The Morty's: 2010

Glendale

It is official, my Tucson days are over. Brian and I have graduated and couldn't be happier to be DONE. Well, at least half way there.

After graduation we made another huge change, we moved out and now we are living in Glendale. It is nice having a washer, dryer, dish washer, more than 5 channels, etc. However, we do miss our 1st ghetto home. I will miss Morris, the bum that slept in our back alley, "the rock"- a hard rock concert hall around the corner. (One night I had the window open and one band was playing and all I could hear was the crowd screaming "anarchy!! anarchy!!" then they came out and their faces were painted black and white. Really odd). Our apartments may have looked sketchy on the outside but once you walked into the courtyard it was like a mini oasis. seriously!! Although we hardly ever got hot water and had lots of water leaking problems, it was home and I will never forget our adventures there. We are happy to be in Glendale and excited for this next chapter in our lives.

As of now I am job searching for anything where I can use my degree. Brian has had some luck with this dental process, unfortunately he still needs to take 1 class in order to be considered for a certain school, so he will be busy with that and whatever work he finds along the way. Lots of our previous plans we had for the Spring have changed- but I knew it would. We are just excited for what is coming :)

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

PS- John and Jonathan are doing great (in case you care). I get to talk to both of them on Christmas!!! I am so excited and even more excited for this next year when they come home in May and June!!!!

The virgin Mary??

As a joke I signed up Brian and I as actors for the "new testament" church videos...I was looking at the church website one day and saw they were looking for actors and I secretly found some pictures of us and sent it in. haha. I wasn't expecting to get anything back but thought it would just be funny to just see what would happen. WELP, I got an email the other day, saying they want me to try out for the part of Mary! hahaha!!! Could you imagine, me as Mary in a church video? Me niether. So, sorry, I didn't do it. The interview was in Mesa and I had a lot going on this weekend (Stake Conference), so I didn't make it out to the interview. Oh well....Hope they found a nice Virgin Mary!

October

This was the busiest (or one of busiest) weeks of my life! And right now I have about 200 papers to grade, but I just don't want to do so I am putting it off by blogging. So October was an extremely busy month for Brian and I! Here is what happened:

Brian toured a Dental school. He had to fly over that morning and flew back that night...but it is now his top choice for dental school!! We are currently waiting to see where we will be moving.

You can try and guess where Brian went. This is the temple in the area, ONLY 5 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL!!! That is amazing. Living in Tucson has made me miss the temple more, I wish it was closer than a 4 hour drive (about 2 there and 2 back - ish). Anyway he is off to Kentucky next week for another Dental school tour. Cross your fingers!!

I began teaching all of the classes. Before I just taught one then 2 and so on...now I am teching all of the classes grading all of their papers and it feels good. I am having a lot of fun. The students are so funny...we laugh so much in class. I can't wait to have my own classroom, student teaching is good but I want to get paid for this. ha.

Graduation is around the corner. We got our caps and gowns and we are READY to be DONE! We are also getting ready to move out of our apartment, but I have a feeling we will make it back to Tucson for every basketball game this season.

We went to the temple for another sealing of a family in our branch. it was such a wonderful experience. Here is the Banuelos family:

Stefanie y Angel - so cute!

We went to Mexico for a weekend. This was so sudden and last minute but we went and had so much fun on the beach. We went with the Amezquita family from our branch. They go about 5 times a year/ I was nervous at first of the idea we had to drive through Mexico...but it wasn't scary or bad at all....proabbly because we were with someone who knew where they were going. They know a private beach just west of Caborca and we camped out on the beach, put our sleeping bags over the sand and had a fire. It was awesome! The beach was so fun!! We were so glad to go!

It was a fishing town and we ate the most delicious fish. This is us cooking.

The sunset was amazing!!

On the drive home we saw pigs! And lots of them!!!

I had a Halloween party with the Young Women (not a real "party" according to them, but we did have fun) and I made them play some games: like take funny pictures and use my videocamera...hahaha, yeah you know the games. It was fun. Here are the fake teeth I bought them!

Halloween of course. Yeah, we were Oompa Loompas. Funny thing is, at the branch party no one knew what an Oompa Loompa was....try explaining Willy Wonka to people who aren't from this country. It was pretty funny.

We also went to Brad and Emily's house before Halloween for a Murder Mystery party! It was so fun! Brian was "Gore Underfoot" and I was "Kat Peeples". Yes, Brian was the killer!! Can't you tell?

