Gone with the Wind

I was going to have this be a post showing all of my latest Christmas decorations. For some reason, blogger is only allowing me to add one picture to this post, which happens to be this one showcasing my Gone with the Wind collection.

I don't mind that at all actually. Of all the things in my house to have displayed I am probably most excited about this. When I was in the 8th grade I got hooked on the movie Gone with the Wind. I wanted more than anything to be a Southern Belle like Scarlett O'Hara (minus the attitude of course). Over time my collection of memorabilia has started to grow. In high school I was given the video collection and purchased the book for myself. Later I was given figurines. A little over a year ago Matt gave me the DVD. Now I have Christmas ornaments and these beautiful collector plates that use to adorn the walls of my grandmother's bedroom. I use to stare up at them in awe when I was a child. Now I feel so fortunate have them be the first items that welcome all my guests into my home. It's a beautiful collection; one that represents to me one of the most important themes of the timeless classic: home is where we find our strength to rebuild ourselves after any "battle."

I love my class...

Week 1 almost done and it's been fabulous! I am convinced I am one of the luckiest first year teachers ever. I have an absolutely fantastic 5th grade class. They are a lot of fun!

First Day of School

Wow! I survived the First Day of School. It feels good, but I'm the definition of exhausted. Let me try to lead you all through my day. I don't know if everyone will be interested in all the details, but I know all TFT friends will be.

Lets see....

The morning started off with all the kids coming into see their new classroom. They were all so quiet. I was shocked. I didn't expect them to be so nervous. I even had one boy cry to his mom because he was so nervous. I went over and told him I was so scared last night I cried (which is true by the way - I really did!).

When the bell rang they all got started on a crossword puzzle for about five minutes until the timer went off. We went over procedures and then transitioned into Morning Meeting. They did great, but they were so quiet. The whole morning they were so quiet. I could tell it was definitely a "honeymoon" phase, but it honestly had me worried to death. They were so quiet I couldn't tell at all what they were thinking. I couldn't tell if they were buying into anything I was talking about. They just sat there. I realized later they were still just getting the nerves out.

After they went to computers, the whole class filled out a reading questionnaire for me, while small groups got to explore the classroom library and choose an AR book. Then it was recess!

After recess I had them put together their Readers' Notebooks. This took longer than I planned but it was all good. We then did Interactive Vocabulary together to learn new words in the book we starting to read Sarah, Plain and Tall. The boys were really into. I couldn't tell what the girls were thinking.

Lunch then came sooner than I expected. Oh, and one thing I just realized today is that we don't have bells! No bells in the whole school! It's crazy. You just have to watch the clock. I would definitely change that if I had my way :) Anyway, lunch was good. I assigned groups of students to sit together. During lunch they had to find 5 things they have in common with each person in the group and then be prepared to share with the class. There was one minor problem at lunch recess with two of my boys and two boys from another class. But we worked it out!

During the afternoon the kids started to find their voices again. They were definitely getting comfortable. I read them Don't Pop Your Cork on Mondays. They learned they can read that book anytime they feel stressed. Thanks Don for the idea! We'll read the rest of the books every day this week also. Then they shared about lunch we did a short math review. They had recess.

After recess we did a mapping social studies lesson. Not bad. I put them in small groups and they definitely liked visiting with their neighbors (no big surprise there). Before I knew it the day was gone. I didn't get to go outside like I wanted to do to do a couple of trust initiatives. We'll try for one tomorrow. We quickly filled out their planners. They were so excited to have their own planners. This is something the school provides to only 5th graders. They felt so grown up with them. It was pretty cute.

Then that was it. They were gone. I couldn't believe it. That was it. Now it's on to tomorrow. I just have a few copies to make then we're ready to go. But like I said I'm so exhausted. Good luck to all my fellow TFTers who will be starting soon. You'll do great! It definitely feels good to have the first day under your belt, just remember that!

The Thesis is Complete!!!

