I've been talking about work a lot lately (or at the very least I've been thinking about it a lot lately). Probably because most of my life consists of work. I commute 2 hours every day and then spend 8+ hours here. Not to mention all the stuff I take home-both to work on and to ponder on. It's kinda my life right now. (although I did have a date last night which was pretty fun)

Some days I hate that my life revolves around work, other days I'm okay with it. Today is one of those I'm okay with it days. Because I remember why I became a counselor in the first place. And why I'm still working on the reservation. I'm okay with it all because I feel like maybe I've managed to make some kind of difference for these sweet little kids.

And the kids have certainly made a difference in my life. You want to know how my day started out? Here is my what happened when I walked into a K class for a few minutes:

Kid 1-Oh Miss Camille, I love your shoes.
Kid 2-I love your shirt.
Kid 3-Well I love your jacket.
Kid 4-I love your shorts.
Kid 5-I love your hair.
Kid 6-You are so beautiful.

Makes your day, right?

Of course, then I sent a copy of it to a teacher friend who teaches at a rough high school, and this is how her day started:

I said “good morning” kid 1 said “ugg”
Kid 2 “f-you Seiter”
Kid 3 laughed
Kid 4 talked the entire class and asked me what I was going to do about it.
I said “ have a good day” kid 5 said “f- school”

Pretty sure I should always have "I'm okay with it" days since I never have to deal with the naughty older kids!

Today I'm grateful...

Grateful that it is a 4 day work week instead of a 5 day one

Grateful that the sun is shining and that I can wear a skirt without tights

Grateful that I have parents who love me and who guided me in the right direction

Grateful that I recently aquired (or will be aquiring very soon) so many nieces and nephews

Grateful that I have a Heavenly Father who knows me and loves me

Grateful that I have a job where each day I feel validated and loved

Grateful that I live in such a beautiful part of the country

Grateful that I actually have plans tonight that I'm excited for

Grateful that I have old friends and new friends that I can completely be myself with

Grateful that in 2 weeks I will be in Cabo, relaxing on a beach

Grateful that I was raised to believe in myself and what I am capable of

And I could go on, but that would probably bore the life out of you. Just know, I'm feeling pretty blessed today.

To Hear is To Know

If I believed everything I heard at school today, I would believe:

1. There are now crocodiles living in mud puddles in Phoenix that will bite your feet if you accidentally fall in.

2. There is a house somewhere in the south-eastern part of Utah that has thousands of eagles living inside of its walls.

3. There are cougars running around the reservation that attack little children if they get too close.

4. Some children are psychic and you can tell they are psychic because in pictures, you can see straight through their stomach to whatever is behind them.

5. I have about 60 "best-best buddies" in kindergarten and 1st grade.

I obviously still have a lot to learn....

Someone broke into my email...which has me all concerned that maybe I'm not as safe in the internet world as I want to pretend I am.

So with the encouragement of my wise mother, I have decided that maybe I need to make a few changes. Which means that my blog will soon be private. If you want me to send you an invite, please let me know...I'd love all of you who actually read this to still be able to follow!

Spring break is almost here. I can feel it coming closer with each passing minute. A whole week of freedom. A week to sleep in and lounge around and do all the things that I have been planning on doing but haven't found the time for yet.

I'm looking forward to a jaunt up north to see my adorable niece and sister and visit with friends and family. While I'm up there I might as well get my hair done and enjoy a litle Cafe Rio pork action. I'll go see a movie and go shopping way too much (in actual stores, not just online!). I might as well go ahead and interview for a job (more on that another time). I'll actually have time to enjoy myself and relax up there for a few days.

But then I'm coming back to the middle of nowhere to enjoy some actual down time. Where I don't have to worry about visiting anyone. Heck, where I don't even have to worry about getting ready for the day. Where I can enjoy a Jane Austen movie and book marathon while laying in bed all day in my pajamas. And that will be perfectly acceptable because it is spring break.

Maybe I'll actually find time to call back all the people who have been so nice to call and who I have been so rude to never call back. I'll clean out my nightstand (something I've been meaning to do for weeks) and maybe I'll even catch up on laundry. I'm hoping by the end of the week I will feel rejuvenated and organized and ready to take on the world. And I guess if I don't...I can always look forward to the cruise that I'll be going on 3 weeks after spring break (more on that later as well).
Can you see why I'm so looking forward to this spring break?

I drove to Logan last weekend. Which is way too long of a drive for a quick weekend trip. But I just couldn't miss the wedding of these two lovelies...


And of course, I also couldn't miss the photo opportunities that arose...



But after looking at these pictures I have just one question...should I cut my hair short or attempt to grow it longer?? Seriously people, this is an important question. And I need help. Tell me what to do.

Sometimes I'm really tired and I don't know what to write about. And sometimes I get inspiration about what to write from other people and their blogs.

Lately I've seen a couple blogs with the "challenge" to go to your first picture folder, find the tenth picture and then tell the story behind the picture. And I thought-why not? Might as well, I say.

So my tenth picture is...



Right now, looking at this picture, I am so sad that I am sitting in an office in Halchita, UT (is it still considered UT when you are on the Navjo Nation??? That's something I have yet to learn since I've been here) and not on a beach in Hawaii.

This picture was taken on Hanauma Bay. I was taking a break from snorkeling and nursing my tiny little cut from the coral reef when I remembered that if you got cut, you were supposed to go tell a lifeguard. And I noticed that the lifeguard was pretty hot (you can't really tell that from the picture so you'll just have to trust me on that one) so obviously I was too scared to actually go up to him and talk. Or show him my little cut. Instead I sneakily took a picture of him...which was pretty easy considering how many people there were with cameras around me.

My other favorite part of the picture...the nice guy in the speedo that also happened to be in my picture.

By the way, does anyone else hope that someday they make a new friend and are looking through their photo albums and all of the sudden see themselves in one of the pictures? I know it's bound to happen to me someday so I try to jump into as many pictures as possible when I see people snapping away.

So what I'm trying to say is, looking at this picture makes me nostalgic for Hawaii, reminds me of the little scar that I now have on my knee from snorkeling, makes me think how silly speedos are and reminds me that I need to jump into more pictures. Good.

I love when you are moving along in your life and you suddenly have a revelation. A small simple revelation but one that completely changes the way that you see things.

For too long I have suffered with thinking I am not good enough. Not skinny enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, overall just not good enough.

And then on Sunday, my newest friend Stephanie told me that she was looking through my fb pictures and that I look exactly like my littlest sister. And it suddenly struck me. I can't be "not pretty enough" because I know that Chelsey is beautiful.

Now every time that I start to have those negative thoughts rolling around in my head telling me that I'm just not pretty enough, I think...if I look like Chelsey, things must be better than what I see in the mirror.
I obviously still have a long way to go with the whole self-esteem thing but it's one step in the right direction. And it's all about baby steps, right?

And if you are wondering how my healthy eating committment is going, I'll just tell you it's going great. I'm still motivated and still working hard. I have exercised (mostly walking but like I said, baby steps) for 5 days in a row and been eating healthy for 6. I feel better and the scale implies that I'm doing something right since it's showing that I've already lost 6 pounds. Hooray for me!