I HATE moving!!!

You know there are not many things in life that I hate....except moving! Jon and I have been married not even 4 years and we have moved every year atleast one time. You would think it would get old! Plus, these moves aren't easy moves since they seem to be moving farther and farther away. We will now have lived in 3 different states in our 3 1/2 years of marriage! I thought I would vent and take a break because while venturing out on my 4th trip to Home Depot to get MORE moving boxes, the cashier asked if I was moving and I answered, "Yes..." with a moan and she so perky said, "Oh moving is soooo much fun. How exciting!" I rolled my eyes and as I pushed my basket to my car in the parking lot I mumbled to myself, "So much fun my ____ (insert a bad word here). Who in the right mind thinks moving is fun?"
BEFORE


AFTER

Better late than never

I have been so busy with packing and the thought of being out of this house in 2 weeks has nearly put me over the edge. So, I never got Christmas cards out to everyone and I promise to do it next year. So please enjoy this and hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! We love you all!

26 Candles

Happy Birthday to ME! Yes, on Monday I celebrated my 26th birthday and it was a great one. Actually it was the BEST birthday ever! Jon decided to go all out this year. A few months back Jon started talking about this HUGE surprise that he had planned for my birthday. Those of you who know Jon, know that it is hard to believe him sometime or to take him serious. So I shrugged it off and didn't stew on it too much. As it got closer Jon kept talking about this HUGE surprise and he starting telling me clues. He said it was going to TOP all birthdays and I would probably cry when I found out what it was. I began weighing all the possibilities. Was it a vacation somewhere? A new puppy? A really fancy pair of shoes? Were we going sky diving? Was I getting a new car? He actually made me think it was each of these somehow. Well a week before my birthday Jon had time off from work. He stated that he really didn't plan anything and that he probably should start working on something. This is SOOOOO typical Jon. So then I was kinda bummed out cause I was looking forward to my HUGE surprise. But now there wasn't going to be one. Thursday came before my birthday and I came home from work. Jon wasn't home and the house was spic and span. That brought a smile to my face but I was still sad. At 6:00 p.m. there was a knock on my door. I heard Jon outside saying LET ME IN! I walked to the door saying, "SHUT UP I'M COMING MR. IMPATIENT!" much to my surprise when I opened the door Jon was standing outside along with my best friend Emily and her little boy Christopher. Jon had arranged for her and her baby to come for the weekend to celebrate all the way from Utah! I WAS SO EXCITED. I first stood there in amazement not saying anything but then I screamed and jumped up and hugged her. I couldn't believe it. So yes we were able to spend time shopping, watching movies, trying out yummy restaurants and just catching up since we hadn't seen each other in awhile. I thought Jon was done with his surprises but then Friday came. He had been spending time with his cousin who is in the hospital and he called to tell me he wanted to meet for dinner at Red Robin. He was craving and whiskey river hamburger. Emily and I got ready and headed out to meet him at 6:45. Well we were running late like many girls do when Jon called me freaking out cause I was 10 minutes late. I kept saying, "Calm down... we will be there shortly." When we got there I realized why he wanted me to be on time because Jon and about 20 of my friends were hanging out waiting for me! They all surprised me for my birthday! I stood there again amazed with nothing to say, except, "Emily why did you let me come to my own birthday party looking like this?" I had even done my hair for the day and wasn't dressed up like I wanted to be for my own party. Oh well we had tons of fun anyway!!

The entire birthday weekend was fabulous. My boy Jon is so amazing! I want him to know how much I love him and am so thankful for what he did to make my 26th birthday so special. Thanks to Emily as well for coming all the way out to hang with me! I had tons of fun girl! Thanks also to my friend Colleen who helped Jon with the surprise party at Red Robin. You rock!

Where has the time gone?

