10 Reasons I Love AZ

From my last post you may think I hate Arizona. But that's just not true.

I really just hate being hot. 

And I have this semi-irrational fear of gangs that I won't get into right now.

Anyways, I actually love a lot of things about Arizona.

So here's a list of 10 reasons I Love Arizona

1. The people! Almost everyone I know from Arizona is so chill. They just roll with the punches and like to laugh. Oh sure they are human sometimes things get out of hand. But a lot of my favorite people are from/in Arizona.
2. The winter! So it's the perfect weather in the winter because it's not so hot. It's perfect for hiking, playing soccer, playing tag, jumping on the trampoline. All those things can happen during the day and you don't have to worry about snow (most of the time-yes it has snowed in

   

   The 3 wise men and their camels.

   Phoenix) (and unless you're in Northern AZ where it does snow in the winter). Also the Mesa temple Lights are the best! My favorite part is the 3 wise men crossing with their camels across the front lawn.
3. It's actually a pretty desert. If you've ever driven through Nevada you know what an ugly place the desert can be. (Sorry Nevada) But Arizona actually has the pretty red rock, the Saguaro cactus (that bloom really pretty blooms) and lots of other cactus that add color  to the scenery. And it all is so beautiful against the Arizona Blue sky. Arizona's skies are beautiful and different than other places I've been.
4. The sky. Ok Sunsets at the beach are petty but Arizona Sunsets are the bomb.com. They are all that and a bag of chips. And yeah it's the pollution, but seriously, you have got to see the sunsets. To see these skies check out my cousin Libby's facebook page  Hello From New River. She takes really beautiful photos of New River, AZ where she lives.
   
5. Public Pools. Ok I don't know if the prices are the same but when I was younger the price to get into the pool as a kid was like $.50 and a $1.50 as an adult. Somewhere around there. Oh and after 6pm it was $.25 for everyone. I remember that because we used to go with our friends sometimes. So I was shocked, SHOCKED, when I took these kids I was babysitting to a public pool in Utah and it was $5 per person and $10 if you wanted to use the wave rider. It was crazy! My best friend and I would go to Cactus Park at least once a week to go swimming when I was younger. That would not be possible in other places I have realized. Perhaps it is seen as a public service to keep people from dying from heat. I don't know but I loved it.
6. Castles and Coasters. I know what you're thinking "Really?" But yes. It's probably mostly nostalgia but I love that place. I have lots of good memories from there with family and friends. Also the log ride people. It's the best ride there and if you go at the right time no one is in line and they just let you stay on forever.
7. Water parks. Water World (I just can't call it Wet N' Wild, it will always be Water World in my heart) & Sunsplash are awesome. (I have never been to Big Surf) Not just nostalgia this time I have not actually been to water parks better than them. Plus Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure was partly filmed at Sunsplash

   

   I took this picture at Sunsplash in 2007 in the Lazy River.

   and that's one of the greatest movies ever made. I digress. Other water parks I've been to have been way crowded, not just with people but I feel like the rides are so close together. And you have to rent tubes even for the lazy river. So that means people are SWIMMING in the LAZY river. Sorry but it's not called the "kind of lazy" river. And then if you do get a tube your constantly drowning the small children that are swimming in there without a tube. Tubes should be in the lazy river free of charge (and not be allowed taken other places understandably). I'm probably going to start a change.org petition about this.
8. Northern Arizona. It's really pretty you guys and if you just can't stomach the heat anymore down in Phoenix, Flagstaff is just a 2 hour drive away. Or one of the other numerous small towns in Arizona. It's really lovely. I love that most of Arizona is a lot of small towns.
9. The down hominess of it. I don't really know how to describe this very well but I think it relates to the chillness of the people I mentioned in #1. I just feel like even though I was from this huge sprawling metropolis of Phoenix and the surrounding areas, things were...It's really hard for me to describe. People take their time to do things... But I mean idk hopefully Arizona people understand what I mean. It just had a nice feeling for the most part.
10. Maybe you will say I'm cheating and that 10 is the same as number one but I think they are different. 10 is that my family is mostly all there. All but one of my siblings and their family live there. And I have lots of extended family there. And that's where I feel most comfortable is with them. They are my people and I love them. 

So I haven't shunned Arizona forever, maybe we could live in Northern Arizona one day, but never Phoenix.

Phoenix, Arizona

Ok, if you didn't know, now you do, I'm from Phoenix.

Most of my family is still there.