Becoming a teacher

Well, I feel like today I have made a giant step in my future teaching carrer. I had my first student insult. I knew this day would come, but not during my student teaching. Luckily...it was pretty hilarious. I know when other teachers get insulted they get called all sorts of names!! But I bet they have never been called a "desk"!! Haha. Here is the situation (the student's name has been changed):

I am explaining the exam to the class when I see Tony still has his hat on, I told him to take it off. He refused. Then I told him to put it under his chair, he proceded to put it in his lap and I told him again to put it under his chair (because of cheating). Finally I told him again, put it under your chair and not just your desk! And he yells back "Well....YOU'RE A DESK!!!" I was in awe! hahaha....so in my surprise, I didn't know if I should laugh or take it seriously. So I sent him outside until I figured out what I was going to say to him... Here is our conversation:
Me: Tony, do you know why I sent you outside?
Tony: Yeah
Me; Why?
Tony: Because I called you a desk (lol!)

I won't go into the rest of our conversation but it is hilarious now that I think back at a student calling me a desk. I know it isn't a real big deal but I decided to deal with it before he thinks it's o.k. to call me something else, probably worse. Anyway, I guess I am a desk. Hope that it's a good thing.

Almost there....

I am not very good at blogging anymore. I still need to update my Peru trip from the summer. Not to mention our California and Utah trip. Oh well! So I thought I would just fill you in on what we have been up to since school started up again.

Brian is in school and working 2 jobs. He is very busy and rarely has time to hang out...I can't wait until December! Speaking of December, that is when Brian and I FINALLY graduate from U of A. We are both in our last semester of school and can't wait to see what is in store for us a year from now. Anyway, I am not taking classes at U of A this semester because I am student teaching at CDO (Canyon Del Oro HS). It is in Northwest Tucson. I love teaching and am having a lot of fun! It is a really great experience and am anxious to one day have my own classroom. Brian and I have no plans for remaining in Tucson after graduation. I think we are going to just travel next semester....I will let you know how that goes.

And yes, I make my students call me Senora Mortenson.

Funny

I am alive...still procrastinating the rest of the Peru pictures. They will be up one day. I started Student Teaching. this last week. It is a lot of work, and I am alredy tired, but worth it becuase I love it!

So I received this email this past week and thought it was hilarious. Hopefully it makes you laugh!!

EMBARRASSING MEDICAL EXAMS

1. A man comes into the ER and yells . . .'
My wife's going to have her baby in the cab.' I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs - - -
and I was in the wrong one.
Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald ,
San Francisco

2. At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. 'Big breaths,'. . . I instructed. 'Yes, they used to be,'. . .replied the patient.
Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes ,
Seattle , WA

3. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a 'massive internal fart.'
Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg

4. During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having trouble with one of his medications.. ' Which one ?' .. . I asked. 'The patch... The Nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours and now I'm running out of places to put it !' I had him quickly undress and discovered what I hoped I wouldn't see. Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body!
Now, the instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one.
Submitted by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair ,
Norfolk , VA

5. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, 'How long have you been bedridden?' After a look of complete confusion she answered . . .. ' Why, not for about twenty years - when my husband was alive.'
Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson-
Corvallis , OR

6. I was performing rounds at the hospital one morning and while checking up on a man I asked . . .' So how's your breakfast this morning?' ' It's very good except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't seem to get used to the taste.'. .. . Bob replied. I then asked to see the jelly and Bob produced a foil packet labeled 'KY Jelly.'
Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf ,
Detroit ,

7. A nurse was on duty in the Emergency Room when a young woman with purple hair styled into a punk rocker Mohawk, sporting a variety of tattoos, and wearing strange clothing, entered . . . It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery. When she was completely disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyed green and above it there was a tattoo that read . . ..' Keep off the grass.' Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient's dressing, which said 'Sorry . . . had to mow the lawn.'
Submitted by RN no name,

AND FINALLY!! ! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

8. As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB. I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams.. To cover my embarrassment I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly.
The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassing me. I looked up from my work and sheepishly said. . . ' I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?'
She replied with tears running down her cheeks from laughing so hard . . . ' No doctor but the song you were whistling was . . .' I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Weiner .' '
Dr. wouldn't submit his name....

1 MORE

Baby's First Doctor Visit
This made me laugh out loud. I hope it will give you a smile!