I haven't updated my blog lately because somewhere in the midst of boxes is my cord to connect my camera to upload pics. I didn't want to update without pictures. However, I can tell you all this. My thesis is done!!!!! I'm printing it out at this very moment. Aaahhh...the sweet sound of the printer as it prints out all 70 something pages. There's nothing like it :)

Following

So today in Relief Society someone made a comment about how to be a follower of Christ and the type of devotion we should put into that effort. She compared the type of follower she wants to be to the type of follower she and pretty much the rest of the world (we all know we're guilty) are on blogs, facebook, myspace, and twitter. She commented on how amazing it is that we'll spend an hour "following" what our best friend from 3rd grade is eating for lunch, but how little time we spend during an average day "following" Christ by learning of his teachings and being his disciples. Funny I how I just remembered this comment after blogging and trying to connectmy blog to facebook. Think about what we could all do if we put the same amount of time in on facebook as we do reading the scriptures. Just the thought of it is pretty empowering. Thanks, Arly-Lian, for your insight!

Update

It seems like no one has updated their blog lately :( I know I'm also guilty. So here a few exciting updates of the things in no particular order!

1. Hot chicken nuggets that just came out of the oven (Sorry, I'm really hungry)
2. On schedule to have my thesis turned in to my reader the week of July 13th (I cannot wait for it to be done)
3. Going to the Great Wolf Lodge this weekend in Washington for the 4th (A whole weekend with waterslides, Matt, and the cutest kids ever!)
4. Samantha and Taron getting married (and it looks like I am going to be able to make it after worrying that I wouldn't be able to make arrangements with work!!!!)
5. Someone is taking care of my lawn in Alturas while I'm not there (you really know you've hit adulthood when you worry that your lawn is going to die when you're not there to take care of it)
6. Teaching 5th grade in 8 WEEKS!!! (I know I've been nervous about it, but I am really SO EXCITED!!!)
7. After two days at the pool I got a little bit of a suntan and did not get burned. This is progress for me!
8. My house in Alturas is completely furnished and just waiting for me to move in.

That's it for now my devoted readers ;) Plenty more updates to come in this still exciting summer left ahead!

My Classroom!

This past weekend I got to peek inside my classroom. Remember these images and enjoy watching it transform over the summer. I can't wait!!!!

Credential Ceremony

What a great Memorial Day weekend! Here are few pics from my credential ceremony. Below are pics from the rest of the weekend, which included a trip to the city and my master's graduation! Thank you to everyone who made it so memorable for me. It feels wonderful to have made it this far.

The City

With everyone here we headed to San Francisco on Monday. We cruised Pier 39 and escaped from The Rock.

Master's Graduation

So my friends and I were thinking the other day if you get called "Dr." when you get your Ph.D., do you get a title when you earn your masters? Does that mean I'm Master Bridwell? Probably not...

I'll settle for Ms. Bridwell, thank you! Can't wait for those 5th graders!

ABC's about me

You've been tagged! You are supposed to write a note with the ABC's of YOU. At the end, choose 26 people to be tagged. You have to tag me so really you just need 25 more people.

Like Sami I don't know 25 people with blogs. I tag Carolyn (Mom), Rachel, Jessie, and Tara

A - Age: 23

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Laundry. It's never ending and I only have my clothes to do.

D - Dog(s) name: Bailey.

E - Essential start your day item: I like to wake up somewhat earlier than I need to (I know everyone finds me crazy) so I can take my time being able to check my email and sometimes check read the newspaper online. I cannot walk out the door without talking to Matt first.

F - Favorite color: Blue

G - Gold or Silver: Tough. I go back and forth depending on my outfit. My favorite piece of jewelry right now is a gold heart necklace Matt gave me for Valentine's Day. However, I like silver rings and earrings.

H - Height: 5'6 and 3/4 according to the doctor in high school. I was so bummed. I wanted to hit that 5'7 mark.

I - Instrument: Oh if only. I took a piano class in college, but as with mastering all worthwhile pursuits one needs to practice. I did not keep up on it. :(

J - Job title: 5th Grade Teacher!!!!!! Well, not officially until the 19th of this month. I've been hired now I just have to wait for the school board to approve it on that day. The superintendent assures me there will be no problem. For now I'm still a student teacher and substitute.

K - Kid(s): Can't wait to meet them! :)

L - Living arrangements: I live with my roommates Angela and Ashley in our house in Moraga. I'm going to miss it when I move. Right now I'm in the process of locating a rental in Alturas. I'm starting to think I may need to place figured out soon so I can start moving in June, because July is going to be such a crazy month working on my thesis. Oh boy, so much to think about, but I'm excited!!!!!!

