I Got a Job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I have been graduated for over a year now and I've been in the hopes of a full-time job for a while now...and that dream came TRUE on Monday (Sept. 12, 2011)!!!...Wahoo! It all happened because of great people who gave me great credentials, great supporters who have been pulling for me for a long time, and most of all because of a loving Heavenly Father who knows me better than I know myself. I am now a Math Resource teacher for 7th grade. Luckily I like Math and I'm excited about the journey ahead.

Lately I've been blessed with other jobs as well and it has just been too good to be true. I currently work at the USU at the extension in Brigham at night and my schedule couldn't be more ideal. Also, I've been an art teacher at an elementary school but it was only part-time. The greatest blessing of all has been working at the fruitstand, where I can always rely on a job. I've just been super blessed!!! I'm going to have to quit the art teaching job but fortunately I can keep my night job and then still go to the fruitstand whenever to just be with family and friends. Life is great and I just wanted to share my good news with everyone!


(P.S. I wrote this forever ago but my blog wouldn't let me post it, but today it finally worked-Yay!)

Mothers Who Know!

G3 Girls

Video of me and my old roommates!!!

If you want to see it copy and paste this URL in an address box.

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=f7f90c9ddf9e38b4&sid=2AbNWrNk1ZNHIQ

My incredible sister!

For those that don't know, the first example of writing what is important is my sister (it'll make sense when you watch it). Isn't she and my nieces BEAUTIFUL?

The Main Event

For almost two months at the Boys and Girl's Club I have been preparing for January 26th and it finally came! January 26th was the day of the big game/the crowning event...I have been doing a Basketball club for my "Fanz" (3rd to 5th graders) boys and a Dance/Cheerleading Club for my "Fanz" girls. I've been doing practices with the boys and I was teaching the girls cheers and a dance to do for the half-time entertainment. Things at the Club aren't always concrete so it's hard to keep consistency when you never know who's going to be at the club and who actually feels up to participating. Things are always a little crazy but it all turned out so well and I'm so grateful for all the help that I received. The kids had a blast and they all did a great job!!!



My Cheerleaders/Dancers-We took an hour before heading over to the church to get all dolled up. We also previously had made tutus out a tulle so that the girls had a costume. They did a great job! My dad even said, "The best part of the game was the cheerleaders and that's not usually the case."













My "Bullies"-The Bullies is what they chose for the team name. We made little team shirts that consisted of a Bull holding a ball with their name and number on the shirt along with the team name.















Let the Game begin!...Before the game started we announced the teams and the boys came running into the gym. They were a little shy but you could tell that they enjoyed it.

















The Half-time entertainment-The girls did great. They danced to Justin Bieber's song "Baby" (which they always complained about but deep down I think that they secretly love the song). There's a part in the song where a guy raps for a little bit and during that part the girls just do free-style and dance however they want. That turned out to be my favorite part of the dance because they were just so cute. I was really amazed though at how well they did.












The final score...WE WON!!! There were many that believed that we wouldn't win because of the fact that we were playing against a team that has been playing together for a while. However, I had no doubt in my boys. Team Bullies is made up of boys who have a competitive spirit and they fought hard until the very end. I was so proud of them and winning just made the whole event that much better.













And I need to give a huge thanks to my family...



My Mom-my scorekeeper/announcer













My Dad-my ref














My sister Chelsea-my Cheerleader manager















My niece Emme-my fill-in announcer














...Thank you so much! You're amazing and I couldn't of pulled this off without you!

Listen to Dance Songs

My Family!

I love Christmas time and the focus that it gives us to remember the things that really matter. Everyone has a greater desire to be more Christ-like and I love it when people are united in a cause. True there is always sorrow but there is a lot of joy as well. I’m especially grateful for those that show me love and for the great examples I have in my life. I wanted to dedicate this blog posting to my family and tell them why I think that they are so great. There are many others that aren’t blood that I would like to do the same for but I don’t want to leave anyone out. Just know that you are all so great! However, if you’re not family you might be bored by this blog-so don’t worry about reading it.