But despite that, I have a goal of never living there again.

IT'S SO HOT THERE!

And you're going to be like "Oh but it's a dry heat!" 

And then I'm going to have to punch you in the throat.

You don't understand. 

I don't care if you've been there and you're like "The humidity is worse."

I really don't.

It's hot. It's hot there 24/7. It doesn't even cool down at night. It's still 100F at 2 in the morning. By 9 am it's already 95F on a good day. On a horrible day it will already be 100F by 9am.

I've been to the humid places. I mean, I've been to the equator (though I will qualify that I was there in the 'winter' so it wasn't as humid as it normally gets) and I would take that any day over the sweltering oven inferno that is Phoenix, AZ. To me living in an oven is worse than living in a slow cooker.

(And when I get hot I hate everything and everyone and it's the absolute worst.

I realized this at church today because it was so hot there. I was sitting there and I was sweating and fanning myself and trying to avoid holding my child on my lap because I was so hot. And I was just mad. I just hated it. So yes it did take me 28 years to realize why I hate the heat. Probably because I was too hot to try to figure it out before.)

Anyways, last week I went to Phoenix because my dear older sister was getting married.

She got married in the Phoenix, Arizona temple. (So beautiful btw). And then her reception was outside! 

Lindsey and Austin after getting married! And probably like "It's so hot!"

I love my sister. This is how you know:

1. I went to Arizona in the summer.
2. I helped set up the outside reception.
3. I didn't stand in front of the giant fans the entire time at the reception.
4. I helped clean up the reception.

ALL IN THE SWELTERING HEAT!

It seemed so much worse this year than ever, probably because I've been gone for almost a decade.

But I love my sister and the reception was actually really nice and lovely. And I like her husband too. He is good and they are good together. Oh and I got to do the flowers again. So I liked that. And it was nice to see my family. 

But I love them more in the winter than in the summer.*

 No but seriously, I was so happy I could go and they could get married and everything worked out. It was really fun!

*Depending on my location

Stranger Thoughts

Have you been watching "Stranger Things" on Netflix?

via

If not you should try it out because it's pretty good man.

We are 4 episodes in now and we look forward to watching 1 or 2 episodes every night.

Although, when I first heard about the show I was told it was going to be like an X-Files type show. And I guess it kind of is in the way that there's a conspiracy (or is there?) But the thing about the X-Files that I loved is it was scary.

So scary I wasn't allowed to watch it for years. So scary that watching it now still scares me sometimes.

And makes me laugh too sometimes, but mostly it was scary.

Like episode 2 of season 1, THAT GUY GETS INTO YOUR LOCKED HOUSE AND EATS YOUR LIVER! AND HE HAS YELLOW EYES, "SO HELP ME, YELLOW EYES!" (10 points if you know where that quote is from).

But I digress...

"Stranger Things" has so far only made me cry a lot.  It has a few on the edge of your seat moments but mostly it has just made me cry a lot.

Why?

Because a little boy goes missing and that makes me sad.

and

because I cry super easily. I mean I cry at commercials for goodness sakes. Not the Sarah McLaughlin animal cruelty commercial. But the "Touched By an Angel" lady commercial with the kids in third world countries who don't have families.

Basically anytime I feel like a child is hurting or a family is hurting, I'm going to cry.

Anyways, that got a bit too serious and sad.

But yeah, Adrian's coworkers told him "Stranger Things" was scary. One of them even had to watch a happy show afterwards so they could calm down and go to bed after they finished.

So far I'm like "This is just sad, not scary!"

But I think it gets scarier towards the end. Right now it's the setup and then the scare. Hopefully. Yes maybe.

If you spoil this show for me, you should know that I will find you and I will give you a purple nurple.

You've been warned. 

Or a swirly.

You've been warned.

Or a package of Oreo's that is EMPTY! And then you'll see me enjoying all the Oreo's with a nice tall glass of milk. And when you ask for some, I will say "NO! Go give yourself a swirly," while giving you a purple nurple. And then I will finish watching "Stranger Things" and glare at you periodically because I already knew all the shocking parts.

You've been warned.

I mean just because it's not "X-Files" scary doesn't mean it's not good. And I love this kind of show best because it makes you think so much. A very good thriller fo' sho'.

Just be prepared to cry if you cry easily like I do.

Ok Bye

Oh Hey There ;)

Guys, I'm sorry it's been like what... 3 years.

Yeah, I was busy working and having a baby and being married and checking Facebook and you know browsing Pinterest and watching Gossip Girl and working on my Master's degree.