A woman and a baby were in the doctor's examining room, waiting for the doctor to come in for the baby's first exam. The doctor arrived, and examined the baby, checked his weight, and being a little concerned, asked if the baby was breast-fed or bottle-fed. 'Breast-fed,' she replied.. 'Well, strip down to your waist,' the doctor ordered.

She did. He pinched her nipples, pressed, kneaded, and rubbed both breasts for a while in a very professional and detailed examination. Motioning to her to get dressed, the doctor said, 'No wonder this baby is underweight. You don't have any milk.'
I know,' she said, 'I'm his Grandma, But I'm glad I came.

Peru!

I know I have not been posting my Peru pictures. I decided if I don't do it all in one post it will never happen. But before I post about Peru, I almost forgot to mention my fun before my Peru trip....Girl's camp! hahaha. Well I spent the whole week with my 12 girls at camp and it was a fun time. I seriously was NOT looking forward to camping with my 12 girls and then being there with hundreds more. I kept imagining all the cat fights that would happen. But I am happy to announce there were NO cat fights haha. There were a few disputes, but you can't really avoid that being at girl's camp. We went to Camp Zion on Mount Lemon and the weather was fabulous! After experiencing Girl's camp I can say it was not so bad. I am glad I went and I learned a lot there.

Girl's camp isn't just about classes and skits and singing, it should be fun too!! Me and the girls sliding down the mountain with a sleeping bag...very fun!!

The girls did a hilarious skit about England at camp and definitely enjoyed dressing up!

These are the YW from the Sonora Branch!

Ok now Peru time.

We didn't just visit Miraflores, we went all over that country. Let's start with the capital, Lima. We went to the city and visited the "presidential palace", saw the guards change, and saw some very old historic buildings!

The first catholic church built there and still standing. It is incredible to see the old Gothic architecture.

The presidential palace. It was ginormous!! (no exaggeration).

As you can tell...Peruvians don't mess around!

NEXT in the middle of the city there are many ruins. It is amazing to see sky scrapers and then next to it have a million year old Huaca (which I learned means temple in Quechua I believe?). So here is the Huaca Pucllana.

Here is an old mummy of a woman, I wish I had paid more attention to our guide....well anyway, all I remember is that she is VERY old (becuase this Huaca is BEFORE the time of the Incas), and that is her REAL HAIR. Nasty!

This picture of the Huaca Pucllama does not do it any justice. It was huge! Easily towering over its nearby apartment buildings. You could even see the ocean from atop.Anyway, later empires used this temple/Huaca as a cementary. Thus, the mummy from above.

Moving on...we visited the beautiful coastal town of Barranco (still in Lima).I can't tell you how lush and green everything was there. And it is winter!!! Amazing! Anyway this is an old town where they have restored old buildings and maintained it as a "Spanish/Colonial" style town. Very picturesque.

Cobble stone walkways lead you to the ocean. We starting walking down it and saw they were filming a move! This area of town is known to be bohemian. Therefore, hippies everywhere!

Going down the coast there is a highway that allows you to see the breath-taking Pacific Ocean alongside Lima's cliffs. It was so beautiful. As we were driving down the coastline we stopped to see "el salto del Fraile". Literally meaning, the jump of the monk. So get this, there is an old story that along the coast there was a monastery and one day this monk decides to commit suicide and he jumps of the cliffs into the cold Pacific waters and dies. However since that time it has become a type of "show" for a "monk" to jump into the water and re-enact the suicide. Kind of odd? yes! In actuality, the man that once did it is too old to jump now, so he just tells the story and there is a younger man who is NOT a monk but dresses up as a monk and jumps off the cliffs. Confused? sorry. Just look at the pictures. (if I knew how to put a video up, I would. maybe when I figure it out I will...)

This is him in action. He must be a diver because look at that form!

Next is La Molina. A beautiful rich city where mansions are everywhere and there happens to be a little piece of heaven there too. See for yourself.

The temple!! It is the Lima, Peru temple, actually located in La Molina. Very beautiful. Brian says it looks exactly like the Buenos Aires, Argentina temple. Anyway it was beautiful and smack in the middle of the city. But so peaceful inside, as temples are.