M - Mom's name: Kim Ann (Phillips) Bridwell - She's so fabulous! Oh and now I have another mom (Matt's mom) also. Her name is Carolyn too!

N - Nicknames: Care Bear, Care, Sunshine, Beautiful, Sweetheart

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth of child: Haven't had one.

P - Pet Peeve: I have to agree with Sami, lieing is difficult for me to swallow. Be Honest is definitely going to be one of my classroom expectations, because it really breaks my heart when one of my students lie.

Q - Quotes you like:

"You have what I like to call high class problems." - President Criddle. My stake president, at the time bishop, told me this once when I went to him overwhelmed with big life stresses that I thought would lead to the end of the world if I did not choose wisely. Him saying this really had an impact on me. I realized for the first time how incredibly fortunate I am to have the stresses I have in my life. Not everyone gets the opportunity to stress about what college major to choose or what city to live in to because they never get the luxury of having options. In college I posted this quote above my door to remind myself of this everyday. It changed forever changed my prospective.

"The opposite of love is not hate; it's indifference." - Prof. James Temple. So you may think it's harsh that I put this up here, but I think it can be valuable quote to remember. I remember Prof. Temple using this in a lecture and being like wait what did he just say. I had to take a moment to process. Now it makes complete sense. It reminds me how determental indifference can be. It's taught me that not putting in the effort or not caring to get to know someone or be there for them causes more damage than I was ever aware of.

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: 1 sister

T - Time to wake up: This week my alarm went off at 5:00 am. I know I'm crazy. It's a good habit to get into for when I need to start teaching.

U- Underwear: Yes, I wear them also.

V - Vegetable you dislike: I can't say I've ever meet a vegetable I didn't like.

W - Ways you run late: Leaving too many things to do until the last minute in the morning.

X - X-rays you've had: my ankle when I sprained in 8th grade playing basketball.

Y - Yummy food you make- Oh, I can't think of the name of it right now, but if you ever wanted to make it the recipe is on the back of a Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup can.

Z - Zoo favorite: Elephants. I always wanted my own :)

Ready set go...

This weekend I had one of those days you never believe will actually happen, but you dream about your whole life. For 18 years of my life, for others more or less, I have been preparing for the day I would start my career. This weekend that dream became a reality and I am so excited it moves me to the point of tears at times. The school and community are everything I could have hoped for. In a few short months I will be doing exactly what I always dreamed of doing. I cannot wait to be a TEACHER! A 5th grade teacher to be exactly at Alturas Elementary. Thank you to everyone who encouraged me and provided me with so much support; I could not have done it without you!

Couponing!

For Spring Break I went to Washington with Matt and his mom, Carolyn (but she is also Mom) to visit Jason and Rachel. We had a great time, especially when I brought home this much cereal for only a $1.00. Yeah for Rachel teaching me how to coupon. Knowing this is going to come in really handy when I move to Alturas and need to stock up because I wont be able to go shopping too often.

Tag Five!

Aaawwww....thanks, Sami for tagging me! Here it goes!

5 things I was doing 5 years ago:

1. Having the worst case of senioritis

2. Planning for college

3. Completely excited I received the Ford Scholarship

4. Spending my weekends in Scott Valley

5. Looking for a summer job


5 things on my to-do list for today:

1. Check on whether automatic payment went through for my first car payment

2. Write check for health insurance payment

3. Meet with student teaching coordinator to prepare for job interview next week

4. Work on thesis project

5. Talk to Matt :)


5 things I would do with a million dollars:

1. Fix the public education system in California

2. Pay off my car loan

3. Help Matt build Ghetto Eskimo Ranch

4. Build mom the house she has always wanted

5. Travel!


5 places I have lived:

1. Gazelle, CA

2. Moraga, CA

3. Rhinebeck, NY

4.

5.