Wow now that it has been almost a month since my last post, I thought I should atleast let everyone know we are alive and doing well! We have been crazy busy and it isn't going to get better... in fact the craziness is going to get worse for the next little while. So what have the Ellsworth's been up to? Well we had my family in town over Thanksgiving to surprise my Dad for his 60th birthday. We had a huge party for him, we had family pictures taken, and we ate two Thanksgiving dinners. Don't worry we manage to get some pre-christmas shopping done too! Now that Thanksgiving has passed we are now moving right along with the Christmas season. This year Christmas is a little different for Jon and I. This is the first Christmas that I didn't pull out my 15 boxes of Christmas decorations. There is no wonderful gingerbread tree to stare at. There is no amazing Christmas snow village to awe at, and there are no wonderful garlands hanging anywhere! Instead they all sit in the boxes stacked high in the garage awaiting the day in just a few weeks where we move yet again! It is really hard for me to not set up Christmas and even harder to know I have to say goodbye to my husband for 6 months. It is starting to hit home and I'm really scared and emotional if anyone brings it up. So this Christmas is going to be really hard but I have to keep my spirits up and enjoy the time with Jon and our friends and family nearby because next year we won't have an Arizona Christmas.

To keep everyone updated we are moving out of our house December 31st and the house will go up for rent through a rental company. We will load the moving truck and Jon and his Dad will head to Denver around January 6th. I can't believe this is all happening so fast! But, I am excited to move there and to be near my other sister and start a new adventure somewhere new. We are pretty good at that. What do you think?

N is for a bunch of NONSENSE

I don't have much to post and that is why my posts have been few and far between. Here is what is on my mind lately. It is a bunch nonsense thoughts if you ask me. But its is what is on my mind. Enjoy!

1. Can't wait for So You Think You Can Dance tonight.
2. I wish I were as talented as those dancers.
3. I really need to get back to the gym.
4. I have no energy.
5. Why do my 2nd graders wear me out so much?
6. Am I getting old?
7. My birthday is in 34 days :)
8. My cleaning isn't getting done as I sit here
9. What do I want for Christmas?
10. What it is almost Christmas?
11. Wow I better get my act in gear.
12. I am nervous to live alone for 6 months without my hubby.
13. I am going to miss my husband like crazy while he is in Colorado.
14. I am super excited to move to Colorado.
15. Jon and I are gypsies I decided.
16. We don't settle long enough in one place to call it home.
17. My lunch today was horrible.
18. I am excited to have tomorrow off of work.
19. Finally I live in a place that allows teachers to have Veteran's Day off.
20. What should I do with my day off?
21. Maybe I should get my cleaning done now so I can play tomorrow.
22. Good idea
23. I am very behind on all my tv shows.
24. If I don't get caught up on Flash Forward everyone is going to ruin it for me.
25. Is it time for bed yet?

After School Tutoring

I wanted to advertise to my friends and families who read our family blog that I am starting after school and Saturday tutoring for children who need extra support in phonics, reading, writing and mathematics. If you know anyone or if you could put my name out there that would be extremely helpful. You are more than welcome to give out my email or phone number to those interested. Thanks everyone!

M is for we MIGHT want to bring our snow gear!

Here we go from this....

To this....

As some of you know... I believe it is safe to say that we are moving to Denver! Jon got accepted to Texas A&M, Tulane and University of Colorado Denver. We have chosen Denver because it seems like the best fit. We also have my wonderful Sister Erika and her great family there. We will be there for probably 3 years atleast since Jon has decided to get a dual masters degree. One in Healthcare Administration and another in Accounting. Jon and I are really excited to try somewhere new for awhile. I have always loved Colorado, though my thinned Arizona blood may freeze while there!

Jon will be moving all our things to Denver in December which is literally just around the corner. He will begin school in January. I will continue to teach here in Mesa and move out to Colorado the end of May or beginning of June.(I will miss the winter thank heavens) May seems like so far away since I won't have my husband around me. Depending on if we sell our house or not, I will be that living at home with her parents girl until June. My parents will love that. I actually won't mind not having to clean my house for awhile! I hope Jon will be able to live without me. He is the biggest baby out of the two of us about being away from each other. It will be way hard for both but in the long run its what we know is the right thing to do.

Watch out Colorado.... The Ellsworth's are headed for you!

