lately...

lots has been going on this month

and i'm sad to see to June go.

but seeing as July is my favorite month of the year, i'm not that down and out.

here's what's been happening in our neck of the woods:

the girls joined the Massive Moab forces and spent a weekend doing what we do best:

playing outdoors and smelling like bros.

we spent a night-on-the-town in SLC at a piano bar, were told that

sober mormons don't belong in places like that,

but promptly proved to the douche bag that sober mormons

most definitely belong in places like that.

See.

blake and i cruised the Utah Arts Festival...

last night we mastered the madness of "Twi Fever"

and returned home completely unscathed.

and today i finally got into my new classroom!

i was welcomed by this beauty...

that ain't my mamma's room, folks.

and as i was going through cupboards and cupboards of CRAP

i found an ancient Target product

(notice the old Target logo).

i should have taken a picture of the brown wipe nastiness that was lurking inside.

"Welcome to 1st grade, Miss C!"

thanks for the memories, June!

i miss you already...

thanks for being the best friends in the world!

...here's to the ever-growing Aves clan.

warm, summer nights...

...and the best friends in the world!

love ya, sistas!

happiness...

my thoughts, exactly.

imma be a career woman...

i got the job!!!

if you know me well, you know that i've been stressing

and stressing

and stressing

about getting a teaching job.

with layoffs left and right, lack of funding from those beastly legislators, and a sudden influx of teacher candidates, it ain't your grandmama's job market no mo'!

tuesday was a big day for me as i set off to interview at what i've learned is the BEST school in the state...

this morning, i got the call from the district office offering me a contract to teach

FIRST GRADE

at

EASTWOOD ELEMENTARY!

(am i a little excited? yeah, just a little...)

And now presenting:

my future home!

and quite possibly the coolest part...

Eastwood has the BIGGEST field in the history of Elementary schools.

i can't wait for faculty softball games!!

THANK YOU, to everyone who was praying for me!

I couldn't have survived without your love and support.

...I hope you're ready to babysit the class pet!

moving day...

upon moving back home last year due to student teaching and a lack of time to work, therefore unable to bring home the rental bacon, i promised myself that i would move out as soon as student teaching was over.

well folks... it. is. OVER!!

so for the last week, i've been busy putting together a new room at my new house.

no, i didn't buy a house of my own - my cute ex-roomie, Ash, used her expert persuasive skills to get me a room in her darling house. and now, the ex-roomie is once again my favorite roommate.

we had to rent a U-HAUL due to the sparse number of

truck owners in any close proximity.

and for the record:

i have the coolest brother in the world...

driving the big rig

he was scared.

a little girl driving a big dawg...

i was scared too.

seeee?

and now PRESENTING...

mi casa neuva

i got me a new bed

(and i LOVE my windows!!)

the living room

and the kitchen!

and there you have it.

Miss Independent is once again independent.

the time is near...

*disclaimers for the following video*

number one - i don't consider myself affiliated with a certain political party but...

number two - i do consider myself a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

number three - movies have a hard time making me cry, but...

number four - this... this had me sobbing.

(number five - you might want to grab some tissues...)

are you ready?