A Very Good Place To Start

I've been debating creating a blog for roughly 15 years. I grew up watching my aunt (sugardoodle.net) and grandma post on their blogs regularly and always thought it was a great idea. However, what could I possibly add to the world? Who would want to read my inner ramblings? Well, if you're reading this, I guess the answer is amazing, fantastic you!

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Redeemer. Why do I mention this? My religion is my way of life, so much of what I share will make more sense if the church lingo and culture is explained. I grew up a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and chose for myself to be baptized when I turned 8. I remember that day vividly, but that's a post for another day. I served a full-time mission in Puerto Rico and San Diego (thanks alot, Hurricane Maria!) and gained needed perspective from my time in both places. I currently serve as the choir accompanist and the ward organist.

I love to read. My earliest memories were reading/listening to stories with my grandmothers and great-grandmother. In every emotion, reading became a treat and tool to help me find peace. Reading has always been my happy place. In 2020, my brother was not a fan of reading. He was struggling and asked me for advice on which book to read. A couple weeks later, I created the very first Bookworm's Readreat Book Box: Harry Potter. My brother started out unconvinced, but excited to get to the sticky notes so he could open the presents I'd included. By the 2nd gift, he was hooked! He would tell me each time he opened a gift and was incredibly excited to show off and share with his friends. Since then, I've made over 50 Readtreats and 4 more group Readtreats for book clubs.

Now, I'm a Special Education Mild/Moderate Teacher at the local Middle School (8/9 grade) and get the opportunity to share my love of reading with my English Language Arts students. We've done Harry Potter and Percy Jackson Class Readtreats and they have been a blast! I have no idea if it made a difference for any of the kids but it was fun for me. I'm learning far more as a teacher than I ever did as a student. I love my job, no matter how difficult and emotionally draining it is. I'm learning better communication and how to set boundaries.

I've got many things to grow and I'm grateful for your support through this process of self-discovery. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to know about me or I'll just keep with my inner ramblings...

Thanks for stopping by!