L is for Let's Hope People Come Visit Us In Colorado

This past weekend Jon went and interviewed at the University of Colorado Denver's MBA program for a Master's of Healthcare Administration. He did so great in the interview the president of the school of business called him an hour after the interview and said, "We want you!" So yeah our first acceptance! It sure feels good. Jon has been working hard and we are both so happy it is finally paying off. Jon had a great time in Colorado. He bragged to me everyday about the beautiful weather they have. Yes I am envious since it is still HOT here in Arizona and it's almost October. He was able to visit my sister Erika and her family. They are hoping we choose Colorado because who wouldn't want us living by them. Duh we are the coolest people in the whole world!!

We are still awaiting a few more acceptances from other schools but I have a feeling in my heart that Colorado is the place for Jon and I to move on to our next step of our journey called life. We are so sad to leave our wonderful friends and family in Arizona whom we love and adore. But we may be back and it's only for 2 years. We have some BIG decisions to make though now. I have to decide if I am going to move out there with Jon in January or if I will finish out my teaching contract here in Arizona and meet him in May. I am torn. I do not want to be away from Jon for 5 months but I also don't want to terminate a teaching contract halfway through the year. Plus there are no guarantees I will have a good job in January if I move out there to Colorado. We will just have to keep praying and looking for answers! Thank you everyone for your love and support! Continue to keep us in our prayers!!

K is for Keep This In Mind

SATAN'S MEETING
Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.
In his opening address he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church"
"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth...."
"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their savior."
"Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."
"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.."
"This is what I want you to do," said the devil:
Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day! "How shall we do this? his demons shouted.
"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered...
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."
"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."
"Keep them from spending time with their children."
"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!" "Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."
"Entice them to play the radio or I-Pod whenever they drive." To keep the TV, DVDs, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly."
"This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."
"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."
"Invade their driving moments with billboards."
"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes."
"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. "
"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."
"Give them headaches too! "
"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."
"That will fragment their families quickly!"
"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas.."
"Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death..."
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."
"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."
"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect onGod's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."
"Keep them busy, busy, busy!" "And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."
"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus."
"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause." "It will work!" "It will work!"It was quite a plan!
The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God or their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives. I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes? You be the judge!!!!! Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

J is for Jon's Grad School Update

Well many of you are asking what has been going on with our application process for graduate school. We put in our applications to schools that begin Spring 1010 semester. University of Colorado Denver, Texas A&M and Tulane University are the ones we are waiting to hear back from. We want to live in Denver because its absolutely beautiful, similar to Utah, and my sister Erika lives there. Texas is the cheapest option because tuition is almost half of the other schools and the cost of living is a lot lower. And well Tulane is in Lousiana and that says enough! That wouldn't be my 1st choice... okay not even my 10th choice!! The problem we have though now is that we could wait and apply to some higher ranked schools for the healthcare administration programs but they don't begin until fall 2010. So its up in the air. If we do get into Colorado then do we go and get going on the two year program or wait a year and see if we can get into some bigger name schools. Jon is worried that for competitive reasons a bigger name school may be a better choice because he will be fighting for a fellowship after he recieves his MBA. AHHHHH!! So many decisions... If it were up to me fully I would choose to just go to Denver and get going on it. I hate the thought of putting it off a year! That is just one more year we have to wait!!

I is for INSANE couple of weeks

Insane Reason #1
I am sorry I have had a pause in my A-Z posts. With school starting my blogging and facebooking has not been so great! I have been spending countless hours getting ready and surviving through the first two weeks of school. I am finally unbarring (that doesnt seem like its spelled right)myself from all my to-do's in the classroom. But I am still healthy and loving my new class! I am exhausted and I am sure after my immunity gets shot I will get sick within time!

Insane Reason #2
So last Friday Jon took his GMAT for the 2nd time and his INSANE studying the last 8 months and $1500 Kaplan study course paid off. WE got a better score than we expected and now we could go to more schools than we thought. Here we were thinking we would only have to choose out of two or three but now our lives just got more complicated. So where do you think we should go to school? Let us know by leaving a comment. The choices are.... University of Colorado Denver, Arizona State University, University of Washington Seattle, Texas A&M, Tulane University in New Orleans, University of Minnesota, University of Alabama, or University of Michigan?