First my Grandparents…
-My Grandpa Tyler-I’m grateful for my Grandpa’s example of persevering. He can’t drive, nor hear, he can barely see and he lives alone. He doesn’t live a charmed life yet he carries on and that is not always easy to do.
-My Grandpa Nielson-I’m grateful for my Grandpa’s great love that he has for his children. He works hard for all of us and always has been a beacon to our family and to those that know him. He’s our rock in the family.
-My Grandma Nielson- My Grandma is a great example of giving of her time. She does a lot behind the scenes and is very much a go-getter.

Now my Parents…
-My Dad-My Dad is such a hard-worker. He’s constantly showing me how to be dedicated and I’m grateful for the times that we spend together. He has always taken the time to teach his kids and to be a great support to us in all of our endeavors.
-My Mom-My Mom is beautiful inside and out. She’ll never admit she’s beautiful and she is the least vain person that I know. She has a great love for others and everyone feels it. She is constantly serving her family and others by her many talents that she has been blessed with. (I have none of my Mom’s talents and so I really appreciate her gifts)

Next my Siblings and Sibling In-Laws (my protectors…they all take great care of me and they are all my mother hens…thanks!)...
-Bill-Bill is a great dad and he’s extremely smart. Our family has benefited greatly from his computer skills. Bill is also very warm and welcoming.
-Kelly-Is a great sister. Kelly moved out of the house when I was younger but I remember Kelly holding my hand to help me sleep whenever I was scared. She would also tell me to think of happy thoughts. Kelly is wonderful and I love her greatly.
-Dallas-Dallas is a great big brother and I love talking with him. Dallas has a quiet strength about him and he’s just very likeable. Love ya Dall.
-Mari-Mari has such wisdom and I love her advice and insight. Mari is beautiful inside and out and she always knows how to put me at ease.
-Derrek-I have always looked up to Derrek-I always wanted to be like him. Derrek is super kind hearted and loving (even though he hides it). I love ya big brother.
-Adrienne-Ade is pretty much the coolest, prettiest, most down to earth person I know. Ade has such a great personality and she is a great addition to our family.
-Dave-Dave is such a dedicated person and he has a lot of motivation. Like Chelsea he’s a great example and he has a great sense of humor.
-Chelsea-Chelsea is super talented and good at everything she does. She has been my perfect example and she has helped me to make better choices by the life that she leads. I’ve been very blessed to have such a great sister.

Last and not least my beautiful Nieces and Nephews…
-Dallin-Dallin has a heart of gold. He has always been my bud and he’s so smart and clever. We can talk about anything and Dallin knows how to put a funny twist on any topic. (We can even talk about freeps…haha)
-Ashlin-Ashlin constantly has her hands busy and she is always making things for others. She is a great example of serving others and she has a great laugh. I love watching movies with her; she makes the funny parts even funnier because of her ability to laugh out loud.
-Jaron-Jaron is my goober. I just love him. He’s all boy and he has such innocence and he has got an awesome personality. You have to watch your back with him though. He’s a full fledge wrestler and he can’t get enough of it and he’s always fully charged.
-Kaylen-Kaylen is a tough cookie and she completes the Burton family. She’s also a great cuddler-which I love.
-Emmeline-Emme and I have a love/hate relationship. Which makes our relationship all the more meaningful. I work hard for her love and when she finally embraces me it makes it all worthwhile. Emme is so intelligent and talented and she’s such a sweetie.
-Brielle-Brielle is so loving. She always greets me with the biggest smile and she has brought me comfort many times when I’ve been down. I love her hugs and the times she has fallen asleep on my shoulder.
-Avery-Avery is very independent and apparently she processes some of my same qualities that I processed as a child. She’s the wandering Jew part II. She, like Emme, has to let you in her bubble but being inside the bubble is a good place to be. I envision Avery to be a very quick wit in the future and to have a funny/sassy personality.
-Riley-Riley has the most beautiful laugh and has the sweetest temperament. He can brighten anyone’s day.