---

Traveling out of Lima, Brian and I also decided to go see the Nazca lines in Nazca, Peru. We bought a bus ticket for our 7 hour bus ride. And since we are cheap we decided to make this a day trip so we wouldn't have to pay for a hotel! So we got up around 2:45am, left Lima around 4am arrived in Nazca around 11/12. We got to ride in a 5 seater plane. (I was so scared!!) And flew around to see the Nazca lines. I took dramamine because my past experiences weren't too pleasant with motion sickness. Luckily as the plane flew in every direction I did not get sick, but Brian is another story hehe. Anyway, we got the 4:30 pm bus back to Lima for another 7hours back (more like 8+). And made it to Lima a little after midnight. What. a. day.

Our plane!

Brian and myself on the plane. We weren't allowed to sit by each other because the heaviest people had to go in front haha. So I had to ride in the very back of the plane all by myself!! We also had to wear those head phones because the plane was very loud and the pilot was our guide telling us about the lines and where to look.

There are many theories as to how these lines came to be and why they were made. Aliens, Incas, Gods, so many theories. Yet this still remains a mystery as to how they indigenous people got these drawings to be so perfect and so large. Many believe they were done in honor of their Gods, to show them what they were thankful for and what they were worshiping. What a mystery! I was in awe looking down at these drawings. It was simply amazing. When you are looking at these pictures remember they are taken from a plane, so I couldn't really see what I was taking pictures of but here ya go!

The astronaut or alien. Either way it is kind of creepy, yet amazing!! It is along a mountain side. You can't see it because I cropped the picture but there are some pretty big mountains behind it.

The triangles! Look at the precision and straightness of those lines!! I just wonder where are they pointing?

The mono or monkey! Look how the tail curls. How the face is shaped just so. I can't even draw a monkey on paper, and they managed to carve a giant monkey onto a mountain!

The spider. This one is incredible. Look at the legs...it appears as if they didn't even mess up while drawing these animals.

Our guide told us the weather is slowly deteriorating these ancient designs. So I suggest if you have any plans to go to Peru, you visit Nazca and see the lines before they are gone!

I would post more pictures but this post is taking forever. So check my facebook for the rest of the Nazca lines pictures. I think Cusco and Machu Picchu will be another day because I have spent way too much time on this post.

Miraflores

So we have been in Peru the past 2 weeks and it was amazing. We did so much I think I will break up our trip into segments because there are too many pictures to put in one post so this segment will be just Miraflores.

We stayed with my family in Lima, who was so kind and generous! Muchisimas gracias a todos!! Here is the view from our apartment balcony. It was so green and pretty there considering it was winter!

My family lives in San Isidro, which is a province in Lima, the capital of Peru. So we spent a lot of time in and near Lima. The first few days we traveled to the province called Miraflores to see the coast and it was beautiful!

We went all around the coast of Miraflores with my abuelita Ines and my mom and Brian and the driver Nata. One of our first stops was en el parque del amor (it is a park there called the "park of love")

This was a HUGE sign we found as we were walking along the coastline...in case you don't know, it says "Carla, sorry for everything my love" haha. I just thought it truly captured the park's theme.

Yes that is Brian and I re-enacting the statue. (Let me just say my mom made us do this pose, haha)

Well, overall we had a wonderful time in Peru, minus a few things....I got very sick towards the end of the trip (reminder, don't drink the water there), my baggage was lost, and it took a whole day to get there and a whole day to get back, I am so sick of planes. You have no idea.

Some other things we got to experience ....artensanias galore!!! Cusco and the indigenous people, ancient ruins in Cusco like Saqsaywaman and more, AMAZING Machu Picchu, the Nasca lines- seriously crazy, lots of family time, Plaza de armas, GREAT food, AWESOME World cup soccer (but you are probably enjoying that too), some delicious fruits I have never seen in my life but ate anyway, the salto del fraile, many Huacas, beautiful Barranca, and more....just wait and see :)

Seriously amazing. This is one place EVERYONE needs to go and see for themselves.

Ironic

So I was looking through some old pictures...remembering a Florida vacation my family and I took before I was married and we went to Epcot center for a day of fun and look at this picture I took....

Jonathan in the "England" part of Epcot center! How funny, who knew he would be serving in England for a 2 year church mission. I should have known he would get sent there. He never minded when I watch Pride and Prejudice over and over again. He actually borrowed some of my Jane Austen books and began buying his own Jane Austen collection to read. And on top of that it was a common thing in my family to talk in a British accent! Anyway, I guess this is just ironic! Welp, I might as well give you a missionary update: Jonathan is serving in the outskirts of London and is still speaking Portuguese, however he seems to be teaching in English and Spanish more too. He loves it and loves England and I know him being there was truly inspired!!