5....5 jobs I've held:

1. Camp Ramapo Counselor

2. Stidham Trucking Receptionist

3. Lafayette Academy Tutor

4. Saint Mary's College Kalmanovitz School of Education Student Worker

5. Substitute


5 years from now:

1. Married (hopefully to Matt!)

2. Teaching in a school I love

3. Supporting Matt in his directing career

4. Writing a book on effective teaching strategies

5. Fully invested in whatever church calling I have


I tag:

1. Jessie

2. Laura

3. Carolyn

4. Matt

5. Rachel

It's a.....

CAR!!!!!!!! My new baby is 2 weeks old (well, two weeks old to me). Now you all know it has taken me awhile to put these up here. I was hoping to get better pictures that my mom took the next day in my driveway, but I haven't been able to get those yet, so I'm settling for these. Not to mention, Jason (Matt's brother) believes I have commitment issues for not putting the pictures up sooner because I said I would keep everyone updated, so now I have to put these up to show that I am still a woman of my word!

Anyway, my new car is a lot of fun. She drives fabulously! She made the trip home to Gazelle with no problems this past weekend. I love that it has so much leg room and a huge trunk. Perfect for planning for a busy life to come!!!

Teachers Rock!

This past Saturday we went out to The Cheesecake Factory to wish good-bye to our dear friend Carolyn Morrison who moved back home recently. Many of us who were there are all members of the teaching program at Saint Mary's. Our waiter was so sweet that when he brought out our desserts he wrote "Teachers Rock!" on them. It's really makes you feel special when people take the time to thank you for what you do!

Signs You're a Teacher!

I'm nervous to see who is going to comment on this one. :)

How Do You Know You Are a Teacher?

1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.

2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.

3. You walk into a store and hear the words 'It's Ms/Mr. _________' and know you have been spotted.

4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.

5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.

6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and conference period.

7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.

8. You believe chocolate is a food group.

9. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.

10. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says 'Boy, the kids sure are mellow today.

11. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.

12. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.

13. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.

14.You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least five items!

15. You ask your friends if the left hand turn he just made was a 'good choice or a bad choice.

16. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils.

17. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer.

The Road to Arco

This past Saturday I made the trip over to Elk Grove near Sacramento. I originally planned on going so I could attend a job fair in Roseville. I got even more fun when I found out my cousin Stacey's daughter Katelyn and her basketball team made it to their section championships which was in Arco Arena where the Sacramento Kings play. Not only did we get to sit close to the floor and go up in a sky box, but I got to spend it with my family. My sister came down, along with my aunt Jeanie and uncle Bob. In the pictures you see Janice and me with Katelyn. You also can see my beautiful aunt and cousin. I love these two ladies! They are both such wonderful, strong, determined women who have been inspirations to me throughout my entire life. I'm lucky I get to see them so often. Hopefully, if some of my leads pan out from the job fair, I may just be moving closer to them and the rest of my family. Keep your fingers crossed!

Happy Birthday!

February was a busy month! Both Matt and I celebrated our 23rd birthdays together. Since my birthday is on the 19th and his is on the 25th we had a nearly week long celebration - six days to be exact. Every time one of us wished the other happy birthday the other one would turn right back around and wish it to them.

Crazy facts in the Siemer's family:
Matt's parents, Roger and Carolyn, are both born in March and have the same middle name Lee.

Matt's sister and brother-in-law, Ty and Tammy, are both born in July and their first names start with the same letter.

Matt's brother and sister-in-law, Jason and Jessica (a.k.a. Rachel), are both born in October and their first names start with the same letter.

Now I'm not the first to make this next observation mind you; therefore, it could mean nothing. I just felt like sharing it for those of you haven't noticed by now. Matt and I are both born in February and I have the same name as his mom (which by the way is a real honor because when I think of Matt's mom Carolyn I automatically think of all these adjectives I hope I'll earn the privilege to have others associate with my name someday). Anyway, all of this is rather interesting....hmmmm....interesting, very interesting.

Test-Drive

Want to take your relationship for a test-drive? Test-drive a car. You learn a lot about your significant other.

So I'm in the market for a new car. I did not buy this car. We only test drove it (and LOVED it by the way) along with others. Purchasing a car should all be happening with in the next couple of months. I'll keep you posted when I actually buy one.