The Traditional Christmas Blog-Dec. 11, 2010

The one word for this night would be...CROWDED. Every family in Utah seemed to have the same idea (imagine that). It was really fun though and it's always good to see family! Thanks Chels for organizing it. You're the greatest!

The Frontrunner
























Gateway/Food

















Temple Square

Burtonsmith -(Minus Kelly even though she might be the true long lost relative of Steven Tyler)

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Papa and the Dancing Tots

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Provo Halloween Half-Marathon

Here's a video and pictures of the race.

Provo Halloween Half-Marathon

P.S. Apparently I need to repent and give Jacki a shout out for providing the lower-half of my 80s attire. Thank you Jacki...if it wasn't for you I wouldn't of had my smurf legs to carry me through the race.

It was stupid...but I did it!

Last Saturday on the 30th on October I ran a Halloween half marathon. The whole idea of running isn't my favorite. Since this was a Halloween race however, that meant that costumes were involved. Since it gave me a chance to dress up I decided to run it. This is all thanks to my sister Kelly and my brother in-law Bill who had asked me if I had wanted to run it with them. If it wasn't for their motivation there is no way I would of even considered to have run the race. However, it may just be my first and my last half marathon and the story of it goes as follows...

Pre-race
So typically before a half marathon a lot of training takes place. As for me I was okay with playing basketball and maybe running once a week-if that. And if I did I would run only about 4 miles. Granted one Saturday I ran 11 miles with my sister and brother in-law and that was the extent of my training. Anywho, that was just to get the point across that I wasn't greatly prepared.

Pre-race/Morning of
So the day of the race comes and I could of slept better but all and all I was ready to go. I got up and crimped and ratted my hair and added some fake eyelashes to my 80's attire (in my pictures you can tell that my eyelashes look like they are going to fall off, and what stupid girl wears fake eyelashes as she runs anyway? Me I guess...I had them for Witches Night and I ended up wearing different ones, so I figured I had to wear them for something). Once we were all ready to go we took off and we parked at the University Mall so that buses can haul us up to the starting point. The line was long and it was a bit chilly but it went pretty smoothly. Once we got on the bus however I started to realize that I hadn't felt so great. I was starting to feel queasy but I wasn't going to let it get to me. I didn't feel nervous in the slightest, but I just shook it off as nerves. Eventually we got to our destination (which is within Provo Canyon) and we just waited around more until it began. Mostly the waiting around consisted of bathroom breaks, bathroom breaks, and more bathroom breaks (the porter potties and lines before races is quite the sight).

The Race
The scenery was beautiful and the weather was perfect. The trail was extremely down hill for at least the first 5 miles, but you just run and try not to think. The craziest thing I saw during the race is that this boy was running with no shoes. I was shocked. My brother in-law saw him also and I guess he talked to him for a little bit. The boy had told him that he hadn't worn shoes since May. I would think that even if you have built up some nice calluses you would still need shoes for the shock factor. I know that my calves and Achilles were rock hard by the end. He should of dressed up as Fred Flintstone or Tarzan but he hadn't.

Post Race
I finished with a 2:18 time. With bathroom stops though I think I'm going to claim 2:15-it just sounds better...haha...Once I crossed the finish line and saw my sister I gave her a hug and at that moment I wanted to cry. I didn't know that I was going to feel so spent. However, I held in my tears, but my sickness manifested itself quickly. Sadly getting back to the University Mall was a nightmare. The buses were lost and confused and it seemed as if there was only one bus taking runners back to their cars. However, we eventually made it back to Spanish Fork (where my sister lives). The rest of the day for me was not one that I want to remember. I was throwing up, plus very dehydrated, and body aches on top of that. Once we made it back home I made my Mom hold my hand or put her hand on my forehead while I laid down. I felt miserable, and I don't remember a time that I had felt so sick. Needless to say I now have a very sour taste in my mouth when it comes to races. I'll probably do it again, but for now I'm not going to do one anytime soon. Sadly if I did it on another day it would of been fine, cause I probably caught a bug from a kid at work. Oh well, at least now I have bragging rights and can say that I ran 13.1 miles...Wahoo...and this is coming from a girl who cheated while running a 5K and who used to think that running the mile in the sixth grade was just pure, inhumane torture.

