotgun and my shoulder is still sore! It was really fun and I actually hit one of the clay pigeons! That night, Matt and I stayed home and handed out candy and everyone else (8 adults) took Brad and Claire trick-or-treating! We had such a fun weekend and it was so sad to have to come home on Sunday! We love spending time with our family and wish that we could do it more often!



Kendra and I being hard-core






Matt and I with cuties Brad and Claire


Matt had to carve two patterns for Brad on this giant pumpkin, so he had to carve one for himself! Tiger Woods (I think it looks like he has a mustache!)


My champion Utah State pumpkin! It was definitely appreciated in Cache Valley, one guy took a picture of it with his phone and set it as his background


Lance carved Jesus on his pumpkin

Thriller!

On Wednesday last week, I went with Myrna, Kamie and her mom, Jenny and her mom, aunt, and sister, and Kari to see Thriller at Kingsbury Hall! I always go every year with my dad for my birthday, and he and I went the week before, so I got to see it twice! It was amazing both times! One of my friends from high school dances for Odyssey and was in the performance and I was so happy I got to talk to her after the show on Wednesday! This is definitely one of my favorite birthday and Halloween traditions!

Melissa and I after the performance


Myrna, Kamie, Karen and I after the show (Jenny and her fam left before we could get a picture with everyone!)


My birthday was on Thursday and it was a pretty normal day at school, but after school Matt took me to dinner (at Olive Garden of course) and then we went out to my mom's house for cheesecake and family time! It was such a fun birthday!

This is what Matt got me for my birthday! These pictures are the samples from the store, so they aren't the same as mine (since I painted mine a little bit different) and I haven't finished my Christmas letters yet!

Deer Hunting

Last weekend I skipped out on all my other family members and went with Matt and the Fischers to Strawberry for some deer hunting. The boys actually did go hunting (once) and Matt took me up the mountain on the 4-wheeler and showed me how he hunts (it wasn't Edward but... haha just kidding)! Again, no one shot anything, but we had a fun time sitting around the fire, watching football while sitting around the fire, playing games, and relaxing! Tim and Kamie let us stay in their new trailer, and it was so fun! Thanks you guys! Lance and Kendra came up with Diet and Myrna and it was so great! While October is a lonely month for the women, I can see why the boys like it so much!

Matt and I in our sweet orange outfits


It was cold! I wore Matt's coveralls one night to stay warm!


Matt's mustache... I do NOT approve, however, I seem to have no choice!