By the way... tomorrow I am embarking on a week trip to Girl's Camp!! Anyway, I will give you an update when I get back. Wish me luck...I WILL need it!!

Education

As an Education major, I have learned what I feel is everything possible regarding teaching students of various backgrounds. This includes a variety of teaching styles, various schools with different goals and ultimately I have built my own philosophy of teaching. It excites me that I will be student teaching next semester, to get to experience all that I have learned thus far, and put that into practice.

Let me tell you what has happened, I was originally assigned to student teach in a classroom I had done most of my observations in, Catalina Magnet High School. Located in central Tucson, this high school is anything but ordinary. There is so much diversity there it is unbelievable. It does not feel like you are in Tucson. With many Hispanic and Latino students there, it is also a school full of African refugees that have fled from their country during this time of war. Anyway, on my first day teaching there, as part of a class project, a fight broke out. Maybe this will give you an idea of how tough this school may be, definitely not anything like my high school back in Glendale. At first I was nervous to teach there, but as I kept returning, I grew to thrive off of that environment and love those students. I saw major improvement from the students towards the end of my year observing there and hope they can continue on their journey for education .

So I had originally planned to student teach there this fall semester, but I was saddened to find out that the teacher I was going to student teach for was "pink slipped", or in other words laid-off. The amount of schools that have closed and teachers that have been fired in Arizona and more especially in Tucson is horrifying. At this point I see that the State's budget isn't going to Education but else where. This is so sad to see this. The more I think about it, the more I am certain I am going to one day start my own school or resort to home schooling my children or place them in private schools. I feel like the Education in (some) schools is diminishing and know that for this reason people are so unaware and ignorant of the world around them besides just America (but that is another topic). Anyway, my purpose for this is not to make you see how bad the Educational system is getting, but to help improve it. Please vote for Proposition 100 this Tuesday. You can help save jobs and education in Arizona. Think about it, less teachers means over sized classrooms, and less individualized teaching. So please consider going to the polls and voting for something that can change lives!!

Grazie!

24

I bought Brian a Batman pinata for his 24th Birthday. I got it at Food City and filled it with goodies! So when Brian saw it, he decided he would break it open with his machete. Poor Batman!! I have to admit it was pretty funny to watch.

Brian would throw the pinata up in the air and then slice it with his machete. I don't know why Batman is glowing....maybe because there is a lamp behind him?

Final Product. Decapitated Batman.

Well, he had a fun birthday. I "called in sick" to work and we went out, saw a movie, out for dinner, shopping, free Coldstone, rented a movie, then sliced up Batman. Does it get any better? ha.

On another note we are ALMOST done with school. Brian finishes Friday, I am practically done once I turn in my last essay. Yep, my last semester at school...funny how I am not sad at all about it! Well, I can't wait for summer, lots of traveling and fun! This summer I am not working, because June I will be away traveling and in August I start my Student Teaching. So unless you know someone who will hire me for a month, I am going to take it easy and relax. On the other hand, poor little Brian will be studying ALL summer long for his DAT exam. (Dental Admissions Test). Then we will apply to Dental schools (not fun and definitely not easy on the wallet) and hopefully by the end of the year we will know where we will be for the next four years. Besides Arizona, Brian is hoping for Puerto Rico or Costa Rica....I say Oregon or Florida....we will see!!!

"Aprile"

Well I am taking a break from writing my 20 page Italian final. I don't know why I just can't seem to concentrate and I still have to write my Portuguese paper! I think finals this semester are going to kill me! Summer cannot come soon enough!!!

Ok so here is April:

Bentlee had her 1st birthday!! Laura threw her a "Bentley" party. So Laura made her a super awesome "Bentley" cake.!!

So the party was tons of fun and it was great to see everyone.

We also went to Tucson's "Spring Fling" it was a lot of fun and somehow Brian and I actually walked away with more money than we got there with. haha, long story. Here are some pictures from there. Some crazy ride Brian and Colby went on. A ride that we all decided would make us puke..however I seemed to be the only one to feel sick (like usual!!) And I managed to snap a picture of "Marijuana man". Yeah there are a couple in Tucson. When I say Marijuana man I mean there is a guy that has a suit with marijuana drawn all over it, pretty much covered in the drug. It is terrible but kind of funny. I have seen a couple in Tucson...mainly on 4th avenue (the hippy area of Tucson). Anyway, we also went to Phoenix to celebrate some birthdays with my family as well.