In order to know what I want I needed to test-drive different vehicles I was interested in. Matt came with me. We had so much fun! Together we decided on a Honda Accord. Got to love those Accords! This will be my third one. Don't worry, that doesn't mean I totaled my previous ones. My first two were much older models, but they ran forever. Now that I'm moving into the work world I need something that will fit my needs for the next ten or so years.

Anyway, Matt and I worked fabulously together. Our communication was excellent during the whole thing! I don't mean to brag. I'm just offering my advice - literally take your date on a test-drive if you really want to know if it will work :)

February 7th is Valentine's Day

What? You don't believe me? I am sorry to inform you all but the rest of you were a week late for Valentine's Day this year.

Ever since the new year started things have been really crazy in my life. Don't worry nothing life-threatening, just crazy important matters to take care of: teaching assessments, student teaching in a new class, writing a thesis, applying for jobs, getting my own health insurance, and preparing to buy a new car. I could go on, but I'll stop. It's better I don't think about it too much - it gets me kind of anxious. Just ask Matt. Which is why he has been so awesome to make special trips down to come see me. One such trip was pretty special.

On the day that the world commonly recognizes as Valentine's Day, February 14th, I had to be in class. Not only was it on Valentine's Day, it was on a Saturday :( Not a problem though, Matt and I celebrated our first Valentine's Day on it's new official date, February 7th and it couldn't have been any better! Oh what was that? You want details? Sorry. Some events are just too special that attempting to recreate them wouldn't do them justice. Because what is special is not the worrying about the type of activity you plan or what gifts you'll give to each other on events like this. What is special is the time and love you share with each other no matter where you are or what you are doing. Our first Valentine's Day together was exactly that and for that I recognize how blessed I am.

Thank You!

Today my fourth graders threw a little party to say good-bye to me. I started crying as soon as I walked in the door of my classroom and saw the huge yellow banner the kids worked on for a week without me knowing. One mom was so sweet to bring in cupcakes and pink lemonade for all the kids. Then they gave me a class gift they compiled of all their favorite things for me to remember them by. The bag was full of candy, pictures, and cards. As I dug through it I found a book of letters they each wrote to me. Next, my master teacher Judy gave me a beautiful book she made of pictures of all of us. Below you can see me crying when I opened it. The rest of the afternoon I was smothered by hugs.

Thank you Burton Valley Elementary Room 40 Fourth Graders! I will miss you all so much and remember you all for everything you TAUGHT ME!

The Ants Go Marching One by One...

My roommates are going to be mortified when they see this, but I just had to take a picture to show how outrageous this was. We woke up a couple of days ago to a massive ant EXPLOSION. We cleaned them up but if anyone has any home remedies for preventing them from coming back let me know!

The Audacity of Hope

I just love that title - The Audacity of Hope. A couple of years ago I saw Barack Obama on Oprah talking about this book. This was before he officially threw his name in the running for President. However, I was intrigued by this man and the message he was trying get across. Yesterday, I was in Barnes & Noble and with a 30% coupon in hand I finally picked up my own copy. I figured I had no excuse now. This was a better time than any to read it. So far I've only read one chapter and it has really been thought provoking. It seems to come to me at an important time in my life. The book reminds me that despite hardships we may face there is still a common thread that unites us together that for too long we have forgotten. You guessed it right: HOPE. Now this blog is not an attempt to express my political views or convince anyone otherwise. Really this blog is just a time for me to reflect on hope.

As many of you know I'm in the middle of intense assessment of my teaching. It's been a very draining process at times, not only this assessment but also everything I have gone through to get this far. Test after test, class after class. I'm seeing why teachers get burnt out so fast, why they fall victim to just doing what the state tells them to and not taking the time to consider their individual students' needs, why they lose sight of why they really got into teaching in the first place. Therefore, posting this blog this evening is merely an attempt for me to take a deep breath and remember what kind of hope I have. I'm posting excerpts from an essay I wrote a couple of months ago on my philosophy of education. The whole thing was 7 pages long so I wont bore you with all of it.