You know all the important things.

No but seriously I guest blogged for my mom on her blog 3 Winks Design and it made me miss blogging so I'm back.

(Seriously my mom is a genius you should check it out. She makes the best stuff on there.)

So instead of writing a lengthy post about all the marvelous things that have happened to us in the last 3 years I will just leave you a list of  

10 Important Things That Have Happened in the Last 3 Years to the Maruri Family. 

(Um I will work on the title of the list later...ok? OK)

1. We had a baby! We call him Little Buns(LB) and you will call him that too. He is just so little and cute. He makes our lives so much fuller and meaningful. Honestly he is the sweetest cutest baby in the world. I love him so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so sooooooooooooooo much.  (so I tried to hold down the 'o' to put a lot of 'o's and it wouldn't let me it kept wanting to put an 'ö' [umlaut{?}]) He came 6 weeks early and my water broke 8 weeks early and I had to be in the hospital just basically laying in bed for two weeks until my emergency c-section after having been in labor all day. But it was all worth it. Because he's the best, hands down.

   

   In the NICU

2. Adrian got a job at Pixar! so we moved to the Bay Area (California). Getting this job involved a 6 month internship in which Adrian was in CA and LB and I were still in Utah. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
3. I stopped teaching, because we moved here and I didn't get a job teaching here and I have to stay home with the LB. Which I'm happy about. My sister was living with me while Adrian was gone and she took care of LB while I was working. But then when we moved here she shortly after moved to Kansas to live with my brother and take care of his kids. She is an excellent baby sitter. They hardly get squashed at all.... HAHA Get it? Baby sitter! No but really she's really good.
4. We bought a new car because our old one was leaking gas and we were about to have a baby so that probably wasn't safe.



He's not playing with them here but they are using tracks he recorded.

5. Adrian played in a band called Festive People. They are fantastic! And they got to play at Stadium of Fire. It's a HUGE 4th of July show that is put on at BYU. Um Journey was there so that was awesome. Obvs he doesn't play with them any more because they are based in Utah and we are here. But he misses it, and I do too sometimes because I like their music. FYI they have a new album coming out soon and you should pre-order it on itunes because it's available for pre-order and you won't regret it.
6. I found out I have Hashimoto's. It's the worst...no it's not actually but it is annoying. If you google it though people act like it's the worst. I'm like "I thought I had cancer so this is much better." My Dr actually told me, "Of all the autoimmune diseases you could have, this is the one I would choose to have if I had to have one." (I feel like it was comforting in a weird way). No but it is annoying because you have to take a pill at least 30 minutes before you eat breakfast and I wake up starving a lot. And I mean you are insanely tired all the time, and it suppresses your metabolism so I basically haven't lost any baby weight (after a year), oh and it makes pregnancy difficult and causes premature births (see number one on the list). 
7.  Adrian Graduated from BYU!
8. We went to Ecuador! It was so fun and awesome to visit his homeland and see all his family.
9. Adrian won an award for the sound design he did on a student film called "The Surface" and he was nominated for another award at a different festival.
10. Adrian and LB went to Disneyland for the first time and they loved it and we can't wait to go back.

Ok I made the last 4 short because it was getting kind of long. Sorry about that. It's probably because I have all this backed up blogging energy I guess. 

OK BYE

P.S. All this editing to change the fonts and stuff takes too long and is not as fun when I don't have assignments to procrastinate. So I probs won't be doing it anymore unless you tell me you like it.

Hey I'm Back

So I decided to start my Joy In The Journey blog again so check it out. I might even stop updating this blog. Who knows?

posted from Bloggeroid

What the World Needs Now

Is love, sweet love.

I went to this Broadcast on Sunday and it was awesome.  I think the main message I got from it is that we need to be more loving to everyone.

Even people who don't think the same as we do.  It sounds weird to write that sentence because it sounds like we're thinking collectively as a group all the same things, but that's not how it is.  I think and you think and every individual thinks and has opinions.

And that's a good thing.

Sometimes we don't agree.

And that's ok.

Sometimes we can talk about how we don't agree and still be friends and loving with each other.

That is the message I took from the conference.  Well A message not THE message.

Because I mean the message was on missionary work.  And I got that message too.

And I loved all the messages and answers to prayers I received directly from that broadcast.  I felt like Heavenly Father had been preparing me all week for that broadcast.  I was really grateful he had been.