H is for Hale Heroes

This past week I have been getting ready to start another great year of teaching. I am still teaching 2nd grade but I did change schools over the summer break. I am now teaching at Hale Elementary School. I look forward to the change and I'm staying positive that the sadness of leaving my old school will turn into a memory. I included pics of my new room where I have spent MANY hours working. Enjoy!

G is for Grandmother

I have been thinking lately about the wonderful people who have made an impact on my life and there have been so many! One is my Grandmother Cleo who is no longer here but she continues to make that lasting impact while she is in Heaven watching over me! A Grandmother's job is so special. Love, smiles, visits, and hugs are all part of her job description. Ever since I was a little girl we would make drives down to Payson, Utah where Grandma Cleo lived. We would often times sit and visit with her and she would always comment how cute we looked. I always remember her liking all our shoes and clothes! She would always say, "I wish I could wear things like that at my old age!" She had quite the sense of humor and we would end up laughing for hours with her. We would then end up either going to lunch at the local drive ins or restaurants in town or we would drive into Provo for shopping and some lunch. Grandma loved shopping and chatting.

Even though the visits have gone away and my wonderful grandmother has passed on, she still visits me all the time as my guardian angel! Thinking of her makes me get through my trials and teaches me to love my life. I love you Grandma and I miss you so much!

F is for Four, Four, and Four

Four, Four, and Four Tag...

1. Four places that I go to all the time: The Gym (LA Fitness), The Mall, Joann Fabrics, and Hale Elementary

2. Four people who e-mail me (regularly): My Dad, My mother-in-law, Facebook, and Forever21

3. Four favorite smells: My scentsy scents; Grapefruit blossom, Wasabi Ginger, Sunkissed Citrus, and Coconut Lemongrass

4. Four other places I would rather be right now: On a shopping spree at the Mall of America, Italy, Bahamas, and Australia

5. Four people who love you the most: My hubby, my mommy, my daddy, and my sisters Tiffers and Ka Ka

6. Four TV shows I watch: Grey's Anatomy, So You Think You Can Dance, One Tree Hill, and Bachelor/Bachelorette

7. Four of your favorite candies: Sour Patch kids, swedish fish, snickers, and Flipz (are those candy... They have chocolate on them)

8. Four of your best friends: Emily, Serena, Julienne, and Amorette

9. Four pet peeves: when people drive slow in the fast lane, when people leave things out on the counter or in places. There are places for things. Why not put them where they go instead to leaving them out?, when a student doesn't listen to the instructions you give and then says, "Teacher I don't get it." and finally when my hubby leaves his dishes with food or drink still on them in the sink!!

10. Four Favorite Disney, Pixar, or Dreamworks movies: Shrek, Beauty and The Beast, Cars, and Madagascar

E is for Enjoy

"When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the dance floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way."

Today's ABC's post is a short and simple one. I am full of gratitude this day for the things in my life. I have a wonderful life full of happiness and love. I have an amazing husband whom I adore and love. I am a part of a wonderful family who loves me no matter what. I am a friend to many of those who I share life with. I am healthy and strong. I have a great career where I make differences in children's lives. These are among many of the things I enjoy about being me.

D is for Dating Drama

Okay so I have been OBSESSED with the Bachelorette this season and for my A-Z posting I thought it would be fun to take a poll. I'd like to know who you want Jillian to choose this season, Ed or Kiptyn. Leave a comment and we will see who the crowd chooses.

I personally think she got rid of my favorite Reid. You could tell he really loved her but just had a hard time expressing it in words. He was devastated when he left and I was too! :) But if I had to choose from the two left, I would choose Kiptyn. I have liked Kiptyn from the beginning but Reid started to win my heart over half way through the season. There is something about Ed that I can't stand. Maybe it was those green shorts! YIKES!

C is for College Days

Okay I thought it would be fun to post pictures of college and to share the memories I had at UVSC in Orem, Utah. I went to UVSC all 4 years and loved every minute. I made new friends and met interesting roommates. I dated lots guys some good, others bad but the days in college shaped me into who I am today. I would never trade the precious friends I have to this day that made my college experience the best ever!