Finding the Individual
“You can be anything you want to be.” When a young girl about four years-old, sitting on her father’s knee, hears him say these few words she believes it. Not only does she believe it; she dreams endless possibilities. She sees her name on a ballot for president, on a patch of an astronaut’s suit, and on the plaque of a teacher’s desk. Yet, when she is fourteen, sitting on a street corner, feeling alone, contemplating the thought of dropping out of school, she laughs at the thought of remembering her father’s words. Her father is now encouraging her to work two jobs to support the family, her mother wants her to help raise her two younger siblings, her friends are encouraging her to join a gang, and the media is enticing her to sell her body for attention. She smirks to think, be anything I want to be? I can only be what others want me to be. What happened in ten short years that changed this girl’s confidence in herself? Why does she now feel her options are so limited, when they once seemed never-ending? At this point of feeling helpless is when most students recognize a common dilemma: how does one balance societal demands and one’s own personal dreams, desires, aspirations and goals. It is my philosophy that everyone struggles to comprehend the endless possibilities within their own personal lives due to society’s demands. They can only be freed to entertain such options by receiving an education that promotes self-realization and provides the skills to seek these opportunities.

Basically then I went on to talk about the different roles teachers, administrators, and the classroom environment can go to play in a student seeking their full potential. It outlines what I hope to do as a teacher.

So why did I put this small excerpt up here? Because I need to remind myself of this now more than ever not to lose hope. Hope in the fact I will someday be where I want to be. Reminding myself that the dream I had as a little girl that I could one day make a difference is still inside me. Just because I'm older and the hustle of daily life wears me down, doesn't mean I have to lose hope in that dream and neither do you in yours.

These are a few of my favorite things...

I was lucky to have a weekend full of a few of my favorite things. First, Cap and Matt came down for the weekend. I got to babysit my little cousin Savannah on Saturday. She's a doll. That night I not only got to hang out with my roommates, some friends, Cap, and Matt, but also got to watch Saint Mary's men's basketball team dominate Pepperdine. Sunday evening dinner with the Peers and fireside at the Temple. There was fun (and seriousness) to be had on Monday mini-golfing. As you can tell there was also plenty of love to go around :)

Perspective

Last night I was sitting in class absolutely overwhelmed with everything I have to do. I'm currently in the middle of completing a huge assessment in order to get my teaching credential. So while I was in class I started going on and on and in my head about everything I have been required to do to become a teacher about how all the hopes and big dreams I have had for your students can get sucked out of me so fast when I'm too busy worrying about fulfilling requirements that really mean so little in the grand scheme of things. Then, not by chance I believe, my classmates and I were reminded why we are pursuing the career we are. One of my classmates, an older, black gentleman in his 60's told my professor he was able to attend in the inauguration in D.C. on Tuesday. She asked him if he would speak on it for a few moments to us. Well, a few moments turned into a few minutes, but I did not care. I was hanging on to every word. He spoke about how if you were in D.C. on Tuesday you would have felt the specialness of the occasion in the air. He felt how unified our country became. He felt the power of dreams and how truly wonderful America is. I cannot recall everything he said, but what I do remember was how he made me feel, the same way I felt on Tuesday that dreams are still alive in America and all of us regardless of our race, gender, or station in life have the ability to reach our fullest potential. As he went on, I was reminded this is why I teach.

Winter Vacation

I cannot remember a time I've had a more exciting, relaxing winter break than I did these last two weeks. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking, and I'll fill in what they cannot. I am grateful I got to spend time with my family. Our Christmas Eve tradition was brought back this year, but with a new twist that looks like it is going to stick for years to come: awhite elephant exchange. Everyone got a kick out of the gifts. Next, my parents, sister, and I took a much needed family vacation. We visited the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose and the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. This was the second time I've visited Winchester. I would recommend it to anyone in the San Jose area. It's a fascinating story about how it came to be. The only downfall is all of the original furniture in the house was removed after Sarah Winchester's death, so the house doesn't have the same feel it may have had during Sarah's time.
Our next stop at Hearst Castle was so fascinating and beautiful. I highly recommend this place to anyone. It's worth the windy drive down Highway 1. Yet, I also recommend people educating themselves on William Randolph Hearst soon before or immediately after they attend. Watching Citizen Kane is a great start. Finally, I was really fortunate to spend so much time with Matt. It may sound cheesy, but I'm seriously the happiest and most comfortable I've ever been when I'm around him, and this vacation was no exception. What a great holiday! Spending time with the most important people in my life - enough said, vacation was perfect!