I would make a link so you could watch the broadcast but I don't think they are rebroadcasting it.

On another note...

Sometimes I read these other blogs and the comments people make.

And it makes me sad.

Because a lot of times the comments imply that because I think differently than the majority of people on that site I am a "closed-minded sheep that just follows and obeys what I'm told to do."  and that I'm "hateful" that I shouldn't vote based on "what I think is best for society no matter how many people it hurts."

And that last one was confusing because I don't think that is anyone's thought process when they vote.  Except crazies, like Hitler.

And don't we all (or shouldn't we all) be voting on what we think is best for society and using our moral compass as a guide?

And I don't think calling me names is really going to persuade me to look at your  arguments any further.

Also I don't think I'm hateful.  I try to be really nice to people and help everyone.  I think that I can dislike someone's actions and still like the person.  To say that's not possible is to deny God's plan for us don't you think?

Heavenly Father gives us agency to make choices.  He tells us there are consequences to choices, for both good and bad.  He knows we can choose to sin.  He also loves every single one of His children.  I do not think that if God hated people who sinned He would have provided the atonement so that they could return to live with Him forever.  I do, however, think that He loves us unconditionally, but He doesn't have to like all of our actions.

Just like a parent loves their child who hits their brother.  The parent still loves both children equally, but doesn't condone the actions of the first child.

I think many people are capable of this kind of love.  Because I think that's how Christ loved.  Yes he loved the adulterous woman, and he didn't condemn her to death.  What did he tell her?  To "go and sin no more."  Because he loved her and he wanted her to be able to live with God forever and with her family.

That's what I want for everyone.  I want everyone to be happy and know that, YES, sometimes life here is hard, but we are loved and there is no reason to give up because we have the Atonement and we can repent and live forever with our families if we endure to the end.

Eternal perspective.  It's important I think.

Anyways I digress, my point is let's just remember that just because we disagree doesn't meant that one of us is a "hateful sheep."  And we can love people without loving their actions.  The greatest examples of this being Christ and Heavenly Father.

I Noticed Differences

I can't sleep. Which really stinks because I need to be up in 5 hours and then drive for an hour. My mind is just racing for some reason. So maybe laying out some thoughts will be helpful.

The school year is almost over.  I feel frazzled. I'm really glad I have a day without students that I can use to focus on getting my room organized the way I want it. It was hard coming in during the middle of the year. I still feel like I'm in another teachers room.  So I'm looking forward to that most defs.

Also I've noticed some differences from my first school to this one in the way I'm treated.
At my old school we were all pretty much first year teachers. But we had a lot of responsibility. I feel like as a middle school we really bonded as a team and really tried to work together more. We talked about how to handle different kids and to make learning and responsibility a priority for our students. I had to go to TONS of IEP meetings because, let's face it, I was ata charter school and like 90% of my students had IEPs. I miss all those students so much.  Anyways at my new school we're actually told we are part of these teams but I don't really feel a part of my main team. Mostly because I don't really have a strong bond with the other two teachers. I feel like they see me as this young new teacher who they saved from this horrible situation and who doesn't really know much. I know why they think that; it's because I'm very quiet when you first meet me. I just am. And we were I. An IEP meeting the other day witha mom who didn't speak English. So when I was giving feedback I had to wait for the interpretation which threw off my flow. And afterward they were like treating me like I was trying to sugar coat the truth. But the reason I struggled was the flow interruption. They were saying things like "You just learn after awhile that you have to just lay things out how they are." And All I could think was yeah I know I've already been to billions of IEPs. Plus I'm an honest person, I know lying will help nothing. I'm not mad because I know they we just trying to be helpful but it was irritating because I know that I'm capable of what they were assuming I couldn't do.

And then idk why it bugs me so much that they treat me like such a newbie. Maybe it's because I've been teaching or tutoring in one form or the other since high school. Teaching is just what I do. I taught sped kids math in high school as a sophomore. Then I was a peer tutor for chemistry as a senior in high school. I'm pretty sure I was a peer tutor my junior year of high school too it i can't recall for what class. Then I was a science teacher at a private school. And a physics tutor. Then I was a physical science 100 ta at BYU. Plus my student teaching, I just feel like its just something that interests me and I'm good at it. So yes it bugs me when people treat me like I don't know anything about teaching.

I'm not saying I do know everything, and I do appreciate advice and help. And I do love and appreciate my teammates. They are great people. It's just very different than what I was at. Some good different and some bad different.

Oy vey I'm just glad the first year is over.