Witches Night

So Witches Night came once again and I went as a cowgirl witch and it was a barrel of cackles as usual. If I went all out I would of taken one of those kid toy horses on a stick and then added broom bristles to the end, but my costume usually extends to whatever I can find at the DI. Katie, however, is very talented and always makes hers. Someday I'll have patience for sewing but for now the cheapness and the convenience of the DI will do. I did however buy a sewing pattern down there so that I can make some sweet slippers. Gratefully I have a Mom who is an awesome sewer and it'll probably be more of her having patience with me. Rather than me having to learn patience.


Here is a few pics of the night. Luckily the weather was nice to us...


I love this picture because it's almost
as if I popped Katie on the head and
all I can say is "opps!"






Natalie (Katie's sister), Me, and Katie












This picture makes me laugh because
I look like a giant. In all honesty I
am but this picture portrays it very well.






I loved this costume...poor guy, tough luck.





And here's Katie looking fabulous as usual.

Our Little Halloween Party

The other day we just planned a little party that involved pumpkin painting and making Halloween delectables. Isn't October great? I love October for many reasons...For one, I love pumpkins and two, I love chocolate...Halloween is such a great holiday!


The Party Fun!

Silly Me

So I'm a wuss...

My sister Chelsea told me that I need to change my music on my blog and I agreed. She puts it on for background music sometimes and with the same songs repeating over and over it had made for a long overdue, needed change. So I decided with Halloween coming up that I would do some fun Halloween songs. I found some goods ones and posted them. However, they lasted about a half-an-hour. I decided that they scared me. Hence me being a wuss. I had songs like the Monster Mash and Thriller; songs I normally like but for some reason I couldn't bare to put them on my blog and have it be my background noise. I don't know why I'm posting about this, but I felt like proclaiming my chicken heritage.

So that is that...Nothing exciting but just know not to lurk around corners if you are ever with me, because if silly songs scare me then who knows what else might.

camp rock 2 - introducing me - nick jonas full song and video

I just think that this song is cute. Enjoy!

Yummy!

Home-made Spaghetti

From the kitchen of Emme
Ingredients
-home-made play dough
-a cup of strawberry yogurt
-and yarn or hair pulled from the old legendary rocking horse

No cooking required

(Creative master pieces don't take long. A few turned backs and WHA-LA)


The Outcome




The Chef














Warning...Side effects may include a permanent head tilt

#17-Paint cement plant...CHECK

So yesterday I was able to check off one of the things that is on my mental "do before I die" checklist (hopefully someday I'll make the checklist less mental and finally put it on paper). Anyway with work I drive past the old cement plant and I always think that someday my artistry will be displayed up there...and that day finally came.

About a week or two ago my friend Jacki asked me to help make signs for her brother who is coming home from his two year mission in Jamaica (he actually could be stepping out the airplane door as I write this). I agreed of course, but then later on I realized that my graffiti dream could finally come true. I told my friend that I couldn't help her unless we did some vandalizing and her response was..."Oh Kandie..." Little did I know that she already had this plan in mind-Wahoo!

So the day comes and the story goes as follows...
First we set off with ladder and supplies in stock in a truck that is drawing closer and closer to the E on the gas reading. We take off onto the freeway and we end up making a full circle going from Brigham to Honeyville and back. Then realizing we needed to fill up we decided to head to Corinne to get some answers and some gas. I went into the gas station to ask for some help and a girl that I used to work with was the employee there and luckily she had the answers of how to get to the plant. However, I always like a good adventure and I'm pretty sure that Jacki got lost for my sake. Once we finally got there though we hauled our ladder a good distance while dodging cow pies; which actually turned out to be pointless extra work but all and all it adds to the adventure of things. Then we finally got to work and it didn't turn out half bad. By the time it was done Jacki and I felt pretty accomplished.

Disclaimer: Hopefully all of this is legal. I would think that vandalizing vandalism is justifiable. We probably put the 300th layer of paint on so that can't be too bad right?


The beginnings


The goods












Crazy Jacki








My wannabe Senior picture














Vandalizers










The Final Product

A Prayer and One Ugly Dog

So today I had an experience that contrasted from the norm of a typical day. Everyday I work with kids and my vocabulary is very predictable. My daily famous quotes are- “Watch your language”, “Stop”, “Get off…”, “Stop throwing…”, “Talk appropriately”, etc. With all the negativity that goes on it can be very draining. However, on the flipside there is enough good to keep me going. Today something happened that was quite endearing and definitely worth blogging about.

With my work I get to drive out to Tremonton and get kids. Usually I was just doing this in the mornings but recently I do it in the afternoons as well. I haven’t done it very often but my drives back from Tremonton in the afternoons have been kind of routine. Routine in the sense that I have one little girl that I take back that goes berserk every time-EVERY TIME. I usually drive a suburban that has no AC and with no AC you can be certain that the windows are down. This specific little girl will at first complain about the wind and then she starts screaming at the top of her lungs to the other kids and she tells them to "stop sassing" her. A “sass” in her mind can be just a look in her direction. Then she starts bawling and the screaming continues for the entire ride. Luckily for me the noisiness of the wind drowns out a lot of the noise. It’s always quite comical actually but her screams come from the gut and they are screams of horror. It’s more of the after math thoughts that make it comical. I always do what I can but she’s always pretty hysterical. Anyway, I mention all of that just to give you a background of what a drive is usually like, but today that wasn’t the case…

Today I went to the park where I pick them up and there was the UGLIEST dog I have ever seen. It was a black, small dog and it was wobbling on three legs. It had no hair except for on his face and on his tail. On it’s head it had hair that swooped back and then on its chin it had a long, white goatee. I want to post a picture of an ugly dog picture found from the internet to give you an idea, but those pictures scare me and I don’t want to look at it every time I get onto my blog. Alas, just know that physically it wasn’t very desirable. Anyway the kids had given this dog a name and the name given was Hope- it also had received the nickname of Baby. Neither of which are names that I would of pegged for the creature. The kids however didn’t want to leave the dog and were sad that it was Friday because they wanted to come back tomorrow and take care of the dog. Sadly though we had to leave the dog behind and head back to Brigham. On the way back to the Boys and Girls Club it was very pleasant and I was enjoying the fact that my little screamer wasn’t at the club today. Plus to add to my enjoyment my favorite song came on the radio and I probably hear this particular song 3 times a year on the radio. Therefore, I turned the radio up very loud and started singing in my extremely “wonderful” singing voice. At this however my kids wanted me to turn the radio off (“I didn’t think my singing was that bad!”). I told them I would after the song and they were okay with it, so I soon learned that they didn’t want the radio off because of my singing-Phew...haha. Once I did turn the radio off I soon learned why they desired some quietness. My three girls in my backseat soon said a prayer together for the “lovely” Hope. They desired his safety and hoped that he would be okay. It was the sweetest thing that I have witnessed in a long time. All summer I have witnessed how friends can have a bad influence on you and how they can make you act differently then how you normally would act without them around. All kids are good but I’ve come to believe that peers can be very detrimental. However, today I was proven wrong. It was good for me to see the strength that friends can give another. I love learning from kids, and I think it’s crazy how teaching goes full circle. We’re supposed to be teaching them but they always end up teaching us.

80's Dance

Thanks Jacki for motivating me to go. Memories always overrides sleep!

P.S. The Activities Committee is incredible!!!

P.S.S. I was going for a Madonna look if you're totally confused about my outfit. Really it's an old witch outfit of mine that I made for "Witches Night" for down at Gardner Village in Salt Lake about three years ago. I just revised it a little and said I was Madonna. Not too shabby for throwing everything together within 30 minutes. Not to mention that I had looked like a drowned rat after a busy day. But hey, I think drowned rats were the style in the 80s.

P.S.S.S If you click where it says 80's Dance below it'll take you to a short video. I had some people who were confused so I thought I would make sense of things.

80's Dance